Pro tip: Layer naming saved me 2 hours on a 30-layer file last Tuesday

I used to just leave layers as "Layer 1" and "Layer 2" forever. Then I took over a client file with 30+ layers of garbage names and spent an hour just figuring out what was what. Now I name every single layer with a short description like "hero-img" or "btn-hover-state" as I go. It took maybe 30 extra seconds per shape but I saved two hours on revisions last week alone. Has anyone else noticed their old messy files coming back to haunt them mid-project?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanp1517d ago

Leaving breadcrumbs for your future self" - that's exactly it lol. I had a client file last month where the previous designer literally named every single layer "Layer 1" through "Layer 45" and then just had random copies of everything with no naming at all. I spent a solid hour and a half just renaming and grouping stuff before I could even start working on it. Now I name everything as I go too, even stuff like "temp-arrow" or "bg-grad-v2" just so future me doesn't wanna throw my laptop out the window. It's wild how those 10 seconds per layer add up to hours saved later.

zarak1817d ago

Honestly, I read this thread the other day about a designer who spent three hours just renaming layers in a huge file they got from a freelancer. It was basically a nightmare of "Layer 1" through "Layer 60" with random copies everywhere. Your point about it saving time on revisions is so true, especially when you gotta jump back into a file weeks later and have no clue what anything is. Naming things as you go is one of those small habits that pays off huge later. Tbh, it's like leaving breadcrumbs for your future self.