Folder structure

Disk chaos does not start at file hundred—it starts with the first save “wherever.” Three top-level folders and one rule—a new project gets a new folder—keep order for years without a complex system.

A graphics tablet and stylus

In progress / done / archive

In progress holds only active files you open this week. Done is delivered client work and personal pieces where you might still need the source. Archive is old versions and experiments you do not touch but do not want to delete. Each quarter, move items from done to archive if you have not opened them.

By date or by project

For personal work, try 2026-03-portrait-sister inside in progress. For client work, use a client folder with stages: sketch, color, export. Do not mix both schemes at the same level: either date leads or project name does, or search breaks.

File names

A file name is metadata visible without opening anything. It should answer “what is this and which version” at a glance.

Date + topic + version

Template: 2026-03-15-book-cover-v03.psd. Date first sorts lists chronologically. Topic in Latin or translit without spaces. Version is v01, v02—not “new” or “fixed.” Client finals can use -FINAL, but the master keeps a version number.

What to avoid in names

Avoid:

Layers inside the file

Outer folders will not help if the PSD has fifty layers named “Layer 47 copy 3.” Layer naming is the same discipline.

Naming layers

Name by role: line, flat_base, shadow_face, ref_photo. Keep reference on top at lower opacity and labeled. Group by area: head, background, effects. More on the stack in layers in the graphics editor.

Groups and label colors

Layer label color in Photoshop and similar apps is a quick filter: red for do not touch, blue for still draft, green for ready to merge. Pick meanings once and keep them across projects.

Tip

Before a flat merge for export, save a copy with a -layers suffix. Burned layers do not come back from PNG—only from backup or history if it still exists.

Backups

One disk is not storage. Drives fail, laptops get spilled on, and cloud sometimes syncs a delete.

3-2-1 rule

Three copies of data, on two media types, one copy off-site (cloud or another location). For an artist that might look like:

  1. working file on the laptop SSD;
  2. nightly copy to an external HDD;
  3. synced done folder in cloud without auto-delete on the only copy.

Cloud and external drive

Cloud is for a second copy and access from another device, not the only master. External drive is a full snapshot weekly. Test restore: every six months open a random file from backup.

Export and source files

Publishing and print need light formats; work needs heavy ones. Do not swap them.

Master PSD/clip

Master keeps layers, masks, and non-destructive effects. Use the editor native format: PSD, .clip, .kra. Do not overwrite master with PNG “to free space”—you lose editability. Lossless archiving for master is covered in export without quality loss.

PNG for publishing only

Put social, portfolio, and print export in an export subfolder with size in the name: cover-2000w.png. Source stays in the project root or master. JPEG is for previews and client approval, not for repainting. Decide resolution and DPI at export time, not on every master save.

Time to draw, not just read

Theory fades in a couple of days if you never use it. Open the editor and spend 15 minutes on what you just read. That is enough for the skill to stick.

Try it now

A free online editor: brushes, layers, a palette, and a shared canvas. No install and no sign-up.

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Topics in this guide

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