Using and Organizing the Digi Files

Digi Files #27 (March 2011)

The Digi Files are a collection of kits and templates that are put together each month to keep The Daily Digi running (we have no advertising revenue, the files are the only thing that keeps The Daily Digi going). The purpose of the Digi Files is to provide a way for digital scrapbookers of any level to try 7 different designers each month with 7 full size kits/collections for about the price of only 1 digi kit. Such a great deal for everyone! I (Katie) have been digital scrapbooking for 6 years now and I’m still amazed when I open a new set of files each month! I’ve discovered many favorite designers because of the Digi Files.

This month we just finished revealing all the contents of the Digi Files #27. That means that there have been 27 sets of files! Looking over the list of past contributors, I realized that because I have every one of the files, I now have 174 different kits (or template collections) from more than 150 different designers and stores. That’s a whole lot of digi goodness! So how do I organize all of those supplies?

I know when I was just a reader, I wasn’t really sure how to organize the Digi Files each month. Should I split them up and file them with my regular folder system? Or should I leave them organized by monthly digi files? If so, how would I remember to go back and use them? As a team member, I still struggle with this because currently all I do just keep them all in a digi files folder, but I rarely remember to go back and use past ones. I decided that I needed a solution for organizing these collections so that I could still keep track of which supplies came from which set of Digi Files, while also integrating them with my regular organizational system. Who better to ask than some of the other digi team members?

Tips from the team:

Heddy: I use ACDSee. After downloading and unzipping The Digi Files (and deleting the zip file) into my Scrap Supplies folder, I tag the preview for each item according to type (element pack, kit, templates, etc.), by store name, by designer name, and with the tag “The Daily Digi”.

Jacki: After I’ve unzipped them, I leave them in my Downloads folder and label them TDD and by number with the designer’s name and kit name (e.g. TDD28_JLarsen_Lonestar). Once I’ve used it, I remove the TDD and number and cut and paste the designer’s folder into my Digital Kits folder. In there I have them organized by designer name so it’s easy to find again. If the kit is more of a topical/themed kit, I place it in a different folder (e.g. Western). That way if I’m scrapping something by theme, I can easily find it.

Jenn: I do basically the same thing, where I download and unzip to a file labeled with the given month and “TDF” which I keep on my desktop until each designer’s kit has been revealed. Once the month is over, I move each of the individual kit folders to my PU Digi Kits folder, which has each of the kits labeled by DesignerName_KitName. The templates go into a subfolder in my PU folder. I tend to remember specific items that I may like to reuse, so this system by designer works well for me.

Melissa S.:  This is my process -

• Download into a TDF## folder in my Digi folder on my PC
• Unzip with Unzipthemall
• Import into PSE Organizer
• Add them to TDF## album
• Tag all the previews as previews
• Use them to create!
• If I decide I want to move some contributions around I use the Organizer to do it, this keeps them all linked up
• I have smart-albums set up for my favourite designers so I just click on Flergs (for eg) and all her deigns come up or I use the Ctrl-Shift-K for find by filename

Trina: I unzip them and keep them all in one folder for TDF and I label them with ‘TDF #’ so I know I got them from TDF.  Once I’ve used them I put them in my general kits (or templates) folder or in the designer folder if it’s one I already know and love.  I keep TDF in the name of the kit because it reminds me that I got a great deal on it and I like to be reminded of that lol!

Amelia: I’m certainly a newbie here, but thought I would throw in my input too since I have bought quite a few of the files in the past:
- I separate them by designer and then kit name.  However, I highlight the kit name (I am on a Mac) and put – “from the daily digi” (though I really should abbreviate that! by it so I know where I got it!
- I also use picasa and tag them according to what they are + Daily Digi (again so I know where I got them)

Tips from our readers:

We also asked some of our readers how they organize their Digi Files supplies. Here are some of the responses:

• I put them in folders by designer and tag them with TDD so I know where I got them
• I have a TDD folder and the every kit is in it’s own folder
• I unzip and put them by month and by items as ribbns, frames, etc
• I organize in folders by designer/kit name and also tag in Picasa with “Digi Files”
• I have a Digi Files folder that my downloads go in to and then they’re sorted by month after that.
• If its a designer I’ve purchased from already, I put the file in theirs…If not I leave them in the monthly folder.
• I pull the kits apart and put them in folders like: paper, ribbon, flowers, animals, alphas…etc.
• I keep them in the folder by The Digi Files, then I tag them.
• Keep them together as the Digi files and now have them keyword also by designer in Lightroom
• By name of kit with a folder of kit previews
• Each file in an individual folder labeled with designer and the Digi Files #

As you can see, there are many ways to organize the Digi Files (and digital scrapbooking supplies in general). There really is no wrong or right way, just find what works for you. I’ve loved having all of my supplies in folders labeled by the Digi Files number. I love to look through the past collections to see what has been included each month. It’s sort of like taking a trip down my digi scrap memory lane because I’ve found so many new-to-me designers through the files. But I do think it will help me to either tag the previews according to theme, or include preview images in my regular folder system so I remember to use the great kits that have joined my collection because of The Daily Digi.

Do you have any other methods for organizing and using the digi goodies from the Digi Files? We’d love to know!