Your client asks for 'the latest'. You have `Proposal.pdf`, `Proposal_v2.pdf`, `Proposal_final.pdf`, `Proposal_FINAL.pdf`, `Proposal_FINAL_v2.pdf`, and `Proposal_FINAL_FINAL_USE_THIS.pdf`. You're not sure which is correct. Neither are they.
Three rules end this forever.
Rule 1: Versions only during active editing
While a PDF is being edited, version it: `_v1`, `_v2`, `_v3`. Once it's finalised (signed, sent, approved), the version number drops and gets replaced with `_final` or `_signed`.
The archive contains exactly one version per document — the final. Drafts get cleaned out.
Rule 2: Drafts live in a _drafts subfolder
Within `/Working/<project>/`, create a `_drafts` subfolder. Move `v1`, `v2`, `v3` there as you progress past each. The main folder shows only the current draft (`v4`) and any reference files.
The drafts subfolder is your trail, not your workspace. After the project closes, archive the drafts subfolder or delete it.
Rule 3: Signed equals locked
Once a PDF is signed, it cannot be re-versioned. Changes go via amendment — a separate, signed document. Flatten signed PDFs so they're pixel-locked.
This prevents the worst version-mess scenario: editing a signed PDF and creating ambiguity about what was actually signed.
Bonus: one canonical location
Even with perfect versioning, version chaos returns if the same PDF exists in multiple folders. Pick one location per document; share by link, not by copying the file.
For team work, a shared folder with one canonical version beats five team members each holding a copy on their machine.
FAQ
What if the team uses different versioning?
Document your convention as a one-page note and share. Most teams adopt good conventions when they see one. For stragglers, you become the gatekeeper who renames their submissions on receipt.
Should I use semantic versioning (1.0, 1.1, 2.0)?
Overkill for most documents. Reserve for policies, manuals, or anything with formal release cycles. For project deliverables, `_v1` through `_v4` plus `_final` covers it.
How do I clean up existing chaos?
Pick the latest good version, rename it `_final`. Everything else either moves to `_drafts` or gets deleted. Don't try to forensically reconstruct the history — accept the past, fix the future.
What about collaborative editing where multiple people draft?
Centralise. One person owns the master draft; others submit changes via the drafts subfolder or via comments. Multiple simultaneous editing produces multiple parallel chaos.
Three rules, one folder structure, permanent version peace. Apply it to your next project in Flint and feel the relief.