It's just a number on a calendar, but the new year usually brings with it a desire to regroup and reorganize.

Tired of looking for designs you know you have but can't locate? It just isn't any fun anymore. With the sheer number of embroidery designs amassed, the task of organizing them can be daunting without a plan. Fortunately, there are cataloging programs that help tremendously.

One thing that is constant across all platforms: You have to be able to see what the design looks like to know where it should be filed. File names alone are not always self-explanatory. If the file name is santa01.pes, that is one thing. But there isn't any way you can possibly know whether the XM3954.pes file is a design for a Christmas tree or a pink lizard without seeing the stitch-out image.

Both Catalog Xpress and CatalogIt! allow you to see design images before you file them. If the mere thought of creating an organizational structure for your embroidery designs makes you weak in the knees, both programs have folders already set up for you. Just drag and drop.

Catalog Xpress also permits you to colorize, convert, and re-size designs while CatalogIt! has an import wizard you can set up for aid in categorizing frequent file downloads.

Organizing embroidery designs into categories is a matter of personal preference. If you don't like the categories already created, you can easily rename what is there or add your own.

Benefits of Organizing Embroidery Designs

They are easier to find.

Did you ever sit down at the embroidery machine but left before ever turning it on because you couldn't find the file you wanted to stitch and lost interest? When kept in folders within a main design folder, you know exactly where to find your embroidery designs. You also save time by not having to search randomly.

You can weed out duplicates and free up storage space.

For one reason or another over the course of time, you can have the same stitch files with different names. By being able to see designs, the stitch counts, and thread colors on screen, you know if you are deleting the right file.

Backing up files is easier.

All embroidery designs should be backed up to prevent catastrophic loss in the event of computer failure. It is not a violation of copyright law to have an archival backup of embroidery designs. By cataloging files in folders by category, it's easy to back up (and restore) directories if your computer crashes or you get a new computer.

Add notes for future use or aid in searches.

Cataloging software allows users to add their own notes to the file, which show when the stitch order is printed out. Notes are also helpful when using search functions within the cataloging program. If you added a note such as "favorite teddy bear" to the notes section of your cataloging program, use that phrase in your search query to quickly find the design.

Try it FREE before you buy it.

Right now, Catalog Xpress is $30 off retail and CatalogIt! lists for $20 under retail. Check out their video demonstrations and, best of all, download and use them for 30 days free of charge to try them out. What do you have to lose?