If you see a digitizer's products for less at a different outlet, email us. We'll match the price!
NEED A DIFFERENT FORMAT?
We reformat free of charge (including ART or different format for a secon machine). If your format is not listed, order in PES and email us (be sure your hoop size is supported). NOTE: If you later need all previous purchases converted to ARTv4 - ARTv6, there is a $1 per set fee.
support@oregonpatchworks.com
AFFILIATE LINKS
Technology Talk
Read
Please: These tips are original and exclusive to OPW Mall.
Feel free to use them for your personal embroidering and quilting
needs, however, it is strictly prohibited to publish them without
permission.
HELPFUL HINTS AND
TIPS
Watch for new tips
as they are added to the top of this list.
Did you know
that you can print directly on fabric using your printer (laser or
ink-jet) without pre-treating the fabric? I use a temporary spray
baste to stabilize the fabric with a plain sheet of paper and then
feed it through just as I would paper. After printing, cover with
a pressing cloth to protect your iron, and press to heat-set the
ink. With this, you can use our scanner and wrapping paper (or
any other pretty paper) to print your own fabric for use with
designs or other projects. (Editor's Note: NEVER run adhesive
spray baste through your printer. Instead, press your fabric to a
sheet of freezer paper, cut to size - 8�"x11" for regular paper
size - and run through. If any wax from the freezer paper happens
to get inside the printer, it will act as a lubricant. Adhesive
will gum up the inside of the printer. My printer tech friend
gives you this advice with love!)
Don't
wait for an ad to land in your lap to find just the inspiration
you're looking for to get you moving again. Make a separate
folder in your internet bookmarks (favorites) for digitizers you
love, and a folder for designs you want to go back for when you
have the money. A couple of seconds taken to add to your
favorites can save hours of searching for designs you "saw
somewhere" later. When you get several extra minutes at one time,
browse your digitizers list for what's new or find a "search for
designs" game to lead you to new treasures.
Clean,
clean, clean!!! When you're doing your routine design backup,
take an extra moment to really review the samples you've collected
for any that you know you'll never use. Time is so precious to
all of us with this hobby, and searching through scores of designs
you should have deleted will eat up that treasured stitching
time. Keep tidy, realistically sized collections of designs.
It is
very important to know what to do when you get a new computer and
your programs that worked perfectly in Windows XP refuse to
cooperate with your new Vista operating system. Before you give
us in frustration and haul the computer back to the store, try
this simple solution. Right-click on the program and select
"Properties". Click on the "Compatibility" tab. Check the box
that says "Compatibility Mode" and select the operating system
that your software last functioned with properly (most likely it
was Windows XP SP2). Then, be sure to click on "Apply" to make
the change. Good luck. (Editor's Note: this is working with
fewer and fewer programs now, but still give it a try. A better
bet is to check the program manufacturer's website to see if they
have a patch or update and to see if they have instructions for
making the program work with the new OS.)
If you are embroidering designs for other people or a job,
write down the threads and the design that you used. When
they need additional designs done, you will know the correct
shades and the colors you used.
When you are using a new pattern for the first time, trace the
pattern on to tracing paper and use this for your pattern.
This way you can adjust the original pattern as needed after you
have made your sample.
No
matter what time of year it is, doesn't it seem like Christmas -
or any holiday - is just around the corner? As you are sifting
through your holiday designs, print your favorite designs on a
transparency sheet at their full size. Display these
transparencies in your favorite creative space. Besides adding a
fresh, decorative touch to your space, you can also use these as
templates when deciding where to place the designs on your
projects.
When
making even the simplest alteration or adjustment to a design in
your computer software, be sure to use the "Save as" function and
just add a simple extension to the original file name - i.e.
"Bluebells" to "Bluebells02". This keeps your original design as
it was and makes sure your changes are saved without over-writing
the original.
When
downloading a new design, especially freebies/samples, don�t be
afraid to rename it to something that tells you where it came
from. It never fails that you want to know the terms of use for a
particular design, or need some other information, and you can't
figure out who it came from or what their terms of use are.
A place for
every design and every design in its place! It doesn't take long
for your design archives to get so out of control that you can't
remember what you have or where you put it. Create a new file in
My Documents with a simple, generic title like "Designs". Then,
open it and create more category files for your designs like
"children", "flowers", "animals", "sports", etc. As your
collection grows, you can even add sub-categories - in "flowers"
you can add sub-categories like "daisies", "roses", "bouquets",
etc. Don't be afraid to add a new folder when there's no relevant
place to save a new design. Like a clean office, a filed design
is a comfortable, easy and pleasant place to work. (Editor's
Note: Click
here for
a free download of pre-made file folders for your use. Simply
download, unzip, and save in your My Documents folder.)
When
working with computers, especially online, it is important to
remember one word: SECURITY! When was the last time you changed
a password? If you haven't been so inspired, imagine a total
stranger sitting down at your computer with total access to
everything on it. Did that do it for you? Now, when you create
those new passwords, remember that the best passwords include both
numbers and letters - upper and lower case - and symbols where
allowed. You might want to keep a passbook, or journal, of
passwords rather than using easy to remember passwords. (Editor's
Note: NEVER use any type of pop-up or "service" that offers to
"remember" your passwords for you.)