A beginner-friendly guide for designers to manage their Adobe Creative Suite projects with automatic version control

The create-project.sh script is like having a personal assistant for your design projects. It automatically sets up organized project folders, creates version control (like "save states" for your files), and helps you retrieve any previous version of your work - similar to how video games let you load previous saves.

Think of it as: Your design project's time machine and organizer rolled into one!

• 😰 "I accidentally saved over my best version!"
• 📁 "Where did I put that file from last week?"
• 🔄 "I need to go back to how this looked yesterday"
• 🗂️ "My desktop is a mess of random project files"

• ✅ Every time you save, a "snapshot" is automatically created
• ✅ Your projects are neatly organized in folders
• ✅ You can easily retrieve any previous version of your work
• ✅ No more lost files or accidentally overwritten designs

When you run the script, it:

1. Creates a organized project structure on your Desktop
2. Sets up version control (like automatic backups)
3. Creates helpful tools to manage your files
4. Launches your Adobe application ready to work

When you run the script, it creates this folder structure:

~/Desktop/PROJECTS/YourProjectName/
├── 📁 save-here/                    # Extra files and assets
├── 📁 project-tools/                # Helper scripts and guides
│   ├── auto-commit.sh              # Automatic saving script
│   ├── extract-version.sh          # Get previous versions
│   ├── previous-versions/          # Where old versions are stored
│   └── GIT-GUIDE.md               # Technical reference
├── 📄 README.md                     # Project overview
├── 📄 GIT-GUIDE.md                 # Version control instructions
├── 📄 .gitignore                   # Technical file (ignore this)
└── 🎨 YourDesignFiles.psd/ai/aep   # Your actual design files

Don't worry - you won't need to memorize any commands! Just follow these steps:

1. Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight
2. Type "Terminal" and press Enter
3. A black window will open - this is your command line

In the Terminal, navigate to wherever you saved the script. For example:

cd "/path/to/your/script/folder"

Replace /path/to/your/script/folder with the actual location where you saved the create-project.sh file.

Type this command:

./create-project.sh

Or, if you want to specify a project name immediately:

./create-project.sh "My Amazing Logo Project"

The script will ask you:

• Project name: What do you want to call your project?
• File name: What should your design file be called?
• Program: Which Adobe app? (Photoshop, Illustrator, or After-Effects)

The script will:

• Create your project folder
• Set up your design file
• Launch your Adobe application
• Display next steps

Think of version control like a photo album of your design process. Every time you save your work, it takes a "photo" (snapshot) of your file at that moment. You can always flip back through this album to see or retrieve any previous version.

1. You work normally - Open Photoshop, Illustrator, or After Effects
2. Save your work as usual - Cmd+S like always
3. Magic happens - The script automatically creates a snapshot
4. Never lose work again - You can always go back to any previous save

This tool watches your project folder and automatically creates a snapshot every time you save a file.

To start automatic saving:

1. Open Terminal
2. Navigate to your project folder:

   cd "~/Desktop/PROJECTS/YourProjectName"

   Replace YourProjectName with your actual project name
3. Run the auto-commit script:

   ./project-tools/auto-commit.sh

What you'll see:

Starting file monitoring for automatic Git commits...
Watching directory: /Users/YourUsername/Desktop/PROJECTS/YourProjectName
Press Ctrl+C to stop monitoring

The actual path will show your username and project name

To stop automatic saving:

• Press Ctrl+C in the Terminal window

This tool lets you retrieve any previous version of your design files.

To see all available versions of a file:

./project-tools/extract-version.sh "Logo-04-23.psd"

Example output:

Available versions of Logo-04-23.psd:
a1b2c3d - 2024-01-15: Auto-commit at 14-30 for Logo-04-23.psd
e4f5g6h - 2024-01-15: Auto-commit at 12-15 for Logo-04-23.psd
i7j8k9l - 2024-01-14: Auto-commit at 16-45 for Logo-04-23.psd

To extract a specific version:

./project-tools/extract-version.sh "Logo-04-23.psd" "a1b2c3d"

This will:

• Extract the version from that time
• Save it in the previous-versions folder
• Automatically open it in the correct Adobe application

• Best for: Photo editing, digital painting, web design
• Script handles: Automatic .psd file creation and version tracking
• Opens with: Adobe Photoshop 2022

• Best for: Logo design, vector graphics, illustrations
• Script handles: Automatic .ai file creation and version tracking
• Opens with: Adobe Illustrator 2023

• Best for: Motion graphics, animation, video effects
• Script handles: Automatic .aep file creation and version tracking
• Opens with: Adobe After Effects 2022

1. Run ./create-project.sh "Project Name"
2. Choose your Adobe application
3. Start designing in the opened application

1. Work normally in your Adobe app
2. Save frequently with Cmd+S
3. Each save automatically creates a version snapshot
4. Focus on creating - the script handles the rest

1. Use ./project-tools/extract-version.sh "filename.psd"
2. Choose the version you want
3. The old version opens automatically in your Adobe app

1. Save your final work
2. Close your Adobe application
3. The version history is automatically preserved

Before using the script for the first time, make sure you have:

The script looks for these specific versions:

• Adobe Photoshop 2022
• Adobe Illustrator 2023
• Adobe After Effects 2022

Git is the technology that powers version control. On Mac, it's usually pre-installed. To check:

git --version

This tool watches for file changes. Install it with:

brew install fswatch

If you don't have Homebrew, install it first:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Solution: Make the script executable:

chmod +x create-project.sh

Solution: Install fswatch:

brew install fswatch

Solution: Check the application paths in the script match your installed versions. You might need to update the paths if you have different versions installed.

Solution: Navigate to your project folder and run:

git init

The script automatically adds dates to your files. If you create a file called "Logo" on January 15th, it becomes "Logo-01-15.psd"

Use the save-here folder for:

• Reference images
• Font files
• Client feedback documents
• Export files (JPG, PNG, etc.)

• Save frequently (every 10-15 minutes)
• Use meaningful commit messages when manually committing
• Keep the auto-commit script running during work sessions

• Always save to the same filename to maintain version history
• Use "Save As" only when creating completely new variations
• Keep your project folder clean and organized

A simple overview of your project and how to use the tools.

Technical documentation for version control commands. You don't need to read this unless you want to learn more advanced features.

A technical file that tells Git which files to ignore. You don't need to modify this.

When you create a new design file, the script creates a text file with specific instructions for that file. These are helpful reminders!

"I was working on a logo for a major client and accidentally saved over my best version. Thanks to this script, I retrieved the perfect version from 2 hours earlier in just 30 seconds!"

"As a freelance designer, losing work meant losing money. This script has been my safety net for 6 months now, and I've never worried about losing files again."

"When clients ask for 'the version from last Tuesday', I can actually give it to them! This has made client relationships so much smoother."

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the error message - Most errors have helpful suggestions
2. Review the requirements - Make sure all software is installed
3. Try the basic commands - Sometimes restarting Terminal helps
4. Check file permissions - Make sure you can read/write to the project folder

Once you're comfortable with the basic workflow, you can explore:

If you want more control over version control:

git status          # See what files have changed
git add .           # Stage all changes
git commit -m "Finished logo design"  # Create a version with custom message
git log             # See all previous versions

Instead of automatic timestamps, you can create meaningful version names:

git commit -m "Client feedback incorporated"
git commit -m "Final logo design complete"
git commit -m "Color variations added"

Create different versions of your project:

git branch logo-variations      # Create a new branch
git checkout logo-variations    # Switch to that branch
# Work on variations without affecting main design

This script transforms your design workflow from chaotic to organized, from risky to safe, and from stressful to peaceful. You'll never again experience the panic of losing work or the frustration of not being able to find a previous version.

The beauty of this system is that it works invisibly in the background. You design the way you always have, but now you have superpowers: the ability to travel through time in your design process.

Remember: The script is your design safety net. Use it, trust it, and focus on what you do best - creating amazing designs!

Created with ❤️ for designers who want to focus on creativity, not file management