GJ FILE MANAGER · FIELD NOTES
Preparing a Clean Review Folder for Handoff on Mac
When a project needs to go to a presenter or client, keeping browsing locations, quick previews, and original assets separate makes the handoff clearer. This workflow uses tabs, hover preview, and a simple Originals/Exports split in GJ File Manager while leaving files in Finder untouched.
Set up source and delivery as separate browsing locations
Start by opening the source folder in GJ File Manager, then create a new tab and enter the delivery folder. This keeps both locations available without repeated navigation that can make it easy to forget the source. Switch between the tabs and verify each path before doing any work. Tabs here represent browsing locations; they are not Finder's color tags for categorizing files, so don't use them as a replacement for Finder labels. Copy a sample file from the source tab and paste it in the delivery tab, wait for completion, then close any tabs you no longer need. Closing a tab doesn't delete the folder — it just closes a browsing entry, not the directory on disk. Tabs do not automatically synchronize folders, so every copy or move remains an explicit action.
Check files in place before opening another app
With the delivery folder ready, turn on hover preview and pause the pointer over a supported file. This can answer whether a file is the right one before you interrupt selection by opening a separate application. You can also review per-type switches and size limits in preview settings, and adjust the delay if previews appear too often, or disable them for this browsing session. When a closer look is needed, Quick Look remains available. Preview support varies by format, and large or protected files may be restricted. This is not the same as double-clicking: preview checks content in place, while double-clicking opens the file in its associated application.
Keep originals separate from exported files
For handoff material, keep original assets in a distinct Originals folder and place outputs in a separate Exports folder. Use purpose-specific subfolders inside Exports when useful. In GJ File Manager, explicitly choose the output location rather than letting exports land beside originals. When running a conversion, check the conversion queue's input paths so you are not feeding an earlier export into the next task. Store original material separately and record its source in names or project notes. After exports complete, open the outputs to inspect them, then return to the original input when making another version. A previously compressed result can be easy to confuse with a master, so this separation helps keep the next export accurate.
What folder separation can and cannot do
Separate Originals and Exports folders are not a backup. Repeated lossy encoding can lose more detail, and renaming an output to "Original" does not restore its quality. You do not have to duplicate the original for every export, but you should retain a reliable original and arrange an independent backup rather than relying solely on folder separation. During handoff, use the tabs to confirm you are copying from the source and not from a previous export, and use hover preview to spot obvious mismatches without opening every file.
A short handoff routine
Open the source folder, then create a new tab for the delivery folder. Verify each path before copying. Copy the files you intend for review from the source tab and paste them in the delivery tab, wait for completion, and close tabs you no longer need. Use hover preview to check supported files in place, then adjust preview settings if they are too frequent or turn them off for the session. Keep the Originals folder untouched and store exports in their own Exports folder. In Finder, work with files as usual; in GJ File Manager, the tabs and preview are for browsing this handoff task, not for replacing Finder or altering the originals.
Related product guides
Written by the GJ File Manager team. Mac workflows; controls may differ on iPad.
Explore GJ File Manager →