01
Give each item a stable reference and a plain description
Start with a short item reference and the exact filename or location. Add a description that distinguishes the item from nearby alternatives, such as newsletter header with a wide crop and a light background. Keep the reference separate from a display title that may change later. For the fictional collection, use simple references such as H01 and H02 for the two headers, and I01 for the illustration. Include a preview if one is available, but do not make the reader rely on the preview alone to understand which item the label describes.
02
Record the intended context and the current version
Add the context the item was prepared for, its version and the person who supplied that information. A header prepared for one newsletter layout may need review before being used in another. Record any accompanying usage notes without treating an empty field as permission. If a status is unknown, write unknown and name the question that needs answering. In the example, the draft illustration can remain awaiting review while the header labels record their own actual status. Avoid applying one collection-wide approval label when the items are at different stages.
03
Check the label against the file before handing it over
Open the referenced file and compare it with the description, preview and version recorded on the sheet. Resolve mismatches before distributing the collection, or mark them clearly for the next person. Ask a colleague to locate one specified item using the labels and record any actual ambiguity they encounter. Preserve earlier label versions when a change would otherwise hide the history of an item. The completed sheet contains the reference, location, description, intended context, version and review question. It gives the recipient a practical route to the right asset while keeping unresolved information visible.