Saturday, February 21, 2015

Instructions for PDF patterns; how do you read them?

I've been using quite a few PDF patterns lately and therefore I've been needing to make the decision about printing the instructions when I print the pattern. Most of the time I haven't bothered printing the instructions, because unless I know I'll be doing most of the sewing away from home (e.g. at a retreat) I don't usually print the instructions, and instead just read them from my laptop. If I happen to be sewing without my laptop and need just a few steps of the instructions (e.g. at social sewing) I'll look it up on my phone.

Thinking about it now I have had a thought that I could potentially load the PDFs onto my kindle for use when I'm not near my laptop.

And so, it's gotten me wondering if I'm the norm, or if most people print their instructions. Also, perhaps someone has a clever approach I've never thought of.

How do you usually read the instructions? 
Do you print them out along with the pattern or do you save the paper and read them digitally?
If you read them digitally, how do you do that?

25 comments:

  1. Definitely digitally. I keep my documents folder on my computer synced with Google Drive then I can access whatever file I want with my iPad or phone. So much easier than shuffling paper around.

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  2. I hate PDF patterns, but the few I have used I prefer to read the instructions digitally (and my preference for that is definitely on my tablet).

    KathleenS

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    Replies
    1. Why do you hate PDF patterns?

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    2. Well. The problem is exacerbated by my inkjet printer, which has an expensive ink habit and uses colour ink even when printing black-and-white. (So if anyone can recommend a multifunction laser printer that would be great.) Then there's the other resources - paper and tape etc. Then there's the taping. After that I can't try on the pattern without tracing it first. The thick paper and the seams make it harder to pin to the fabric. And then they're hard to store. So, all that and the only benefit is that you get them faster. I'm not very patient, but I can manage to wait for the paper pattern to arrive, given the choice.

      They're okay for small things, and especially for children's clothes. The biggest pieces of that sailor suit I made were two sheets and some were just one.

      Kathleen

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    3. Aaah, some very good reasons! I have never had any luck with tissue fitting (I assume that's what you're referring to) so that explains why I didn't think of that. Could you perhaps print onto thinner paper? That's something I've been considering looking into.

      I don't find them that much harder to store than paper patterns though, I keep them in B5 size envelopes and it's working well for me so far.

      I have a cheap HP laser printer which is serving me very well for printing patterns.

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  3. A bit of both (when I read instructions that is!). I've only just got an iPad - I did find reading the instructions on my phone painful - and I get sick of unlocking the screen when it powers down. If I print them I use the booklet setting on my printer. The booklet option means I fit four pages on one & I fold the A4 on half to an A5 and have a tiny near book. The print is small but they are economical and nice & tidy to stack on my sewing room shelf.

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    Replies
    1. Printing as a booklet is clever! Does the printing setting print the pages in the right order for you to fold the booklet?

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    2. Yes it does! And double sided. The printer only cost $99, it's b/w but a great little unit

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  4. Computer bugged so hopefully I don't end up commenting twice.

    I tend to watch something on my laptop while sewing (TV show or movie) so just view the instructions on there, although it can be a pain to get it in a good place, and to alt-tab out of the TV show/movie or internet browser. Not sure why I didn't think to just use my iPad or Kobo!

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  5. I dont ever print them. I save all my dugital patterns on our network drive, kinda like a private cloud, which means i can access them anywhere on my phone or tablet so long as there is internet. Most times i just email myself the instructions and use my phone.

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  6. I used to try and save paper and read them on my laptop but I actually find them quite difficult to follow that way (more so if they use photos rather than diagrams, like tessuti patterns) These days I print two pages of instructions per sheet of paper on both sides so it's not too wasteful

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  7. I load them onto the iPad using the GoodReader app. I can expand sections, scroll through and not waste paper.

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    Replies
    1. Me too! That said, unless it is a very unusual garment I often give the instructions a cursory read through and then do my own thing anyway :)

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  8. I usually look at them on my computer, and if I'm lucky enough that there is a sewalong, I flip between the two!

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  9. I used to store them in a dropbox folder and access them on my iPad through iBooks, but now I save them in evernote, but I still read from my iPad when sewing

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  10. I'd love to know how to load pdf on my kindle. Would be much better than trying to read on my phone .

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    Replies
    1. I will check that the way I'm thinking actually works and will report back in another comment here with how I did it!

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  11. I print everything, but I'm very old-fashioned that way. I like being able to write notes on the instructions as I make changes, and to check off steps as I complete them.

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  12. Laptop! Or occasionally iPad, but I never print them, too much paper & ink!

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  13. Just like you, i never print instructions. I look at them on the computer or laptop (if I look at them at all)

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  14. I put them into Dropbox and read them from there. Added benefit of being a secondary back up of the original pattern too.

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  15. For PDF patterns I generally email them to myself ( if I haven't already got them in by inbox) and view them online through my Ipad. If I need to be 'offline' then I'll save the PDF's for later viewing in my Adobe app.

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  16. I don't have any PDF patterns. My existing collection is so vast that I should never need to buy a pattern ever again! I have found that if a new pattern release appeals, I usually have something existing in my collection that I can use, or at the very least tweak for the purpose. The thought of all that printing/taping/tracing/mucking around doesn't appeal at all.

    There are quite a few cheap laser printers around (Brother do a little one that is quite a work horse) but beware that the consumables can be hideously expensive. An example, at work we bought a $99 laser printer, but the replacement cartridge is upwards of $160. But we refuse to put a perfectly good printer into landfill just for a saving on a cartridge. Bit of a double edged sword.

    Good luck with it!

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    Replies
    1. my printer is a bit like that, the cartridge cost is quite high compare to the original cost of the printer, however it actually came with a half sized cartridge so it's not actually that bad. Especially since i've had my printer YEARS and have only recently gotten the message that the cartridge is going to run out soon.

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  17. I usually just print the pattern pages and read the instructions on my laptop while I listen to music.

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