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Ebooks, Epatterns,
Explained
KarensVariety.com
If you are not familiar with Ebooks and Epatterns, this
article will explain the basics to you, what they are and how they work.
Ebooks and Epatterns are the same books and
patterns that you can buy printed on paper and have mailed to you but they
are sent to you over the internet.
There are two ways for you to receive them.
You may receive a link to the document which you then click to open
and save on your computer, or you may receive the actual document as an
attachment. A paperclip beside an email means it has an attachment.
Since some books can be quite large, it is often more practical to send a
link.
Most ebooks and epatterns are sent as PDF
(portable document format) files. In order to open and read them, you need
the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may already have it on your computer. This is a free program which is easily
downloaded from the Adobe site.
Since there are many different kinds of
computers and many different programs, if a pattern or book was sent out
in one format, it is quite possible that the person receiving would not be
able to view it. For example, I have a PC and if you have a Mac computer,
there would be a problem with compatibility. Adobe
has created a program which is compatible on all computers and hand held
devices. The Adobe PDF format makes
it possible to view and print files from any application, on any computer
system.
I send my PDF files as links. Once you
receive my email with the link, you need to save it onto your computer.
You just click the link. A new screen will open. (Since
this requires a new window to open, please be sure you can accept
pop-ups.) You
will be asked to open or save the file. Choose Save and a location on your
hard drive. I would suggest somewhere easy to find it such as My
Documents. The file will then download into the location you specified.
Once it has downloaded, it will open with Adobe Acrobat Reader when you
click the file.
You may open it as many
times as you wish and you may print all or parts of it. Spend a little
time learning Adobe. You can select sections or paragraphs, zoom in, print
larger or smaller; there are many options.
There are several
advantages to ebooks and epatterns:
* You receive your
pattern or book immediately. You don't have to wait several days for the
mail to arrive.
* There are no shipping
charges. Often, the cost of shipping can be higher than the cost of the
books or pattern you are buying.
* You can print only the
pages you need. If you are working on one pattern, that is all you have to
print. This makes it easy to carry with you and go ahead, spill that
coffee, you can just print a new page.
* Storage can be an
issue if you have many books; they often end up stored in a box or a
bookcase. With PDF files, you can print the cover page and/or the index
page and keep these in a binder so you know exactly what you have.
* Older books are often
yellowed and stained with folded pages or rips and tears. They are
reproduced omitting these problems. Some patterns have been scanned but
not touched up. Be sure to look for reproductions which have been cleaned
up.
* Older books can be
hard to find and very expensive once you do find them.
So, are you ready to
try? Here is a free pattern for a Vanity Set crocheted from a motif. You
can use the motif, of course, to make many different items. The pattern is
in PDF format. This is a link which will open as I have described. If this
were a purchased pattern, you would receive this link by email. Links
usually have an expiry date, mine expire in five days. If you need the
link resent, please feel free to email me.
Vanity Set in Shell Stitch
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