SANJIESAN CREATOR / PRACTICAL GUIDE
Keep track of what goes into your work
A reference folder is easy to grow and difficult to explain. A screenshot may lose its page address; a downloaded font may become separated from its terms. Record a little information when you collect a file. It is much easier than trying to recover the trail while preparing a release.
Give every source a place
Use a sheet or plain text file with an entry for each asset. Record the title, creator or provider as stated by the source, the original page address, the downloaded filename and the date you saved it. Keep the source's wording where a title or version matters. A guessed creator name is less useful than an honest unknown.
Add the project location in a separate field. The same image might appear only on a private moodboard or inside an exported presentation. Those are different uses, and the record should make the difference visible without requiring anyone to inspect every layer.
Keep the terms with the file
Save the relevant permission or usage document with its source address and version where available. Note what the document actually covers: the particular file, a collection or an account plan. A platform's general welcome message is not a substitute for the terms attached to the material you intend to use.
Separate questions from conclusions. You might need to confirm whether a font can be embedded in a template, whether a sound can be redistributed or whether a client can receive an editable file. Leave these as questions until the applicable terms or a clear response answers them.
Mark the difference between study and delivery
Give entries a working status such as reference only, intended for delivery or permission unresolved. These are your filing labels, not legal conclusions. Keep reference-only material out of a distributable folder unless its intended use has been checked. The aim is to stop an inspirational image travelling into an output unnoticed.
For original work, keep the source files and note which parts came from elsewhere. When collaborating, agree who maintains the ledger. A shared folder helps only if its files and notes stay connected; otherwise each person may assume that somebody else checked the missing information.
Review the export, not just the ledger
Before handing over the project, inspect the actual export and its accompanying folder. Look for overlooked preview images, embedded fonts, sound clips and example text. Match each included third-party element to its source record. Remove unused material from the delivery selection, while retaining your working archive separately.
Write a short list of unresolved points for the recipient. If a question affects whether the material can be supplied, resolve it before including that material. A tidy source sheet does not create permission; it gives you a clearer basis for asking the right question.