Myself personally, I think having a folder for each holiday, is the best, that way if your looking for a particular designs for an occasion, you have it in the right folder and note looking through many designs to find it. If I had known when I started collecting that I would have so many I would have set up more folders. Maybe that will be my retirement job...lol

I have a root Holiday folder
then a folder for each holiday
and a folder for different designs ie HOLIDAYS/Christmas/Candy Canes
That is the only way I could ever find anything... I hope that helps

I have a folder for each holiday except Christmas. For that I have it broken down into several folders, Christmas Snowmen, Christmas Trees, Christmas Lights, Christmas Snowflakes, Christmas Words and Quotes, Christmas-Gingergread and on and on. It helps to locate what you're looking for. I'm eventually going to get my Flower folder broken down by type of flower. At least I plan to "some day"! Good luck!

For me, it works to have a folder for each holiday. But I think it's a personal thing and you have to set it up so you'll be happy and be able to find your designs faster. Carol

All my files are under a folder for my embroidery designs - then I have a Holiday folder with each of the holidays. It works for me - you make your folders that will work for you - the way that you can remember where they are - for a long time - I did in fact use these folders this way - then I went to using the Designer's name with the folder for the file by the name of the set that I purchased - so when I went looking on the site - I knew if I had that set already by looking in my Designer's folder - say the CuteEmbroidery folder had folders for Designs, Redwrok, Alpha's, Cross Stitch, Applique and Lace - so when I try to find any of those designs - it is is the same way as how I downloaded it off the site. Hope that helps.

I agree with jerrib. When I started collecting designs the stress was on always knowing who digitized the design, so I made a folder for each digitizer. Now have about a hundred folders to search when I know I have that 'perfect design' for a project, but I just can't remember who made it. I have sub folders in some of these folders to sort by type making for a lot of folders.
It would be much easier to use if I had stored my designs by type and allotted an ID to each design to identify the digitizer (for those that don't do it for you). Maybe one day/week/year I will have time to reorganize my designs by type, I am already retired and have less time than when working it seems...lol.
Good luck with your organizing .
Bev

i saving mines on A B C
so when it start with W i saving the design in W
work good to me
hugs Sonja

I save my designs into different folders, using the digitizers or website initals as first letters in title. And yes, I have separate holiday folders. All other folders are by type of design. My thoughts only!!! Hugs, Judy

I have a folder for designs with sub folders, one for each holiday, snowmen, line work, bugs, butterflies, FSL, bowls, etc. I really need to work on my flower folder too. I also have one marked 2010 which I put in anything that I don't know where I want it yet. Everyone finds something that works best for them. Good luck!

I do seperate my holidays but a bit different then others. I put Halloween in my fall folder along with thanksgiving, then easter and st pattys and valentine is in spring folder xmas has it's own folder with lots of subfolders. if the design does not have the digitizers name I type it in as part of the folder or name of the design. I didn't learn to do that until after I had been collecting for a while then went to a design and wanted to go buy from the owner only to find out they didn't put their name and site in it, guess we all learn the hard way.

If you want to file into categories to get you started here is a pre-organized folder download where it says "this link". I file by the Digitizer Site so that I don't get duplicate copies. There is no right or wrong way just as long as you know where you put the design when you want to find it again.

I just read through several of the posts and realized we all pretty much file our designs in the same manner..only thing is I converted from ring binders for the pics and color charts to a filing cabinet..I organized them in such a way that the folders relate to each other from computer to the hanging folder in my filing cabinet..Because I suffer from oldtimers disease I don't sort by digitizer I just add to the file name..Some card readers can get jammed up if you have too many files in one folder as one cutie posted a time ago..I tried putting all appliques in one folder and then sub folders but when I was looking for halloween designs I had totally forgot about all the wonderful halloween applique designs that I had..so I regrouped and reorganized..Good Luck with your organizing..I can see I am not alone in this endeavor...lol