Preparing your pattern

• If your pattern is not clean on bright white paper with black marker lines you will want to retrace. I use Elmer's brand banner paper which came in a  24” X 75’ roll. Butcher paper also works great. But don't use freezer paper if you're taking your pattern to a store to scan.
  • Large windows or sliding glass doors make a great “lightbox”
  • Do NOT use the plastic back butcher or freezer paper as it will not go through the scanner
• Trace pattern on paper 2 inches larger than original finished canvas/fabric size to provide a 1-inch border. Mark your border with a pencil.  Use a black marker to trace the pattern.
  • Fix any oops marks by covering with white acrylic paint
• Do Not do any shading on your linework pattern, must be lines only. Shading indications can be shown in support documents - see below
• Use a pencil to add directional indicator arrows or additional notes
• Sign and use a © mark in a corner.
• Carefully roll up (not too tightly) and protect for transporting as to avoid creases in the paper ( which will show)

Scanning at home

• Set dpi to 300
• Set the scanner to scan to a PDF
• Scan needs to fit the intended size of fabric or canvas
• Crop or adjust to reflect the intended size of the canvas or fabric size of the finished piece
  • To figure inches to pixels at 300 dpi multiply the inches by 300
• Scan document with greyscale setting

When scanning at a printer/store

• Choose between loading the image on a thumb drive or have them email the file to you. Having them provide both might cost you twice as much.
• The scanner is usually 36” wide and as long as needed. Check with the printer before preparing your pattern if you are tracing a large piece.
• To save money cut the pattern to size before taking it to the printer. Cut lines as straight as possible. Leave at least a 1” border around your drawn pattern.
• If it is your first time to the printer, verify the cost of the scan (typically around $2.00 at our local Staples ©)

Request the following

• Scan at 300dpi
• If your original pattern is not on stark white paper or has wrinkles, creases, smudge lines, or oops correction ask for advice. It does not have to be perfect but as clean as possible.  
• Verify that the scanned file size will be the exact size of the pattern
• (Optional) Ask to see the finished scan on the screen to quickly check everything is ok if you want to be sure before you leave
• Name document YourName.titleofpiece.pattern.finishedpiecedimentions For Example for document title SueWachter.snail.pattern.18X18

Any post-scan adjustment requests will depend on the photoshop ability of staff and may or may not cost an additional fee.

What if you already have a line drawing but can't convert it to a pdf or your pdf is not the full size of your pattern.

https://www.pdf2go.com/  is a good free converter. You can convert different types of files to pdfs.

• First, convert your file to a pdf and download it to your computer
• to resize your pdf at pdf2go, under the "IMPROVE PDF FILES" column, choose "Change PDF Page Size"
• upload the pdf file you need to resize
• Click "Set custom page size" and enter the size you want. Be sure to select inches or mm.
• Click "Start"
• download your file

Preparing your support documents

Patterns will be more saleable and successful when they include examples and basic instructions.  

• • JPG format color photo for viewing on the website of the finished piece or the piece in progress.

                       Before Uploading Photos to be viewed on the website

• • • 1st keep the largest images a maximum of 1920 pixels width.
    • 2nd always run them through these two image compressors.
      • This one first https://imagecompressor.com/
      • This one second - https://tinypng.com/

• • Images must be at least 1000x1000 pixels. Once you add the image the plugin will automatically resize it for each of the display sizes it uses. If the image is too small, under the recommended size, it will pixelate and the zoom feature on single product view won't operate correctly.

Suggestions for an option single Word document  

• Black and white photo of finished piece inserted in a Word document to use as a value chart
• Additional advice on best practices you used.
• Protect your document by typing your name and © symbol on all documents (use keystrokes Alt 0169 to get the © symbol)

Name support document as follows : YourName.titleofpiece.support For Example SueWachter.snail.support

Checklist for Upload

• PDF format Pattern scanned and titled as per instructions - Double check that the pattern is the full size you state and not reverted to 8.5"x 11" 
• JPG format Photo of the finished piece - run through file compressors above.
• JPG format Representational photo of you (if not previously provided)
• Additional instructions documents (optional) may be pdf's or word doc

Addition instructions: All additional instructions or photos are required to be in one document. The best way to do this is to design the information in a word document. To make sure all your information is connected use the following document title.

• For example:
  • SueWachter.snail.pattern.18x18
  • SueWachter.snail.instructions