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Workflow - General

Resolution Templates

Medium DPI
Print =300dpi
Web / Digital >=72dpi
Format Resolution
HD, Standard 16:9 1920x1080 @72dpi or higher
QHD, 1440p, 16:9 2560x1440 @72dpi or higher
4k, Standard 16:9 3840x2160 @72dpi or higher

Physical Prints

TO DO

File Best Practices

Name layers or objects logically

# Example
- Main Character
- BG Character 1
- Tree 1
- Tree 2
- Vehicle 1
- BG Character 2
- BG

Color code layers

  • Right-Click the layer in Photoshop / GIMP to change the layer color

- e.g. all layers for the main character are blue
- e.g. all layers for background objects are grey
  • This makes it easy for someone else to understand without examining the entire document and making their own notes

Name files logically

Check color info (RGB vs CMYK)

  • Image > Mode
  • Going to print? Choose CMYK
  • 8-bit vs 16-bit color depth?
    • In Photoshop some filter effects are unavailable in 16-bit or higher color modes
    • Copy layer(s) over to a temporary 8-bit color document window, run the filter, and copy them back

Prefer PNG over JPG

  • PNG is lossless in quality
  • Exporting as PNG's contain little to no metadata

TIP: if you want to see, edit, add, or remove metadata, use exiftool

Naming Conventions

Using a logical naming convention will make it easier for you to track files in a hierarchy.

Do your own version control, and do not rely solely on cloud version backups.

It can be difficult and time consuming to download, rename, and review file versions one by one should you need to.

Using a folder hierarchy:

- /COMPANY/PROJECT/SUB-FOLDER/YYYYMMDD/

Using a filename hierarchy:

- YYYYMMDD_COMPANY_PROJECT_ASSET-NAME.VERSION.file

Using both files and folders:

- /COMPANY/PROJECT/SUB-FOLDER/DRAFT_X/ASSET-NAME.VERSION.file

Working Example:

You're tasked with creating a first draft of a vehicle to be used as a background element.

Three different versions are needed, version 3 has an A and B.

- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_A.V001.psd
- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_A.V002.psd
- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_A.V003a.psd
- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_A.V003b.psd

The next day you receive feedback, and versions 1 and 2 get their first revisions.

You increment the date and the revision number.

- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220105_VEHICLE_A.V001.R001.psd
- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220105_VEHICLE_A.V002.R001.psd

Another way to do this:

- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_A.V001.psd
- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_B.V001.psd
- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_C.V001a.psd
- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_C.V001b.psd

Revisions:

- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_A.V002.psd
- /COMPANY/PROJECT/PROPS/DRAFT_01/20220104_VEHICLE_B.V002.psd

In some cases it may make more sense to name the files by:

  • COMPANY_PROJECT_ASSET_VERSION_YYYYMMDD

This will keep the files in an alphanumeric order based on the assets rather than the date within the filesystem.

Other variations of time-based names include:

  • YYYYMMDD_hhmmss (Year,Month,Day_Hour,Minute,Second)
  • 20220321_124519

In all cases, do what makes the most sense for you. These are just ideas you can take and improve upon.

File Size & Disk Space

Raster Graphics Documents

Photoshop, GIMP, Krita, any layered raster graphics document

  • If you need to change only one element (e.g. a face)
    • Keep the original layer
    • Create the revision as a layer, in the same document
  • Use a 'main' working PSD and export static images with the versioning scheme in their filenames
    • You can still correlate revision-to-PSD with this naming convention
    • If you see the PSD has no revision number, assume the revisions exist as layers