Organize Luna Sketch Originals and Exports on a Mac

A photo and the sketch made from it can end up beside each other with similar filenames. Before preparing a class set, give each file a clear role: the original you want to keep, the exported sketch you have checked, and the copies you plan to use. A small folder structure makes those roles easier to see.

We make Luna Sketch and Whale Folder at Luna Whale. This guide describes a cautious workflow using their published features, starting with one sample photo. You can create the folders in Finder; Whale Folder provides tabs and image previews for reviewing them. You do not need to reorganize an existing photo library to try the idea.

1. Create the folders before importing

Create a project folder such as “Leaf drawing practice”, with three folders inside it: Originals, Sketch Exports and Class Set. Put a copy of one photo you own or have permission to use in Originals. Keep any existing source elsewhere while trying the workflow. Use a name you can recognize, such as leaf-original.jpg.

Choose a stable location for this project before adding its image to the Mac app. Luna Sketch’s Mac library links to original files; it is not described as a separate backup copy. If you later rename or move an original, reopen its library item and verify that it still opens before removing an earlier copy. This is a check, not a claim that every move will break a link.

Originals/
  leaf-original.jpg
Sketch Exports/
  leaf-sketch-v1.png
Class Set/
  leaf-sketch-v1.png

2. Check one original and one export

Add the sample from Originals to the Luna Sketch Mac app, choose the sketch or Look & Draw settings you need, and save one PNG or JPG into Sketch Exports. Give the exported file a distinct name, for example leaf-sketch-v1.png. The two extensions in this example describe file formats; the words original and sketch describe the different jobs of the files.

Open the saved export and confirm that it is the intended result, then open the original to make sure you can still use it. If you revise the output, keep a distinguishable version name until you have chosen the one you want. The Mac listing states that processing does not modify the original image, and removing an item from the app library leaves the original file in place. Deleting an original file in a file manager is a different action.

3. Review the folders in Whale Folder

In Whale Folder, select your project through the macOS folder picker and open Originals and Sketch Exports in separate tabs. Use large icons or an image preview to distinguish the source photo from the line drawing. Use the detailed list when you need to compare names, modification dates or sizes. A bigger file is not automatically a better or more recent drawing: preview its content.

Copy only the checked exports into Class Set. Reopen a copied file there to verify it before handing the set to someone else. Keep Originals out of this distribution folder unless you intend to include reference photos. The current Whale Folder listing says that files dragged in from outside the app are copied and the source is preserved; do not assume that dragging removed the source or completed a cleanup.

4. Know what storage and paid access mean

As checked on 31 October 2026, Luna Sketch 1.0.1 is a free Mac App Store download for macOS 14 or later. Free access stores five user images and saves or prints one at a time. Optional Pro is a one-time in-app purchase for unlimited library capacity, folders and batch work. Whale Folder 0.6.4 is a paid Mac App Store app for macOS 14 or later; check your regional listing before buying.

The browser version of Luna Sketch keeps its library in that browser; clearing site data can remove it. Its website memberships and the Mac Pro purchase have separate terms. Organizing three folders is also different from making a backup: Whale Folder has no built-in cloud sync, and the Mac Sketch library links to your originals. Keep a separate backup through your chosen backup method, and retain the original and checked export you need.