What is the A6PROJ file format?
An .a6proj file is a project created by FOREVER Artisan 6, a Windows program for designing digital scrapbooks, photo books and calendars. The file is an XML document that records the project's structure: the number of pages, the page dimensions and other metadata. It does not store the artwork itself. Each page design is kept in a separate .a6page file, and the photos and other assets sit in the same folder, so the .a6proj file works as a manifest that ties the whole project together.
FOREVER introduced the format with Artisan 6, replacing the .artproj files that Artisan 5 used. The software is made by FOREVER, Inc. and was originally sold as Storybook Creator by Creative Memories before FOREVER acquired and rebranded it. When you save a project, Artisan writes the .a6proj file into a folder named after the project alongside the related files.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWAn a6proj file is a plain XML text document that stores project metadata, so it does not execute code and carries little inherent risk. The main hazard is manual editing in a text editor, which can corrupt the project and prevent Artisan from opening it. Only open a6proj files from projects you created or trust.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open A6PROJ files
Windows3 apps
Notepad
Open-source Open the .a6proj file to read and edit the raw XML metadata such as page count and dimensions; note that hand edits can corrupt the project. 
FOREVER Artisan 6
Paid Install Artisan 6, then choose File then Open and select the project's .a6proj file to load the full scrapbook or photo-book project. 
Visual Studio Code
Free Open the .a6proj file to view and pretty-print its XML structure with syntax highlighting when troubleshooting a project. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | UTF-8 text (XML) |
| Byte order | Not applicable (text) |
| Container | Plain XML document (not an archive); stored alongside a project folder that also holds a6page pages and image assets |
| Typical size | A few KB to a few hundred KB (the a6proj file itself holds structural metadata, not embedded images) |
| Structure | The a6proj file is the top-level manifest for an Artisan 6 project. It records the number of pages, page dimensions, project type and other metadata in XML. The actual page designs are stored separately as a6page files, and photos and assets sit in the same project folder. |
| Integrity | None built into the format |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Notes | FOREVER Artisan runs on 64-bit Windows 10 or newer. Artisan was formerly sold as Storybook Creator by Creative Memories before FOREVER acquired and rebranded it. The a6proj format replaced the artproj format used by Artisan 5. |
| Released | 2020 |
| Latest version | Artisan 6 |
| Specification | www.forever.com |
A6PROJ conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about A6PROJ files.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open an .a6proj file?
.a6proj file. Keep the file inside its original project folder so Artisan can find the linked pages and images.Can I open an .a6proj file on a Mac?
Why won't my .a6proj file open correctly?
.a6page files and image assets that live in the same project folder. If those files were moved, renamed or lost, or if the a6proj XML was edited by hand, Artisan may fail to load the project. Restore the complete project folder from a backup.What is the difference between .a6proj and .a6page?
.a6proj file is the top-level project manifest holding page count, dimensions and metadata. Each .a6page file is a Zip archive that holds the design of a single page, including its text, shapes and images.
