If you’re a designer or anyone working with graphics, you likely have a collection of PSD and AI files that you need to keep organized. Fortunately, with MacOS and its powerful built-in tool called Stacks, you can easily separate and organize your PSD and AI files without the hassle of manually sorting through them. In this article, we’ll explore how to use Stacks in MacOS to streamline your file management process and keep your design files neatly organized.
1. Understanding Stacks
First, let’s understand what Stacks is and how it can help you manage your files effectively. Stacks is a feature introduced in MacOS Mojave that automatically organizes files on your desktop into neat and easily accessible stacks. It groups files with similar attributes, such as file type, into separate stacks, reducing clutter and making it easier to find what you need. Stacks can be customized to suit your preferences, allowing you to organize files by name, date, or tag.
2. Separating PSD and AI Files
To separate your PSD and AI files using Stacks, start by ensuring that Stacks is enabled on your desktop. Right-click on the desktop and select “Use Stacks” to activate this feature. MacOS will then automatically organize files into stacks based on their file type.
Once Stacks is enabled, you’ll notice that your PSD and AI files are now sorted into separate stacks. You can easily distinguish between the two file types and access them quickly without having to search through a jumble of files on your desktop. This not only helps in organizing your design files but also makes it easier to locate specific files when you need them.
3. Customizing Stacks
While Stacks does a great job of automatically organizing your files, you can further customize it to better suit your workflow. For example, you can sort your stacks by name, date, or even create custom tags for different projects or categories. By doing so, you can have your PSD and AI files grouped according to specific projects, making it even easier to locate and manage your design assets.
To customize Stacks, simply right-click on the desktop, select “Group Stacks By,” and choose the sorting option that best suits your needs. You can also click on a stack to expand it and view its contents without disrupting the overall organization of your desktop.
4. Maintaining Organization
Once your PSD and AI files are separated and organized using Stacks, it’s important to maintain this organization to ensure that your files remain easily accessible. Whenever you save a new PSD or AI file to your desktop, make sure to place it in the appropriate stack. This will help you stay organized and prevent clutter from building up on your desktop.
In addition to using Stacks, consider utilizing the tagging feature in MacOS to further classify and categorize your design files. You can assign tags to files based on their project, client, or any other relevant criteria, allowing for even more granular organization and search capabilities.
In conclusion, managing and organizing PSD and AI files can be a breeze with the help of Stacks in MacOS. By leveraging this feature, you can easily separate, sort, and access your design files, ultimately streamlining your workflow and improving productivity. With the ability to customize Stacks and maintain file organization, designers and creative professionals can ensure that their design assets are always at their fingertips when needed.
