Hello Sewing Buzzers,
From time to time I get calls from sewists trying to understand how sewing patterns are printed at home.
Try to imagine the tissue paper design laid flat on the kitchen table. Instead of one flat piece of tissue paper, you print out pages which will form that same design on the tissue paper, only you print them, place them and tape them in position. Then you will cut out your selected size pattern pieces. You will print out pages that you will place in a grid formation in the actual size of the pattern. You will lay out the pages as shown on the instructions diagram on Page 3 of the Instructions PDF. You will place them edge to edge, corner to corner and the tape the pieces perfectly adjacent to each other. You will see a tiny bit of sunlight through the tape, in between each piece of paper. See below diagram.
With the convenience of digital patterns, we can easily download and print patterns from the comfort of our own homes. However, there are some secrets to printing sewing patterns that you need to know to ensure your pattern comes out just right.
First, it’s important to understand the different paper sizes used around the world. In the US and Canada, letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11″) is the standard, while the rest of the world uses A4 paper. When printing patterns, make sure to select the correct paper size for your region.
If you are in the US or Canada, all patterns and instructions are formatted for letter-sized paper unless otherwise specified. However, for our European and worldwide friends, we have added A4 formatted patterns to our library, indicated with a deep purple/blue color button on our membership site. When printing these patterns, make sure to print them in actual size and DO NOT SCALE.
For A4 printers, we provide instructions on how to set your printer to print our letter-sized instructions on your A4 paper and printer. To do this, simply change your printer settings to “Fit” and page setup to “A4 paper size.” You will not see a button for A4 instructions because you can make changes to your printer settings to print letter-sized PDFs on your A4 printer.
When printing patterns, always print in actual size and set the page setup to either 8.5 x 11″ or A4 paper/printer. Never scale a pattern file, as this will distort the sizing and affect the fit of your garment.
For instructions, all are formatted for letter-sized paper and can be printed “fit-to-page” with a page setup of letter-sized paper/printer. It’s up to you whether you want to print them double-sided or not.
To print your patterns and instructions, you will need a PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. Make sure to download the document to your computer before printing, as printing from a downloaded file ensures a better print quality. If the PDF opens in your browser, simply click the download button and locate the PDF in your download folder. You can adjust your browser settings to your liking depending on your preferences.
You can always write us at support@sewingpatternsecrets.com with any questions at all!
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