Digital booths
Protect the original strip while editing
Make a working copy before trying a new look.
Experimenting is easier when a wrong turn cannot overwrite the only useful portrait. Set up the files before changing crops, colours or captions.
Separate the original
Place the source pictures or master scan in a clearly named folder. Make copies for the current project. If your file manager supports write protection, use it deliberately and verify how your editor behaves; an apparent original can still be replaced through another save operation.
Keep a revision trail
Give major alternatives distinct names rather than continually saving over one final file. A simple note can identify the source, purpose and edit. Keep creative reinterpretations apart from an archival scan so a future user knows which appearance belongs to the physical object.
Test the preserved copy
Open the original from its separate location after completing the experiment. Check that it still contains the expected unedited picture. For important strips, test a backup too. The aim is a recoverable source, not an impressive folder structure that has never been used to restore anything.