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Blogpost | Tutorials

How to Assemble PDF Patterns

If you’ve never worked with PDF patterns before it’s good to read something about how they work first. I actually prefer PDF since I don’t mind the cutting and taping of pages – the two tips below make it go pretty fast. Since there are already a couple of good tutorials for the whole process out there I’m not going give you my version of the story, but instead provide you with a short work order list. You can check the links at the bottom of the post for more elaborate tutorials on how to print and assemble your PDF patterns, or find online services where you can get your large format sheets printed.

Work order

  1. Download the .zip file from your account or the email we sent you. Note that this only works on a pc or mac, not a phone or tablet.
  2. Extract the files by right clicking the file and choosing ‘extract’
  3. Open the pattern file with Adobe Reader (also on Mac, don’t use Preview!)
  4. For the Zircon, Opal and Amber: Click on the ‘layers’ icon on the left (looks like two squares) and select the sizes you want to print. For the other patterns: go to step 5.
  5. Print the first page of the pattern, with scaling off or at 100%
  6. Check the dimensions of the square
  7. If it’s correct, print the rest of the pages
  8. Trim the right and bottom edge off
  9. Tape together or use a glue stick, matching the pages according to the numbers
  10. Cut or trace the pattern pieces
  11. Store in a ziplock bag or your preferred method
Paper Trimmer

Tips for Cutting and Taping

One trick of my own I’d like to add is to use a paper trimmer to cut the edges off the printed pages. A paper cutter is not expensive and doing up to 3 pages at a time, it can save you a lot of time.

When it comes to taping the pages, I found that a glue stick does the job pretty well. I just use a regular Pritt glue stick. It’s faster than tape and I like that you can do the whole edge instead of a few places where you tape. I still tape the places along the edges of the pattern pieces, and in the intersection of 4 pages.

Tape and Glue stick

Resources

Each of these blogposts lays out the basics plus a few tips and tricks to make things easier. Note that these are written for their own patterns, things like connecting markers might be different.

Printing at the CopyShop

All of our patterns have a large format file included, so you can have the patterns printed at the Copyshop. They are suitable for both large format in the US and A0 in Australia and Europe. Be sure you always print in black and white to keep costs down, and see if the have an ‘engineering prints’ option which is usually the cheapest. Online printing can be cheaper if you upload a couple of patterns at once, even with shipping added. If you don’t have a copyshop nearby, here’s a few sources to print them online:

  • France: Express Plan. Opt for black and white and roulé as folding method. Be sure to choose the exact dimensions of the paper, you can check them in the PDF. Click on file, then properties to see the dimensions.
  • Germany: Preiswert Plotten or Günstig Plotten
  • Netherlands: Repro Plotservice (select naaipatroon)
  • UK: Look for a local reprographics shop instead of a copyshop, they’re cheaper. For online printing: check NetprinterPlan Printing 24 or Plotgiant.
  • AUS: Lena from Iconic Patterns can print your pattern at $6 AUD a meter or $7 AUD per A0 sheet. She can also digitally assemble an A4 or letter pattern onto A0 and then email it back to you, or print it. Email her.
  • US: Staples or PDFPlotting.com

If you have any helpful tips in addition to these, please leave a comment.

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6 Comments

  1. I love your Jasper and your creativity. Thank you so much for the work you put into this pattern and design. I really need a size 3X but will be able to grade the 10 to fit me. I am so excited to make this hood to wear in the very cold Saint Louis winter. I have big hair and the hood should be perfect. I love your creativity. Yeah!

    1. Hi, there is no paper version, but there is a large format file included so you can have it printed at a copyshop on one sheet.

  2. I made a big boo boo. I forgot to print the first page first. I printed them all. Now I measured the box and it is bigger than 3 inches. It is 11 cm x 11 cm. You dont have any instructions what to do if it is too big. Thank you

    1. Hi Celia, you can try downloading the pattern again. I heard this work for others. If you don’t want to waste pages, mark the ones you already printed and print again on the back of them.

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