This is kinda a shameless plug, but also a very good tip for all you freelancers and working artists out there.
I signed up for Dropbox a couple years ago, and it is one of the BEST investments I have ever made. If you are unfamiliar with it, Dropbox is an online storage and syncing service. You set up a folder on your computer, and everything you save to it gets automatically synced to the site. If you have it installed on multiple computers, the files will also sync to each device.
I cannot emphasize enough how useful this has been for my illustration business. I didn’t really understand it at first, but I signed up because I heard good things about it. It wasn’t long before I had upgraded to a pro 50 GB account. Just recently I upgraded again to the max 100 GB because I was using it soo much.
I use my Dropbox folder to sync all my current projects, and archive my most precious artwork. As soon as I save a file on my main computer, it gets uploaded online and to my secondary computer. If I want to take a break from my desk and work on an illustration on my modbook, I don’t have to think about it – the most current version is already ready and waiting. I don’t have to worry about moving files, finding a thumb drive, or keeping recent versions synced across both my computers. It’s just there, everywhere. I also have the app for my iPhone and iPad, which is handy for quickly viewing files or emailing them to a client.
Dropbox is also integrated into a lot of third-party apps and services. Lots of iPad apps, for example, use it as a file management system. It is my favorite way to move my iPad sketches to my computer.
And on top of it all, Dropbox is a great backup system. Dropbox keeps files safe online, and also saves several versions of each file. Dropbox has saved my behind on numerous occasions where I have accidentally saved over the wrong file or deleted something I shouldn’t have. For that alone, it has been worth it’s weight in gold for me.
I apologize if this sounds like a huge sales pitch, but there is genuine love behind every word.
Dropbox recently announced that they are giving away more free space for referrals, and I am not ashamed to admit that it is partially the reason I was driven to write this post. I have been eating my Dropbox space like a maniac – I want free space!
If you decide to give Dropbox a try and want to help me out too, please click here to sign up. If you use this link, both you AND I get some free space (1 GB for me, 500 MB for you). A 2 GB account is free. If you decide to get a pro account, I can personally attest that it is worth every penny.
Sign up here.
