{"id":43660,"date":"2018-01-16T04:49:41","date_gmt":"2018-01-16T11:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.taterboy.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/sketch-libraries\/"},"modified":"2018-01-16T04:49:41","modified_gmt":"2018-01-16T11:49:41","slug":"sketch-libraries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taterboy.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/sketch-libraries\/","title":{"rendered":"Sketch Libraries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quick Start Guide for this amazing feature from ?\u00a047<\/p>\n

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Let begin with a basic definition: Libraries are just like normal Sketch files that are meant to contain ONLY\u00a0Symbols.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The key difference is that Symbols in a Library can be accessed and used across all your Sketch documents, even shared with other designers across your\u00a0team!<\/p>\n

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So you might be wondering\u2026 How my symbol instances get updated once I modify something in the Library containing it?<\/h3>\n

When you make changes to a Symbol in your Library, those changes will be synced across all documents containing that\u00a0Symbol.<\/p>\n

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That means that once you have saved a modification in the Library file, and you open a document containing an instance of this updated symbol, you will get a notification (similar dialog to the example shown below) indicating the\u00a0changes.<\/p>\n

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Once you have reviewed and confirmed that you actually want this update to be taken for your file as well, you will see how every instance of the symbol is magically updated without further effort form your\u00a0side.<\/p>\n

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And now you are officially up to date with the rest of your\u00a0team!<\/h4>\n

That was easy and fast right? The best of all, is that this process requires no other action from you than the described above.<\/p>\n

As long as every member of your team is working on sketch files located in a Cloud (Box, Dropbox, One Drive, Google Drive\u2026) you will have no other need than to push the Updated Library File to save modifications and they will receive a notification of this update that allows them to align immediately with just one\u00a0click.<\/p>\n

If you are a lone Designer-wolf or because of your set up, you happen to work alone, don\u2019t worry?\u2014?Libraries have plenty of benefits for you as\u00a0well.<\/p>\n

You will now be able to quickly insert Symbols of commonly used components straight from the Insert menu, as well as managing and updating design elements across multiple documents with one Library\u00a0file.<\/p>\n

I like to think of it as a CSS style sheet attached to a HTML. You can call these symbols from any of your files and include them without them actually appearing in the Symbols page of the file you are working\u00a0on.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So imagine you could have a library for CTA\u2019s only, another for headers, any categorisation that might come in handy for your project is possible and will be and stay organised at the end of the\u00a0day.<\/p>\n

This for example, can also be useful when working with different platforms and using separated sketch files for each, to avoid bunched files. Create all your symbols in your UI library and then readjust them for each platform setting it\u2019s resizing properties right.<\/p>\n

Are you perhaps working on a Mobile or Web product? With Libraries it\u2019ll be easier than ever to produce your own UI kit and then smoothly, use and sync these Symbols across multiple Sketch documents.<\/p>\n

So, just a few more short clarifications and you are set to start trying this amazing\u00a0feature\u2026<\/p>\n

Learn to recognise which symbols imported and which have been locally stored in your\u00a0file:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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It\u2019s important that you understand that changes to Library Symbols ? can only be made in the Library file itself so no one can accidentally overwrite the original designs from their document.<\/p>\n

If you double tap on a Library Symbol from any other file where it\u2019s being used, you\u2019ll see that a dialog appears alerting you of the fact that if you proceed with this action, the symbol will be copied to your local symbols page, and unlinked from the library (so you won\u2019t get any more notifications if there is an update of this symbol in the main Library where it was created originally).<\/p>\n

To sum up, here are the main key benefits you\u2019ll get from Sketch Libraries:<\/h4>\n