Keep Graphic Design References and Working Assets Distinct
A graphic-design collection can contain inspiration, licensed production assets, current source files, and approved deliverables. Give those roles distinct homes or labels so a reference screenshot is not accidentally treated as a usable production asset.
Keep the collection useful
Keep files by project or source package and preserve licensing records. Use tags for cross-project questions such as grid, contrast, or image-treatment. Use a separate status vocabulary for approved, working, or retired materials.
| Part of the set | What to record |
|---|---|
| Inspiration | Images to study with source attribution |
| Production asset | Files cleared for the intended use |
| Source document | Editable work opened in its authoring app |
| Guideline | PDF or note explaining an approved decision |
Build the working selection
In refern, enable optional file categories only when you want them in the workspace. PDFs can have first-page previews and a reader. PSD and PSB files get built-in thumbnails and open in the viewer as a zoomable, flattened image, without layers or editing. Illustrator, InDesign, and Sketch files and fonts have no built-in preview: they show the preview your operating system provides, where it has one, and may otherwise remain icon-only entries. A visible filename is not proof of a rendered preview or editable document support. If PSDs show only an icon in File Explorer, see why PSD thumbnails do not show in Windows 11 and what the Photoshop compatibility setting changes.
Find and use the references
Arrange selected references on a canvas with notes about typography, spacing, palette, or image direction. Keep the working source file in its authoring application. Use the PDF reader for embedded text within an open guide, not as an assumed collection-wide document search.
Check the handoff
Before handing off, inspect the actual deliverable and verify the included assets and permissions. The reference board does not package font licenses or resolve source-document dependencies. Keep a dated approval record outside the exploratory library.
Normal refern workspace indexing reads existing files in place. Imports and file actions can create or change files. Back up the source media and workspace data that preserves your organizing work.
Continue with Organize and Read PDF References Locally.