How to print and assemble a PDF pattern?

Printing and gluing PDF patterns is a relatively new thing. A few years ago, we were still buying magazines like Burda, where pattern supplements are always on several pages, drawn over each other with different colors and lines.

Today, it's convenient to buy a specific pattern and print only that pattern, without having to disentangle magazine supplements.

However, every purchased digital pattern must first be extracted from the PC. That's why I design them to be easily printable on home printers.

Watch the video on how to print and tape a PDF digital pattern.

What to print on? And what files to print at home?

I prepare all patterns for printing on home printers in formats for clean white (or recycled, if you prefer) A4 paper. Virtually all modern printers should be able to handle printing, but I would like to warn you about some older printers with low computational memory. These have been noted to have problems with line transfer and subsequent correct printing.

If your home printer has the option to set printing on other paper formats, practically all photo printers also have guide rails that help the printer's sensors determine the paper size. Sometimes it is necessary to set these rails correctly so that printing actually takes place in the center of the page and the page does not have "shifted" printing.

The A0 file version is mainly intended for large-format printers or copy centers, where they will print the pattern in its entirety on one sheet without the need to glue it together at home. However, NOT all patterns have an A0 version. Practically, only large patterns with multiple pieces have it.

 

How to print a pattern on a PC?

I recommend printing patterns on a classic PC. Printing from a mobile phone practically never corresponds to the scale and is always slightly smaller. The reason is the absence of settings that you can influence in the print dialog box on a computer.

Printing in the correct scale

The patterns are divided on individual A4 papers in such a way that they correspond to the actual size when glued together. That is, they have the correct scale and you can start working with them immediately. You don't have to enlarge or reduce the patterns.

You can verify printing in the correct scale using a simple method:

1. First, print one sheet with this square. The square is 5 x 5 cm or 2 inch x 2 inch.

1. After printing, place a ruler along one side and check if the square is the correct size.
2. If yes, you can print all pages. If not, you need to change the print settings.

How to set printing so that the scale is correct?

On a PC, you can print either directly from a browser or in a program you have installed for opening PDF files. For Windows, that would be Adobe Acrobat. Mac has its own tools.

I recommend opening the file via Adobe Acrobat (also known as Adobe Reader) and printing through its dialog box.

In this window, you will see a menu as shown in the picture. To ensure your pattern is always the correct size, print it with the setting "Actual size" or in Czech "Skutečná velikost".

If you were to check any other box in the "Size and order processing" section, the file would likely be printed smaller or larger.

How to assemble a printed pattern?

How to assemble a printed pattern on several A4s? I recommend always printing the pattern in color so that the individual lines belonging to one of the sizes contained in the file are clearly visible. If you suffer from color blindness, it is possible to print the pattern in shades of gray and orient yourself according to the individual line hatchings. Each size has a different hatching.

Cut off the connection frame

Around each page, you will find a frame for the correct connection of individual A4 pieces. The pattern is always assembled like a puzzle (best seen in the video HERE) in individual rows, which are marked with letters: A, B, C, D, etc.

We assemble a maximum of 5 x 5 rows, and if the pattern is larger, then there are additional files for the next part, and they start again with A, B, C, D, etc.

The individual rows are indicated by the number of sheets in that row. For example, A1, A2, A3, and there are as many as needed to assemble the complete pattern.

Start by cutting off one part around the assembly edge - the frame - as shown in the video.

Assemble the pattern using the triangles in the corners

In the next step, assemble the individual pages so that they can be glued together. Use transparent adhesive tape. Ideally, narrow paper tape. And then you can also use classic glue.

Step by step, assemble these triangles together.

What does the finished pattern look like?

The finished pattern is assembled with triangles together, creating continuously connecting sheets, one after another. If you are unable to connect the individual pieces smoothly, I always recommend correcting the pieces and reassembling them so that all parts fit together nicely.

This will prevent any inaccuracies in the pattern from being transferred to the fabric.

If this were to happen, the resulting pattern might have a different shape, width, or length than you expect.

Problems with assembling patterns or printing patterns

Problem: The pattern is printed without a frame or with only part of the frame

Why does this happen?

This problem most often occurs when you print the pattern from a browser and do not have it saved on your PC or device. The browser only brings up a simple print window without the ability to influence the print and printer settings, and practically the same printer can make such a mistake and print this file as shown in the picture.

How to fix it?

The remedy for this problem is simple. It consists of printing using Adobe Acrobat or a similar program. You will bring up the dialog box and set the size as "True size" or "Skutečná velikost". The subsequent print will then be correct.

Problem: The pattern prints but is jagged, lines look strange

Why does this happen?

The problem is visible in the image next to it. The first image is the printed pattern, and the second image is the original from the PC. I have observed this problem with multiple patterns, and it involves incorrect transfer of print data from the PC or device to the printer and its subsequent processing.

How to fix it?

However, I have not yet identified the exact reasons why this happens and am still investigating possible causes.

The most common cause is slow processing of curves by printer processors. The curves contained in my patterns are very computationally intensive, and therefore, especially with slower and older devices, printing can be troublesome, and instead of printing smooth and nice lines, it prints jagged something that usually doesn't resemble a pattern.

This is due to the demanding information that goes into printing.

I recommend the following procedure:

The complexity of printing can be reduced by forcing printing as a so-called "Image". This procedure works practically always and helps to print even on older printers.

1. In the dialog box, click on "More print settings" and then on "Print as image".
2. However, printing with this setting does not work with the grayscale printing setting.

I hope I can help you, and printing problems will become fewer and fewer. Although I try to prevent all problems and create patterns so that they can indeed be printed on all home printers, unfortunately, I cannot influence processor settings or quality.