PSE 7 Organizing

[lannoe]

I am starting to collect digi kits. I have PSE 7. What's the best way to go about organzing my files?

Lori

[Precepts and Promises]

I've always used the PSE Organizer for my digi files. I started with PSE6, am on 8, and have the upgrade for 10 next to my computer, ready to go. I think it's easy, it's included in PSE, and it works well.
I have a tutorial on getting started with the Organizer in my store, I Know I had it Here Somewhere...

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you.

[Els AW]

I loved the Organizer in Elements, but with PSC5 it is called Bridge.
You can make maps to organize, but also surch your computer and get images, photos, papers and elements to drag in your working space.

I have put all my backgrounds from a lot of kits in one map in Bridge, but then something went wrong, now there are only 97 left
Have to start over I think!

[crlin]

I have wondered what happens to your organized files when you have to change computers? That is why I hesitate to organize them since I have had to do this and I think it would mean starting all over.

[Els AW]

I think it is best to organize your kits on your computer (and save theme regulary to an extern disk!) and from that maps put them in your Bridge.
When your computer crashes, you can get your organized maps back from your backup and then you have to do the Bridge again.

For me, I am now organizing my maps with digital material, so I can easely find that one little butterfly or that one background, without looking trough all the kits ;-)

I am writing this down in a manuel for Dutch people who would like to start with digital scrapping, organizing will be chapter 1.

[donakat]

Of course it's easy to use the organizer or Bridge to look at your kits and find things, but you need to start with an organization PLAN for how and where to store those kits on your hard drive. People use different plans, all for good reasons, and you need to choose one to guide you. Check out this thread and this thread and this thread for some info on how people do this, choose a plan, and start NOW. You can see this is a perennial question with people new to digiscrapping. Unzip and put away your kits as soon as you get them, so they will be available for using on your layouts, and you will be able to see and sort them in Organizer or Bridge.

[Els AW]

Thank you for the threads!
I've read them and see that I do both: keep the original zipped file in one folder and put all things together (like elements, alphabets, frames and so on).

And good thing to remember: tomorrow I will run my backup again!!

[Digi-Scrap]

Sounds worthwhile. I've learned the hard way of how to organize my scraps, though I could always use idea's to improve my ways of doing things. Thanks. I hope to buy the above tutorial soon.

[Precepts and Promises]

The BIG thing to remember, and what throws lots of newbies off, is that the Organizer (or Bridge, but I don't use it, so I'm guessing) isn't where your files are actually stored. It's just a catalog (like ACDC, too) that gathers your info and thumbnails so you can easily see them.
I helped a friend get set up this past weekend, and I told her it's like a Pottery Barn Catalog: The catalog just is a photograph and information about the item, it's not the item; the item itself is on a shelf (or in a file folder on your hard drive!). You use the catalog to tell your computer (or the customer service agent on the phone) what item you want. But, you first have to put the items on the shelves where they belong! ( Picturing a huge IKEA warehouse where you pick up your boxed table, Aisle 21, Bin 35, Row D!) Then you tell the catalog where the items are by importing and tagging. Viola!

[Digi-Scrap]

Sounds interesting. My iPhoto does that: it will identify the faces of the pictures, but 1st you must identify it. Then when you are looking for it, you can find it. I only use that program for uploading my photo's, & then delete the copies in that program. I never used PScs5 Bridge for this, it may be another unique way to identify & find your pictures.