The key to setting up the perfect Blueprint is to determine what fields you need for entering object information. What's important to you and your team for organizing your objects?
Blueprints give you the flexibility to add custom form fields for objects and projects, so that you’re not stuck with skipping over fields in one-size-fits-all forms. Simply set up the fields you want, in the way that you want to see them, and then make updates as your informational needs evolve.
Blueprint Basics
- Blueprints are purpose-built, customizable forms for object data.
- The Core Blueprint contains global fields that apply to every object in a collection.
- You can add Blueprints with custom fields for object types, exhibitions, projects, and groups.
- You don’t enter data in a Blueprint, you do enter data on an object page.
- When you view an object, the selected Blueprint generates the fields you see for entering information.
Starting with a Template
When you create a Blueprint, you'll select a Blueprint type (Object, Exhibition, Project, or Group). When you select an Object, you'll have the option to begin with a Template, either Artwork or Non-Art Object. Templates contain common fields you can customize or delete.
The Artwork Blueprint comes with fields for: "Accession Number," "Artist," "Date," "Medium," "Credit Line," "Dimensions," and "Description." (The Title field is always included in any Blueprint).
When you click a field, it will bring up the Floating Editor. You can position the editor on the page, or dock it at left or right, depending on your preference.
Use the Floating Editor to rename, update, rearrange, and delete fields as necessary.
For example, you might change "Accession Number" to "Object Number." Here we've made data Required for this field and we've designated it as Sortable. Save your updates along the way at lower right.
Adding a Field
Once a Blueprint has been created, there are several ways to add more fields to it. Under the Fields tab, you’ll see Existing Fields, Presets, and Types.
When you add a field from the Fields tab, it will appear at the end of the Blueprint. Then just drag and drop into the preferred position.
When a field applies to every single object in your collection, add the field to your Core Blueprint. This is ideal for fields like "Accession Number" or "Date." Any additional Blueprints you create will automatically contain the Core Blueprint fields.
Existing Fields
Existing fields are all the fields used across any Blueprint in your Base. Selecting from existing fields helps ensure naming consistency.
Check marks indicate the fields that already appear in the current Blueprint. To add an existing field, hover over it and click the plus sign (+). We'll add "Additional Artist."
Presets
Presets are ready-made fields for standard object information like "Dimensions" and "Date." Simply hover over the field name and click the + icon to add a Preset field. These fields are especially helpful if you didn't begin with a template.
Once you add a Preset field, you can still make changes. Double click the field to update it. Want to call the "Dimensions" field "Frame Dimensions" instead? Just change the field label.
If you want to select a different field type (more about each type below), choose your preference in the drop-down menu.
Fields corresponding to the Dublin Core™ Metadata Element Set (DCMES)* (like "Contributor," "Coverage," and "Creator") are indicated by the words Dublin Core.
Types
Under Types, you’ll see all the available field types. Hover over and click the + icon to add a field to your Blueprint.
You can also click the + icon at the end of the Blueprint, which offers another way to add fields.
Toggles
For each field you add, you'll have the ability to toggle on several options. These will always include: Required, Locked, and Exclude from Publishing.
- Required: When toggled on, data must be entered in this field on an object page prior to saving or leaving the page.
- Locked: When toggled on, this prevents the adding or editing of information.
- Exclude from Publishing: When toggled on, this excludes information entered in this field from being available as an option for display in Modules or Exhibitions.
Other Options:
Other toggleable options will appear depending on the selected field type.
For example, for a Long Text field type, there is an option to use Markdown. For a Date field type, there is an option to make it sortable.
Advanced Options
Fields like Composed Text, Name Authority, and Auto-Increment have more advanced options. Look for detailed guides on setting up these fields coming soon.
Formatting Guidance
You have two options to add helpful data entry information to a field. These will be visible when someone views the field on an object page.
- Placeholder Text: Add prompt or example text that will appear before a value is entered (displays as light gray).
- Notes: Add data entry notes, to-dos, or reminders that will display below the field.
Field Types
Now that we've explored ways to add and update fields, let's take a closer look at the eighteen available field types.
The field type you choose will be determined by what kind of object information you plan to enter on an Object page. For example, for entering text, you can choose from Short Text, Long Text, Rich Text, or Composed Text.
Remember that you set up a field in a Blueprint using the Floating Editor, and then enter object data in the field generated by the Blueprint on an object page. Options in the Floating Editor will change according to the field type.
To see what the field will look like on an object page, click the eye icon to Preview it. In the examples below, we show the Floating Editor options at left, and what the field would look on an object page at right.
Short Text
Short Text is ideal for entering single words or shorter phrases of information. This is a free-text field type.
Long Text
This free-text field type is ideal for entering information with multiple lines of text.
You can also toggle on the ability to use Markdown (for example, for italicizing text). On the object page, you can style text using Markdown and then click the eye icon at upper right to preview.
Rich Text
Rich Text supports special formatting including bold, italics, underline, lists, links, and endnotes.
Composed Text
The Composed Text field type allows you to combine (concatenate) information from multiple fields into one single field.
It's ideal for creating a custom caption. Here we've added a field called "Short Caption," and added the following formula: [Artist], [Title], [Date], [Credit Line].
Name Authority
The Name Authority field type allows for the selection of a formatted name containing information from Getty's Union List of Artist Names® (ULAN).**
Select the preferred name format, then decide whether or not to allow result editing or manual entry.
Select
When you add a Select field, you’ll have the ability to create custom selectable options that will appear as a drop-down when entering object information.
For example, a field for "Audio Guide Narrators" might include options for "Penny," "Hugo," and "Thurston." If you’d like to select more than one option, toggle on Multiselect.
File Select
File Select allows you to select one or more object files. This is ideal for signaling a preferred image for publication, or group of images for a project.
Here we've added a field to an Exhibition Blueprint called "Additional Images (Portraiture)" that allows multiple images to be selected for display.
Dataset Select
Datasets are controlled, selectable lists that help ensure consistency, eliminate misspellings, and make data entry simple. These can be used across any Blueprint in your Base.
Here we're adding a field called "Department" that uses the "Departments" Dataset. At the object level, the user can select a Department from a drop-down list.
Object Select
Choose the Object Select field type when you want to signal relationships between objects. For example, you might label a field "Parent," "Children," "Preparatory Drawings," "Plates," "Part of," or "Related Works."
Structured List
Use this field type to create expandable, orderable lists of related entries. This field works well for bibliography, exhibition history, provenance, etc.
For this field called "Exhibition History," we added field within it for "Run Dates," "Exhibition Title," and "Exhibition Venue." The first field added will display when the entry is collapsed.
Date
When you add a Date field, you'll determine your data entry preferences.
- Select Free text if some dates will contain text (before, after, early, ca.) or date ranges, BC, BCE, etc.
- Select Calendar if you want to enter a specific month, day, and year (for example, for a field called "Installation Date").
- Select Year only if you only need to enter a single year (for example, for a field called "Year Acquired").
Toggle on Sortable to make the date field an option for sorting on the Objects page.
At the object level, you can edit the Sorts as date (for example, if you want to choose the first year of a date range or 1750 for mid-eighteenth century).
Number
When you add a Number field, you’ll have the ability to customize the numbering system and set a minimum and maximum.
Auto-Increment
When you add an Auto-increment field, you’ll have the ability to customize the numbering system. This field type is ideal for accession or collection numbers.
It's important to plan auto-incrementing fields carefully before implementing, and with an eye toward future collection growth. We designed this field type with registrars and collection managers in mind.
Let's add an auto-incrementing field labeled "Accession Number." We'll use the formula {year}.{seq}, and the sequence count will reset every year.
Switch
The Switch field allows you to create an on/off toggle. For example, “Rephotographed in 2026?”
URL
Add a URL field type for information and resources about the object, for example, a museum's collection page or an article.
Tags
When you add a Tags field type, you’ll be able to enter searchable keywords for your object.
Section Heading
Add a Section Heading to help group and organize your fields.
"Open by default" will be toggled on by default; turn it off to collapse the fields within this section on an object page.
Spacer
When you add a Spacer, you're adding empty space to your data entry form. You can even add a space as a full row.
Preview Fields
As you create a Blueprint, you can use the Preview Blueprint option (the eye icon at upper right) to see how these form fields will appear on an object page. This also helps you refine layout and organizational structure.
Here we'll look at a preview of the "Over the Moon" Exhibition Blueprint, which has two Sections, "Tombstone Information" and "Interpretive Content." "Object Number" is a required field (indicated by the blue asterisk).
Fields Across Blueprints
When you add a "Medium" field to multiple Blueprints, if you enter information for an object in the "Medium" field in one Blueprint, and you switch to another Blueprint with a "Medium" field, the medium information previously entered for that object will automatically appear.
For example, if you enter "Frame Dimensions" for a drawing using the Drawings Blueprint, and then switch to the Portraiture Exhibition Blueprint, the dimensions you already entered will appear, since the fields have the same name.
For more on Blueprints, check out The Art of the Blueprint.
Changing a Field Name and Field ID
When you rename a field label, its Field ID changes.
For example, a field named “Date” has the ID “date”. If it's renamed to “Creation Date”, the ID becomes “creation-date.”
This change matters when the field is used across Blueprints and data has been entered at the object level. Object records, Exhibitions, and Modules rely on the field ID.
When you change the field name and ID, you'll receive a message letting you know how many Blueprints the field appears in and how many objects this change will affect.
Please note: If you change the Field ID and that field is displayed in an Exhibition or Module, you may need to reselect it under its new name. Published content is unchanged until you republish.
You do have the option to keep the original Field ID while changing the name. To do this, click the padlock below the field label at lower right.
In this example, the field label was changed to "Creation Date," but since the field ID is locked, the ID doesn't change; it remains "date."
You can also add a custom ID by clicking the edit (pencil) icon.
Changing a Field Type
When you change a field type, for example, from "Short Text" to "Long Text," you'll receive a message letting you know how many Blueprints the field appears in and how many objects this change will affect.
Please note: This change will apply to every current and future use of this field, across Blueprints. Published content will be unchanged unless you republish an Exhibition or Module displaying this field.
Want to discuss Blueprint strategies and goals with us? Have questions about setting up fields? Get in touch below.
*The Dublin Core™ Metadata Element Set (DCMES) is provided by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
**Getty's Union List of Artist Names® (ULAN) is made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License (ODC-By) 1.0.