Let’s Explore v4 – Library Organization
In the first part of the Let’s Explore v4 Organization series we discussed backups and making a backup of all things Silhouette related and more. Find that tutorial HERE.
The next part of the series we are going to discuss the Silhouette Studio library and organizing it.
Tutorial written in Silhouette Studio v4.4.552
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First there are 2 things I do want to highlight here
1 – The Silhouette Library is not designed as an all inclusive storage device.
While you can move outside files into the Silhouette library, the only files that Silhouette can guarantee to recover are those files from the Silhouette Design Store. Personally, I do not store many files to my Silhouette library. Since it is not designed as an all inclusive storage area, the storage space is limited. If you get close or exceed the storage space limit, it can cause issues within your software. Each user is given 1 GB of storage space. If you are a Silhouette Club member or a have a Silhouette Design Store subscription, you get 5 GB.
(Use code SILSECRETS to save on the Design Store Subscription)
Silhouette Design Store file do NOT count towards this storage limit. Only files that you save to the library or store within the library.
The tips in this post will apply to both Silhouette Design Store files and files that you place in the library as well.
2 – Library organization may vary for each user.
How you organize your files may not be the same way I organize my files. I will share the tips on how you can do it, but you will need to decide what is going to work best for you.
The Silhouette Studio Library Tree
The Silhouette Studio library is accessed by clicking on the Library button in the top right corner or under File > Library in the top left corner menu.
The library tree is found on the left side. This is all the different folders that make up your library organization.
Before we do anything to change the library, let’s look at the parts of it.
Any folder with a + sign on it can be expanded out farther and may have subcategory folders.
The number next to the folder indicates how many files are in that folder.
The main folders are:
All Files – if selected, you are viewing all the files in the entire Silhouette library
If you move files into folders from here, you will not see the files disappear from your view because you are viewing All Files. This will make a bit more sense farther down.
Favorites – you can designate favorite files to be added to this folder by clicking on the gray star in the bottom right corner of the design icon. The star should turn blue and will be added under the Favorites folder.
This is a great feature if you are working on a project or have a file you want to cut and don’t want to forget which one it is.
Fonts – only fonts from the Silhouette Design Store will appear in this folder.
This folder can also be organized and we will discuss that in a bit.
Designs – this is where designs will download automatically from the Silhouette Design Store. Click the + sign and expand to see the subcategories.
Subcategories under Designs Folder
If you have downloaded any of the Silhouette eBooks, they will show up in their own folder. You can find those eBooks HERE.
Cameo 4 (all models) or Portrait 3 owners will have a folder called Free with Machine after they have completed the machine registration on a new machine.
If you have purchased a Project in the Silhouette Design Store, the designs in those Projects should show under the Project Designs folder.
Files from the Silhouette Design Store will download into the Recent Downloads folder.
And a folder for User Designs where you can add or save files.
Patterns – printable pattern file types from the Silhouette Design store will download into this folder and then are accessible through the Fill Color Panel – Pattern Fill tab.
Cut patterns will not show up in this folder.
Recycle Bin – when files are deleted from the library, they first go to this folder before you permanently delete them
Organizing the Library
The very first step to organizing the library is to Export your current library as is. I would recommend you do this BEFORE and AFTER you make any changes.
I would recommend doing both a Library Export and Exporting User Designs (if available) export as well.
How do you export the library?
Check out this post – New Feature – Export Individual Files
The next thing I would suggest is to make sure that you are signed in to the library and the library is synced with the current date and time.
You will find this in the bottom left corner of the Library tab.
If you are not logged in or cannot get it to sync with the current date and time, follow the steps in this post exactly – Let’s Explore v4 – Designs Not Downloading
Designs
You can create your own folders by right clicking on a folder name and select ‘New Folder’ from the menu.
Then name the folder that was just created.
Now this is where you are going to have to decide what works best for you and your work flow. Do you organize by holiday, season, shape, type, etc?
As you can see, I have a lot of folders created in my library.
But I also have 6,155 files in my Recent Downloads folder that have not been organized either. I am a work in progress too and get lazy about organizing.
So I am doing this right along with you.
You can also create more subcategories under each of these folders by following the same steps as above.
To move files into those folders, grab the design you want and hold the left mouse button down and drag it into the folder.
To select multiple files to move at once, click on the first file, hold the Shift key down and click on the last file you want. Then move them as a group into the folder you want.
Note: in Silhouette Studio versions v4.4.8xx+ or higher the ability to move multiple files at one time is broken. You will need to move the files 1 at a time or go back to a lower version. I am using v4.4.552 in this tutorial and the multiple selection and movement works.
If you have the Recent Downloads folder selected, you will see the design icon disappear and the number increase next to the folder that you moved the design to.
If you have the All Files folder selected and move files into the folder, you will not see the file “disappear” because you are viewing the folder that shows all the files in the entire library.
Now, a very IMPORTANT part is to make sure that your library syncs with the current date and time after you are finished organizing.
If the library does not sync up with the current date and time, any file organization you created may not be saved.
After you are finished moving files, make another backup of the library by exporting it.
(How to export files)
User Designs
The User Designs Folder can be organized in the same manner as the Recent Downloads folder. This User Design Folder is where you will save your personal designs or designs you move into the library.
Keep in mind that the Silhouette library storage is limited and any files you save to the library or add to the library in this section will use up that storage space.
Fonts
Fonts from the Silhouette Design Store can be organized too!
Click on the + sign next to the Fonts folder to expand it if there are folders.
Right click on the Fonts folder and choose ‘New Folder’ to create a new folder. Name the new folder that was created.
I have 4 folders under my Fonts folder that I’ve created: Sketch, Monogram, Script, and Dingbats. And one lone ‘Untitled Folder’ that I must have created for a Demo at some point.
Then you can move the fonts into the folders by grabbing and dragging to the folder.
Note: there are some fonts that will not move to a created folder – these include fonts that are considered “Premium” fonts. These font files are usually the ones with a bunch of special characters in them. You will also find that you have to manually install these “Premium” fonts directly onto the computer to have full access to them.
If you need information on installing fonts, check out this post
Let’s Explore v4 – Installing Fonts
Now, here is the cool part!
This font organization shows up in the Text Style Panel.
Click on the Design Tab and open the Text Style Panel.
Scroll up on the Text Style Panel and you will see the folders you’ve created and the fonts you’ve organized in those folders.
This does not mean that it takes it out of the main fonts list but it is a quicker way to see those fonts you’ve organized into categories.
So cool!
Why does it only apply to Silhouette Design Store fonts?
This is because those font files come directly from the Silhouette Design Store and “part” of the code is embedded in the Silhouette Studio software.
Fonts from outside sources are not downloaded into the software, but they are pulled from your computer Fonts Folder on the C: drive after they are installed and show up in the Text Style Panel.
Since the data is pulled from the C: drive on your computer, there is no way to organize it in Silhouette. I do not recommend messing with the organization in the C: Fonts folder as it can mess up other software programs on your computer as those fonts are also pulled into those programs.
Patterns
Another great area to organize is the Patterns Folder. Whether you add a pattern yourself or just have patterns from the Silhouette Design Store.
Right click and choose New Folder to create a folder and then name it.
And this pattern organization will show up in the Fill Color Panel – Pattern Tab.
If you have the Designer Edition upgrade or higher, you can add Patterns into the Patterns folder and they will also appear in the Fill Pattern Panel.
These patterns that you are adding into the library do take up cloud storage space and something to keep in mind is patterns, which are typically jpeg files can be quite large. They are a photo file.
So many neat features!
Again, make sure to Sync the library after you make any chances.
AND export a backup copy.
Favorites Folder
This folder does not allow new folders to be created.
This is just a quick way to access a file that you know you would like to use. Add it to your Favorites folder so you find it easily.
Quirks
I am going to call these Quirks because they do not affect all users and sometimes just show up and/or disappear again. Maybe they should be grouped in with the gremlins.
Duplicate folders
This one isn’t particularly harmful, but I know can be annoying to some. Folders will appear that have a duplicate name, but are usually empty. Even if you delete it, they just come back.
Personally, I bounce between several versions as a Beta tester, so I can never remember what version my duplicates show in or don’t show in.
You can try to delete them and if they keep coming back, forget them!
It’s not worth your time or effort to keep trying. Wait and see, they may resolve themselves.
Files Moved Don’t Stay Put
This one is definitely more of a headache!
This is why I recommend making a backup before and after you do the export. Then at least you will have a backup that you could try to import back in.
I don’t know why it happens and again, it doesn’t happen to all users.
That is a lot of information wrapped up in one place. How will you organize your library?
Check out the video tutorial on my YouTube Channel HERE.
Now that we’ve gone through all the ways you can organize the Silhouette library, let’s get to it! I’m right there with you and it’s my goal this week.
Check out the rest of the Organization series here:
Part 1 – Let’s Explore v4 – Silhouette Backups
Part 3 – Let’s Explore v4 – Silhouette File Organization
I would love to see what you are creating with your Silhouette software or machines!
Or if you have any questions, feel free to post photos or questions on my Facebook group at
Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.
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Enjoy !
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