Use a Consistent File Naming System

Creative project management and organization is about systems. One way to stay organized is to develop consistent file naming conventions. Trust me, it will make your life easier, especially when a client asks for a file that you sent six months ago! You are choosing chaos with file names like unnamed.jpg and untitled-1.pdf. If you use Canva, give each page a meaningful name with a sequential number if there are only slight variations. It only takes a minute, but it will save you time and keep Canva from exporting files with the same name or, worse, overwriting existing files.

Use versioning: v1, v2. I do this to help my clients keep track as well. Avoid naming things FINAL unless it really is. Something I find helpful is to add the dimensions right in the file name, especially if I’m sending files to my client or a printer. It makes it easy to tell at a glance what the size is. Also, adding BLEED or NOBLEED when preparing to go to print can be useful.

Use folders wisely. Your logical naming system should extend to folders where you save your work. I separate by year and campaign, and I sometimes separate files based on usage. I split PNG and SVG to make them easy to find or upload when I’m working in WordPress and Canva.