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Batch Process | Pad Patter 1.22

bestcee

bestcee

In love with places I've never been to
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
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Batch process is one of those terms that's a little odd. I first heard the term when my mom was doing some family history. I use it a lot when I'm managing photos. But because I'm unique, I use it whenever I decide to group "like" tasks together.

I totally confused my friend when I said I was batch processing my veggies for the week. Apparently, prepping is a more acceptable term :giggle

So, I'm behind on MOC. No real surprise to me since my behind coincides with the start of my school semester. Tonight, I decided I would make an excel sheet and I'll batch process my MOC pages! I'm hoping that'll help me focus and use the time I have better rather than going "What challenge am I working on?" "What did I need for that?"
And now, I kinda what to create a spreadsheet to organize all of my projects in a batch process way! Like I said....I'm unique.....;):yippee

Do you ever batch process things?
 
Nope.. LOL when I saw "batch processed" I thought you were batch processing photos or something in PS :) I guess the only thing I actually "batch process" in the way you are describing is my grocery list and grocery shopping.. we make up our dinner list for the week and we have a list paper made up that we just tick off when we are getting low and then I just take the list and just buy what is on the list and no extras :) Interesting topic!
 
I guess in a way I do batch process my job applications - I quite often try and see if I can do similar type of jobs at the same time where with a few edits of my cv or cover letter I can apply for a 2nd or sometimes more jobs at once. Most recent example I did a job application for a position where there were two vacancies in two locations with different closing dates - I was able to do one cv and two cover letters and it probably only took 15-20 mins longer than doing each one separately
 
I used to, when we were a family of 7 kids. Registering for school, new doctor, etc. So many forms. So, I would fill one out, and then copy it and just put child's name on it. (If possible).
One year, we had seven kids, and 4 different schools. I remember sitting at a table, with all the forms, and my cheat sheet of insurance cards, social security numbers and shot records.
I also batch process watering my plants. I have a lot of them, and our RO water tank is only 3 gallons, so I have to think about what "batch" I will water in what order.
 
I don't think of doing things that way but I do want to comment about batch processing your projects. I downloaded the spreadsheet Cheryl shared for events and layouts completed. Best thing I ever did was to fill that out and start using it. It has made scrapping less of a chore and more pleasure!

I have started a very simple spreadsheet for organizing my albums (since I do theme albums). I print 12x12 so they can moved easily. And, after getting that last batch of over 200 layouts printed I realized I needed something to help me visualize the organization of each album. And, that is what led to my latest project of scrapping old photos of a cousin's family.

So go set up that spreadsheet :)
 
I use spreadsheets all the time to track and record things. Yes, it helps to see a list. I keep a document on my desktop called Scrap To Do. Usually it has a brief description of the monthly challenges and I remove them as I do them. At the top I add in any coupons I may have for the month. Right now it has the MOC days and the requirements for the challenges I have yet to do. I find it very helpful to have everything in one place.

As for planning albums, I am a chronological scrapper so I name my layouts with the date mmdd so they sort in order. I created a blank cover page for spacing (albums start with the right page). Then I shrink my file explorer window to two layouts wide - boom - it shows me my two pages for the whole book. Then I can rename pages to move them around so that 2 page spreads come on two facing pages. I am a visual person so this works for me.
capture.jpg
 
I batch process pulling photos from my phone and my camera. I also batch process tagging/keywording as well as updating my Excel sheets with the photos I've added to Lightroom and the event/day details.

I'm not a chronological scrapper, so I generally don't batch process layouts. But I do scrap custom scrapbooks for clients, and I will batch process those layouts by first culling and then editing the photos, then placing the photos on canvases in Photoshop, and finally, adding papers and embellishments.
 
BevG said:
As for planning albums, I am a chronological scrapper so I name my layouts with the date mmdd so they sort in order. I created a blank cover page for spacing (albums start with the right page). Then I shrink my file explorer window to two layouts wide - boom - it shows me my two pages for the whole book. Then I can rename pages to move them around so that 2 page spreads come on two facing pages. I am a visual person so this works for me.
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I did something similar to this yesterday! I had a free 8 x 8 Shutterfly book so I decided to finally finish off Aspen’s mini mission photo shoot book. I used the December Memories 2018 album template set from Soco and gathered my products into one folder to grab from for the book. I processed all my photos with radlab so they would all look similar. Then I added the papers and elements to some of my templates. I made one cluster and copied it to the other pages with minor adjustments. I also rotated some of the templates for other pages so I didn’t have to start from scratch. I added my photos and numbered the layouts so they would show in order in Windows file explorer like @BevG did so I could plan my book easier. Plus naming them in numerical order made it super easy to put them into my Shutterfly book in the correct order. I started this book months ago, but I only had three or four pages started. By batch processing and duplicating the templates with the papers and elements already in place I was able to finish up all 20 pages in one evening so I could use my free Shutterfly book coupon. I finished the book late last night / early this morning. Check your Shutterfly emails because the code is good thru today, Wednesday.
MiniBook_files_web.jpg
 
AnneofAlamo said:
I used to, when we were a family of 7 kids. Registering for school, new doctor, etc. So many forms. So, I would fill one out, and then copy it and just put child's name on it. (If possible).
One year, we had seven kids, and 4 different schools. I remember sitting at a table, with all the forms, and my cheat sheet of insurance cards, social security numbers and shot records.
I also batch process watering my plants. I have a lot of them, and our RO water tank is only 3 gallons, so I have to think about what "batch" I will water in what order.
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I only have 3 kids, but I've done this before. I hate filling out forms by hand.
 
BevG said:
As for planning albums, I am a chronological scrapper so I name my layouts with the date mmdd so they sort in order. I created a blank cover page for spacing (albums start with the right page). Then I shrink my file explorer window to two layouts wide - boom - it shows me my two pages for the whole book. Then I can rename pages to move them around so that 2 page spreads come on two facing pages. I am a visual person so this works for me.
Click to expand...

My spreadsheet for album planning is a lot like your windows setup only on a spreadsheet. At first I just list each layout name in the 2 columns. I found I needed to rename layouts when I did this. Since I'm working with photos from the 80's/90's/early 00's that aren't digital I don't have as many so my layouts are named ie 1985 Boys, 1987 New Baby, 1987 Jordan, 1987 Jarvis. Then when I get to times when there are more photos and I have 2 pages they become 1992 Summer Bateman A and 1992 Summer Bateman B. For this particular album I found that I had scrapped a few of the photos from the 1980's and skipped to digital photos from when the baby born in 1987 was playing college volleyball in 2007! I realized I had a lot of in between to scrap and that is what I am doing these days. I've listed the events off to the side on the spreadsheet by year and after I scrap the layouts I indicate how many layouts I have. After I've got a list, I insert where needed in my listing. The bonus is that some of these layouts can go in multiple albums so I note that I will need additional copies printed for those albums.

Each album has its own tab in the spreadsheet. One of the albums has the 600x600 image inserted in its page place so I see essentially what you see in windows. With the renaming of many layouts they do now sort better in windows although I don't use windows to look at them... still love my Picasa (rip).
 
littlekiwi said:
I guess in a way I do batch process my job applications - I quite often try and see if I can do similar type of jobs at the same time where with a few edits of my cv or cover letter I can apply for a 2nd or sometimes more jobs at once.
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That's a fabulous use of batch process!
 
AnneofAlamo said:
Registering for school, new doctor, etc. So many forms. So, I would fill one out, and then copy it and just put child's name on it. (If possible).
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That is awesome!
Even just filling out the insurance info and address and next of kin/contact would save a lot of time!
 
BevG said:
Then I can rename pages to move them around so that 2 page spreads come on two facing pages
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I name mine left and right so they are next to each other.
I've started naming layouts year-month-event to try to keep things together.
@HavaDrPepper the spreadsheet is on my to do list....maybe after MOC?
 
gonewiththewind said:
I'm not a chronological scrapper, so I generally don't batch process layouts.
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I don't either typically.

I'm on my phone now, but here's my MOC gist:
Day|Title|technique or journal or quick for me| main item needed (photo, supplies,store, etc)|ideas I have

So, I sorted it first by main item needed. Photos is the main thing for 3 of them in my not so scientific labels. I'll go grab photos, then I also sorted by type. So I'll knock out a few that I consider quick, then move on to the technique ones.

I'm not forcing chronological, but I am hoping to be able to go: okay. I need organic items and clustering items. Let's go shop my stash and find those items.
 
I tend to prep veggies.
I mean to meal prep and shop by list by i tend to have a rough idea and then go with what nabs the eye while out and about. Typically I will ask the Hubster what he feels like and then I make what i saw at the shops and actually "feel like" cooking.
I don't think I have batch processed layouts, although in prep for MOC I have photos and journaling on some transparent BGs, saved as tif files and if they work for a challenge then I close the deal.
 
bestcee said:
I don't either typically.

I'm on my phone now, but here's my MOC gist:
Day|Title|technique or journal or quick for me| main item needed (photo, supplies,store, etc)|ideas I have

So, I sorted it first by main item needed. Photos is the main thing for 3 of them in my not so scientific labels. I'll go grab photos, then I also sorted by type. So I'll knock out a few that I consider quick, then move on to the technique ones.

I'm not forcing chronological, but I am hoping to be able to go: okay. I need organic items and clustering items. Let's go shop my stash and find those items.
Click to expand...

I almost made 31 blank canvases at the end of December in prep for MOC . . . but then I just held off. Now I'm almost wishing I had done that . . . so guess what? You've inspired me to make blank canvases for the challenges that are remaining for me to do. Batching here I come!
 
I don't know if I'm at "batch process" level but being efficient is something I'm hyper-aware of and try to accomplish in every aspect of my life.

I especially do this when it comes to running errands. I will save my errands for one day (generally Mondays when I don't work and my kids are at school) and then do them in order from closest to my kids' school to closest to our house. Sometimes there is a gap between when I drop the kids off at 8:30 and some businesses (like the mall) not opening until 10... but the mall is between their school and our house so I would NEVER drive home first (UNLESS I were to save that errand for on the way to picking them back up from school) so I will come up with a project or errand to run that is on the way.

I also save up my tasks at work -- delivering things to people's mailboxes, running things down to other people's offices, etc. -- and do them the same way in a circle around the building until I get back to my office.

Don't worry; I know it's cray-cray. :giggle

I also write my shopping list according to where food is in the store (from front to back) and load it up to be checked out from heaviest to lightest (beverages in plastic containers, meat, frozen and cold items, cans and heavier boxes, lighter boxes, produce, bread) so the heaviest ones will go back in the cart on the bottom.

I'm always surprised when I find out other people don't think or operate this way. :giggle
 
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