Since my patterns now easily number in the thousands, and by day the count is increasing, I'm thinking of organizing them by color. I couldn't possibly print out all of them for show, BUT, if I had them on one of those Memory Photo Frames (correct name?) I could make it so potential customers could view them. If they felt they needed to see what they look like up-close, as in a print, I could charge a nominal fee for printing them. That wouldn't mean that they would GET that print, however, if they decided on which print they wanted, and their print-amount wasn't exorbident, the amount that they paid for printing could be applied to their order for prints.
That would help ensure that people weren't just coming up and requesting multiple prints. My plan is that I could print on-site - of course I'd have to have a printer for that purpose, but I did see people demo-ing their printers, running them at SURTEX all day. It's feasible. If many people needed prints made, it would be first-come-first-serve, $-down before printing, with a person dedicated to running the printer(s), until the end of the show. This would of course be in addition to prints that I would already have printed and available for the show. Solves problem of SO many patterns.
I had to come up with an organizing system. It's gotten better and better by day. At first I re-assigned my own #, rather than the basic # and copy # the computer assigned, mine was shorter. However, that took much, much longer, and as it is I hate waiting between "saves" on the computer. Now the final-final system is... of course unless it changes, or 'evolves' further...
Give a name to the original design I am morphing from - if one seems obvious. As the patterns change, the name MAY not seem as applicable, but in this way, I can always go back to the design that I generated others from, hundreds of others in many cases. I kind of like the name to aid in my grouping them, rather than a # and a #, but it all comes down to a number-system, regardless...
Also, besides using the computer generated #'s of copies, I have a prefix I add, to keep them sorted, as to how I will coordinate them. I force myself to choose ONE primary color to describe the pattern, and put the following coding system to prefix each one at time of saving:
O - Orange
B - Brown
R - Red
P - Pink
Y - Yellow
M - Mauve
PE - Peach
PU - Purple
GL - Gold
BU - Blue
T - Turquoise
W - White
GY - Gray
GN - Green
There may be others as I move on, but at least I have them documented now in a place where I cannot lose them, because inevitably, I WILL forget, as I move on to other projects, and back again, as I tend to do. I can forget overnight, however, which I did with one step of my naming. So as I save them to desktop initially, then they go into their Unmatched Patterns file, then ultimately to the Pattern Set file (the latter of which are pages ready for print of coordinated patterns).
Sorting by color presents it's own issues, but it is one way to get a handle on them. What if there is an equal amt of colors? What if the color I'd want to match it to would best be one of the accent colors in the design? I was torn a bit here, and before I polished my system, I saved them, I have to admit in differing ways. But in thinking how potential customers may want to access them, I see that they really must be filed by the dominant color of design.
I wanted to write yesterday, and the topic would've been different, ran out of gas on way to W. Watchers (1st time I think)/had to call for help, still have 25 lbs off, plan to maintain over summer, as summer is more difficult for me, didn't write, I don't think about the day early summer when I went out with son, and had two different, completely different, but both designed by me, shoes on -- maybe I'll start something?! Went to Fashion Show, was good, etc., etc.
That would help ensure that people weren't just coming up and requesting multiple prints. My plan is that I could print on-site - of course I'd have to have a printer for that purpose, but I did see people demo-ing their printers, running them at SURTEX all day. It's feasible. If many people needed prints made, it would be first-come-first-serve, $-down before printing, with a person dedicated to running the printer(s), until the end of the show. This would of course be in addition to prints that I would already have printed and available for the show. Solves problem of SO many patterns.
I had to come up with an organizing system. It's gotten better and better by day. At first I re-assigned my own #, rather than the basic # and copy # the computer assigned, mine was shorter. However, that took much, much longer, and as it is I hate waiting between "saves" on the computer. Now the final-final system is... of course unless it changes, or 'evolves' further...
Give a name to the original design I am morphing from - if one seems obvious. As the patterns change, the name MAY not seem as applicable, but in this way, I can always go back to the design that I generated others from, hundreds of others in many cases. I kind of like the name to aid in my grouping them, rather than a # and a #, but it all comes down to a number-system, regardless...
Also, besides using the computer generated #'s of copies, I have a prefix I add, to keep them sorted, as to how I will coordinate them. I force myself to choose ONE primary color to describe the pattern, and put the following coding system to prefix each one at time of saving:
O - Orange
B - Brown
R - Red
P - Pink
Y - Yellow
M - Mauve
PE - Peach
PU - Purple
GL - Gold
BU - Blue
T - Turquoise
W - White
GY - Gray
GN - Green
There may be others as I move on, but at least I have them documented now in a place where I cannot lose them, because inevitably, I WILL forget, as I move on to other projects, and back again, as I tend to do. I can forget overnight, however, which I did with one step of my naming. So as I save them to desktop initially, then they go into their Unmatched Patterns file, then ultimately to the Pattern Set file (the latter of which are pages ready for print of coordinated patterns).
Sorting by color presents it's own issues, but it is one way to get a handle on them. What if there is an equal amt of colors? What if the color I'd want to match it to would best be one of the accent colors in the design? I was torn a bit here, and before I polished my system, I saved them, I have to admit in differing ways. But in thinking how potential customers may want to access them, I see that they really must be filed by the dominant color of design.
I wanted to write yesterday, and the topic would've been different, ran out of gas on way to W. Watchers (1st time I think)/had to call for help, still have 25 lbs off, plan to maintain over summer, as summer is more difficult for me, didn't write, I don't think about the day early summer when I went out with son, and had two different, completely different, but both designed by me, shoes on -- maybe I'll start something?! Went to Fashion Show, was good, etc., etc.