File Management Procedures

File Management Policies & Procedures

Consistent file management is the only way we can work effectively with multiple designers working remotely. We can’t afford to lose time hunting down files and looking for assets every time a client has a change to a project. Every time you finish an assignment, you should assume that someone else will be opening and editing the files. So, it is imperative that everyone follows the same process to ensure we can do this easily and quickly.

We all understand that mistakes happen. Files get linked from your computer. Jobs can get complex with multiple files, but the more you can do to quickly check that your finished files and job file structures follow the rules below, the less time we will all spend interrupting each other to reconcile problems.

File types and where to keep them:

There are three file types we create and store in the creative folder for each project.

• Artwork, which can be any photo, illustration, or design element

• Concepts, which are individual layouts that have unique creative elements

• Presentation files, which are typically built in InDesign to show client all of their options

Artwork

All artwork is initially housed in the Art folder. There is no required structure, but it can be helpful to add subdirectories that make it easier to organize things. When we are creating multiple concepts, it is often helpful to add subdirectories that are titled with the concept number (c1, c2, c3) that contain assets unique to each concept. When photos are shared across multiple concepts, put these in a separate folder for Photos.

The only exception to this process is when we purchase final artwork and place the files in the Photos/Logos folder so they can be re-used for future projects. At the time that a job is collected for production, all purchased stock photos should be copied to the relevant client photo library and relinked there. See production process below, but future projects that use the same photos will then link to the Photos/Logos source files, rather than artwork in a prior concept.

Concept Files

Regardless of the type of project, each unique concept should exist in a standalone file and be identified by a c# file name. A concept can have multiple pages when necessary, but a unique look and feel should be saved as a separate concept. This is important for two reasons. When concepts get retired, we can then clean them from the root directory and not be confused about what files are currently being worked on.

The only exceptions to this is when a job is very small, such as a 3 to 4 options for a social post or an email, and there will be no styles being applied to each concept. It is recommended in these cases to not create any concept files and build all assets in a Presentation file, named with the p# convention.

Concept files can reside in the root folder or the Art folder, but the root should only contain active concept files that are being worked on with older ones retired to Old Layouts.

It is each designer’s responsibility to organize the Creative folder and retire unused concepts to the Old Layouts folder. This should happen at the start of each new design process, so that the root only contains as many files as necessary.

Presentation Files

Presentations files are InDesign documents that collect all of the concepts into a client-ready presentation. We have templates for many of these which provide easy ways to attach project names and version numbers to master pages and insert the individual creative options.

The root of the project Creative folder will ideally have one presentation file with old ones being retired to Old Layouts as soon as a new one is generated. There are times when it is more convenient to create multiple presentation files, if a job has different collections for the client to consider, but these should be named intuitively so the next designer can easily identify what files to update.

Do not create multiple presentation files to separate concepts by designer. When multiple designers are working a project, we will iterate the presentation file by adding all concepts to the same presentation file. Our naming conventions will allow us to always find the most recent presentation file and simply add the next designer’s work.

Special Circumstances

Ongoing jobs: Many jobs, especially for web, are ongoing and have new assignments added as needed, creating multiple presentation files and creative concepts over time. The name of the presentation file should use an optional name, appended at end, that makes it clear what assignment it pertains to.

Examples would include:

• p1a-XXXXX-v1 Seno Web – Homepage Update Jan2023
• p1a-XXXXX-v1 Seno Web – Contact Page Update Jan2023

Combined jobs: Some jobs are multifaceted and have different print components, such as a folder and sell sheet and business card, under the same project. We do not create separate job folders in this case, but duplicate multiple root folders that each contain Creative/Planning/Production/Presentation folders for each component. This ensures that the production and presentation folders remain distinct and keep all elements separate so we can pick up correct files in future for updates without hunting through multiple files.

File Construction

Formats:

• InDesign is the preferred format for most print projects and should be used for all client presentation files. InDesign will generate the smallest PDF file sizes, as opposed to Illustrator or Photoshop.
• Illustrator is the preferred format for all digital projects due to its ability to easily generate digital assets for development, however there are some limitations of Illustrator to manage projects with multiple pages and many linked assets, which requires a different workflow, described below.

Illustrator Workflow

Check your PPI and never use artwork that won't meet production standards

File size quickly becomes bloated in Illustrator with multiple artboards and multiple linked files to high-res artwork. The rule of thumb is that if your Illustrator file sizes grows over 100 Mb, it is too large. Every designer has a responsibility to optimize their working files so that they can be easily opened by another. Here are some general rules for achieving workable files:

Do not embed artwork or screenshots. Ensure that all photos are linked assets and that they are optimally sized for the desired resolution. Ensure that all linked files are in the Art folder before finalizing your assignment.

Do not link to photos at a PPI higher than necessary. For digital projects, resize linked photos to the desired resolution, rather than link to high-res artwork. Illustrator attempts to save all of the image data to a preview, so linking to 10 100Mb files will create an Illustrator file that grows to 1 terabyte in storage size, which can’t be easily opened across network. If a project grows so large as to require more than 10 linked files across multiple artboards, consider splitting the artboards into separate files.

Do not copy and paste repeated items across multiple artboards. Use symbols and linked files for shared assets. In web projects, in particular, there are many shared page assets that are repeated across the site, such as logos and headers. Breaking your files down to common assets that are placed into the layout file will create less work when making updates.

Delete unused artboards and scratch work. It is common when creating new concepts to paste inspirations and screenshots outside the work area as a reference. During initial concepts, this is fine, but future versions of the file should eliminate anything that isn’t essential to the design. By v2, there should be no extraneous elements scattered around the primary artboards.

If file size becomes problematic, consider saving Illustrator files with PDF compatibility turned off. These files will not preview in Finder, but will eliminate all of the image data from saving with the file.

InDesign Workflow

InDesign has numerous functions that are critical to efficient workflows, including:

• Master Pages
• Paragraph & Character Styles
• Importing a linked InDesign file within another to reuse common design elements

At any point that you find yourself repeating elements across multiple pages, take the time to create a single source of the asset that can be managed as a single asset. Remember that you can also use layers in Illustrator to create interactive elements, such as navigation menus or buttons and turn the layers on and off in InDesign.

Do not set typography manually in multiple places of a print layout. Always use paragraph styles so that future changes can be applied quickly to a style and updated holistically.

Do not use manual soft breaks in paragraphs to improve the line breaks. When a line break is requested, use a slightly different paragraph margin or character spacing and apply as a sub style.

Photoshop Workflow

Photoshop files will often manipulate a source stock photo with added elements and effect layers. The more layers and effects, the larger the overall size. In the initial concept stages, the source artwork should be resized to the minimum production requirements. We don't need to create high-res versions of every concept at print quality when developing a web site. Resize artwork down to double density at the required size and complete all manipulation there.

Save your file as a new version of the original with a descriptive appendix to the name in the Art folder. If the file becomes useful in other pieces, we will move this file to the Photos - Logos directory after final production.

Do not create files larger than necessary for creative comps.

Create a source file with layers if you want to preserve editing (eg. Adobe-98374983745-Swoosh.psd"), but save a flattened version with an appended name (eg. Adobe-98374983745-Swoosh-flat.psd") to the Art folder for importing in to your layout. Placing PSD files with layers into layout can cause memory problems when they grow too complex.

Do not import PSD files with Smart Objects into Illustrator.

Production Process

After a project is approved for production, no more work should be saved or completed in the Creative folder. All retired concepts and previous layouts should be moved to Old Layouts.

The approved file should be Packaged or copied to the Build folder, collecting all assets and fonts if the source files will be released to vendor. This ensures that all linked files are collected for release. This step can happen after all final production on the file is complete, if there is more photo production to complete, but the work should be completed on a file resaved to Build with our typical file naming conventions.

In many cases, there are images to purchase at this stage, and updated in the packaged files. Remember to copy any purchased images to the Photos – Logos library in the appropriate folder. Additional Photoshop work that occurs on a stock photo for a particular concept can remain in the Build folder for that job unless it is being used across multiple projects.

All final edits during production should take place in the Build folder by iterating the file names forward with our alphabetical codes (eg c1b-XXXXX-v3 becomes c1c…). Because of conflicts in synching across Box and the servers, we must always give these files a new name and move the older version into an Old Layouts folder.

When final production is complete, designer will fill out QA worksheet and let proofer know via timestamp that the files are ready for review. Proofer completes QA checklist and alerts designer if any changes are required. When QA is finished, proofer will move whatever files are being released to the Final folder. If only a PDF is being released, the source files remain in Build. If all files are being released, the Build folder should be empty to avoid confusion about which files are final.

Client share files are created by copying the contents of Final to a shared folder on Box. There is no need to compress files into a zip file unless requested. A link to the shared folder should be posted to Seeker.

Quest Template exceptions

The one exception to this process is in template jobs, such as map pads, which have different locations for the shared assets and aren’t recollected for release as InDesign packages. If the final deliverable is a print-ready PDF, there is no need to recollect all assets in Build.