In Part 3 we cover some tips to keep you safe while shopping online, go through the files you will receive and how you view them. If you haven’t been following along, you might like to jump back and read Part 1 where we looked at sewing pattern online brands and online stores, and in Part 2 we discussed how to avoid AI Slop Patterns.
Making payment:
If you have avoided shopping online, making a purchase online may feel a little daunting. Here are a couple of tips from the AustralianGovernment’s MoneySmart website:
- Pay for your items using PayPal or a credit card. These are more secure ways to pay and offer another level of protection if something goes wrong.
- Never use direct bank deposits, money transfers, or digital currencies like Bitcoin. It’s rare to recover money sent this way.
- And avoid saving payment information to an online shopping account.
Most reputable online businesses accept PayPal. Setting up PayPal account is free and it does not share your credit card digits and details with the shopfronts you are purchasing from. PayPal also handles dispute resolution. So if you do find yourself having purchased something that is not as it was represented, you can report it to PayPal and often they’ll handle everything and recover your money.
How do you get the files?
Once you’ve made your choice and checked out, there are usually two different ways your files are presented:
- The next screen after your payment is accepted displays the files, which you can click on and download.
- An email is sent to you with the files attached or included as links to download (if you can’t find it – check your spam folder).
Please note, some companies will only allow you to download your files once. Some will have a set number of limited downloads. Additionally, the links might expire. It is best to download the files and save them at the time of purchase.
Filing:
When you download the files to your computer, most computers will send those files to your ‘downloads’ folder. We recommend creating your own meaningful filing system. The way you name your files should be useful for when you are searching your files.
A suggested format for file names is: Brand_PatternName_Type_FileDescription.
Here is an example: ClosetCore_Carolyn_PJs_A4.
As the number of patterns you have grows, you can create folders such as Pants, or Skirts, etc.
Viewing your files:
The instructions and pattern files will all be supplied as PDFs. PDF is an abbreviation that stands for Portable Document Format. Anyone can view this file format regardless of the software, hardware or operating systems on your computer or device. Fun fact, the PDF format (created by Adobe in 1993) is now an open standard, maintained by the International Organisation for Standardisation.
The best way to view PDF files is through Adobe Acrobat Reader. You probably already have it on your computer, but if not you can download it for free from the Adobe site. There are other applications on your devices that you can use to view PDFs or you can drag and drop the PDF file into an open tab in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, or Safari
Types of files:
The files supplied will include:
- The sewing instructions
- Pattern print at home file or A4/Letter size
- Pattern commercial print file A0/Large Format Size
You might also receive a pattern projector file. Some brands include instructions on how to assemble the print at home files and they may have a file showing how the print at home pages are assembled.
In part 4 we are going to describe the process of printing your sewing patterns – at home or at a commercial printer.