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Equipment guide. This article explains selection and evaluation criteria; it is not a hands-on product review.
A useful folder name answers a practical question: what is this project, and when was it made? A consistent structure makes it easier to find work, copy it and understand what is safe to change. It does not need to become an elaborate filing system.
Start with a predictable project name
A date followed by a short descriptive title sorts naturally and remains understandable outside your editing application. Use the same date order throughout the archive. Avoid names such as “new,” “final2” or “miscellaneous” when they conceal the project’s identity.
Keep original captures separate from exports and other working material. That separation helps prevent a delivered JPEG from being mistaken for the only surviving source.
Keep versions meaningful
Name deliverables by purpose or agreed version, such as web, print or client selection. Record the export settings where they matter. A file labelled “final” should correspond to a clear stage, not simply the last time someone saved it.
When using catalog software, move or rename folders through the workflow it supports so links to originals remain intact.
Make the structure portable
Open the project folder outside the application and ask whether another person could understand it. Add a short readme for unusual requirements or important licensing information. A durable archive is one that remains intelligible after the immediate memory of the assignment has faded.
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