Pattern in electronic format

I love that you will use PDF files. Many times I've seen charts/designers, some I WANTED BADLY, that use software that is not platform independent. The world does not march to the tunes of Mr. Gates....

Cheryl

As long as there is a free "Pattern Viewer", then formats such as Pattern Maker's *.pat files have a lot of advantages. One has the choice, for example, of having large symbols and lots of pages, or small symbols and few pages.

Correct so far, but every designer can convert patterns as large as possible, so there shouldn't be a problem when printing pdf. I have printed a lot in pdf, and you just have to be careful so save in 14 ct. for example. When stitchers purchase printed patterns, they don't have a choice either except enlarging on the copier. Same possible here.

Because I am getting published, I always have to be careful to deliver large, readable and printable files to the magazine, so you get used to it after a while.

Happy stitching Sibille

Personally, I do not have any problems with electronic PDF format. I would practically advocate it as option for further distributing your work, where the cost and limitations of traditional printing and packaging can hinder. Aside from that, PDF can be viewed as popular and "independant" standard vs. Pattern Viewer. Given the choice, I'll take a PDF format as virtually everyone already has a reader. Case in point, I know Martina Weber from Chatelaine promotes her patterns with direct PDF to customer and she also provides the option of color vs traditional B/W charts. A service that couldn't be reasonably provided with traditional printing, but makes a world of difference for the customer. Just my two cents...

~Connie~

Hi Conny,

thanks for you 2 cents. I see it the same way, I also thought of doing partly coloured charts. This is especially with Hardanger a very good option, as there is no real colour key included, and it just makes it easier.

I too see the much reduced time frame, less postage (for those who can receive it via email) and quite frankly, as a much more favourable option of the future. I can also include much more pictures of the finished piece of particulary difficult parts of the charts, which are often more self explaning than any written word and can compliment the instructions. This too can be a plus when working with electronic charts.

Unless you can get this free "Pattern Viewer" to work on Linux, it won't help a growing percentage of computer users.

Not to mention the Mac folks.

The point being that while PDF isn't perfect, it's more universally readable and available to the majority of the computer users out there.

Unless you're still using a Commodore 64. lol

Nyssa, who would like someone to come up with a Linux equivalent of Pattern Maker Pro At River's End

Hi,

I have recently begun offering my charts in electronic format and I use the .pdf format. I have had no complaints and in fact have been complimented on my choice.

As long as you include details of what software is required and where to go to download it, I think acrobat should be suitable for most stitchers and platforms.

Regards,

Carol Leather

The only problem with releasing them that way would be how much easier they are to share. One person could buy your chart and send it via email to unlimited amounts of others.

Just something to consider.

Caryn

I can understand your concerns regarding this "new" distribution option, but I consider it as a risk one would be willing to weigh against a chance of increasing business traffic. The risk is always there, but it is no worse than the old die-hard photocopier. One has to trust and reinforce the rights of the designer, as most of us "honest, hardcore" stitching audience already do. This is just the newest technology that can further distribute or cheat the work. If someone wants to steal, they will find a way to do it. The photocopier has already done enough damage to copyright, how can PDF's be any worse? There is still so much to gain on increasing a worldwide customer base... Standard business pros and cons....

~Connie~

I've thought about this too, and we will also protect the pdf file, so it can't be "re-engineered", but unfortunately there is nothing you can do, if someone does want to steal. I do admit, that sending them out via email of course is much easier. Would be nice if we could have something like "Mission impossible". You can print it twice (one more, in case the printer plays up), and then it self destructs within 1 minute LOL.

As Connie said, you can always copy printouts as well. Or you can limit the printout from a pattern viewer, but still it can be copied.

I will actually place my copyright notice within the chart, very readable and in a place, where you would destroy the chart, if you try to get rid of it, but the chart will still be completely readable and clear, as it should be. At the moment my husband (who is the computer wiz), is toying with the idea of a water mark, which still keeps the chart crystal clear, but can't be removed at all.

I guess, we all have to rely on the honesty of all the hard core stitchers out there, who are willing to pay for the pattern and not steal it. I reckon there are many, and they still outweigh the others.

Though I have to say, we say an interesting trend, when my website first went up. We had an extreme amount of Chinese traffic. My hubby had a lot of work to block all these ISP's. I reckon they tried to get to the pictures and reacreate designs that way. It has now stopped, not at last because you can't copy or print the pictures from our site.

Happy Stitching Sibille

If you come up with a script for this, I would be interested in buying a license.

I like .pdf format and (to my surprise!) most of my customers do, too.

I know someone was working on a pay-to-print for charts, where you'd be given a URL that would only work once. If you had a problem printing it, you'd have to write and ask for a new URL.

Doesn't solve the problem of photocopying, but the person would have to go to the extra step of scanning in order to pass it around by e-mail.

Dragon Dreams prints the chart on colored paper. With all MY knowledge and experience with photocopying bad copies, it took me a lot of time (and wasted paper) to get a legible working copy, though I did eventually get one. If someone's going to a copy shop and paying a dime a copy, it would almost be cheaper for them to buy a second pattern than go through all the steps and adjustments that I had to do. I reported back to her on the whole process to reassure her that she was about as copy-proof as it can get and still be legible.

(Black print on Christmas red paper is essentially copy-proof, but it's also a PITA to read. We did a ballot-by-mail that way, and even with large heavy extra-bold print, some of our elderly members complained about the difficulty in reading it.)

I've been quietly watching the discussion up 'til now, but I thought it about time for me to pipe up.

I absolutely will not buy patterns with copyright notices over the 'meat' of the chart. Unless you've got some magical new technology that hasn't hit the mainstream...you can bet on running into people with a similar opinion.

On the other half of it, if the copyright notice is so lightly printed as to be unobtrusive...it would take all of two minutes in Photoshop to remove with simple Levels correction.

It's a no-win situation, and I can sympathize... Becky A.

Hi Becky,

well, as long as the notice is a watermark and doesn't disturb the chart, I don't think there is anything wrong with it, and I believe, that the designer does have the right to protect the charts.

I'm just running a trial with a light watermark and see how it prints, and how obtrusive it is. It doesn't disturb the chart, the pdf. file is secure with password, so you can't easily remove it, and I wonder, why you would refuse to purchase a pattern, that's protected by the designer, when the chart is clear readable.

Once I know if it works, I'll post it in the group with a trial chart, and those interested in seeing it are welcome to email me to get it mailed to them, so they can try it out.

Happy Stitching Sibille

I will not buy such patterns because the copyright markings are never unobtrusive. I find them to be VERY distracting to the eye. I refuse to waste precious stitching time with skipping around all over because my eye can't track cleanly thru the pattern.

I'm not saying that wanting to protect your works is wrong. You (and other designers) have every right to do so.

Please don't get the impression that I'm telling you how to do anything, or even lecturing. Really, what you do is your business and that's that. It's just that I have different tastes in what is acceptable and what is not in the products and services that I purchase.

On the extremely rare occasions that I do acquire a chart with such a marking on it, my first order of business is to get rid of it by one of several methods. Only then will I consider working the design.

A CR notice was never intended to actually tamperproof a work. It's just that, a notification.

No disrespect intended, Sibille. I have faced similar issues in the past, and there are no easy answers, as I am sure you well know.

Becky A.

I agree with Becky. I can't stand watermarks on plain text documents. I can't ignore them. I can't even stand paper that is made with a watermark in it and those are usually tone on tone. I would never knowingly buy a chart that had a watermark on it because it would try my patience too much to attempt to stitch "around" it. It won't provide any better enforcement of copyright law and will annoy the heck out of some legitimate customers.

To adequately test your watermark for readability, you need to consider variations between printers--some will make the watermark almost as dark as the foreground no matter how you design your file. You also have no control over the color of type of paper the stitcher will use to print the file and the watermark's appearance will change in those cases also. Enlarging/reducing will also make a difference. Until you've done quite a bit of testing along these lines I don't think you should claim the chart is completely readable or else you should expect to receive a lot of complaints.

You should also make certain watermarks work in older versions of Acrobat (I'm thinking of users who still have Win 95 computers who can't use the newer versions of Acrobat reader) because if they don't you really could make the files completely unreadable or unprintable. I have trouble printing .pdf files on my printer because it is old enough not to support the newer postscript stuff. A very simple (or old) file will print but more complex things (like copies of my latest tax return) have a ragged split about 2/3 of the way down each page and the remainder prints on another page.

And to really pick nits, you are forcing your customers to use more ink/toner than they really need to in order to print your charts (assuming the alternative is the standard fine print copyright notice). That is probably negligible for a one-nighter size chart, but can make a cost difference on a 20 page chart.

Brenda Lewis ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

This is a very valid point - I send out a monthly calendar from my bridge club to about 300 members. Last month I had this brilliant idea, it was time to just send in a newer format and skip the other methods I had been using.

The howl went up within minutes of sending it out. I am quite amazed at how many people have very elderly computers/printers, and I have had to revert to sending a jpeg and early pdf format in order that everyone can open it.

So yes, Brenda is spot on, allow for ancient computers lol