Buying and storing files from a website can be a little daunting, especially if you are used to getting a cd and transferring designs to your machine in this way. Unfortunately, technology is not standing still, and with change comes new challenges. CD drives will soon be history, as new machines don't have space for this animal.
Here is a simple step by step guide on how to download and store files from a website.
Most websites will either make the download file available in the browser, or send you a download link. Clicking on the link, or on the download file link in your browser will prompt the file to download to your machine. When downloading the file, your PC or Mac may ask you where to save this file. Browse to the correct location, and select OK. If you have set a default location for all download files, your file will be downloaded there. If you have any doubt, both Windows and Mac have a Downloads folder where you are most likely to keep your website downloads.
Files provided from The Lavender Quilting Farm are always zipped. This is to provide you with a relatively small file to download and preserve your data consumption. It also makes it faster to download.
Buying and storing files for Mac
A zipped file in Finder will look like this. Double click on it and it will be extracted to a folder in the same directory as the zip file.
Buying and storing files for Windows
Windows already has an unzip function. You will not need any special add on applications.
Navigate to the folder that has your zip folder included.
Right click on the folder to be unzipped, and select Extract All.
You will be asked to select where the files must be extracted to. Keep the default, or click on Browse to find the correct location. Click on Extract.
If you kept the tick in “show extracted files when complete” you will have a window opened with the extracted files displayed.
From computer to machine
There are many brands of embroidery machines on the market, so it is difficult to write instructions without knowing which software to write for!
My machines all use a USB stick, and I don’t need any conversion of files. I can simply copy and paste the embroidery file format to the USB stick and open them on my machine.
I am certain that your dealer, or Google will have the answer if you are uncertain.
There are a lot of queries about Bernina machines when it comes to the ART file. You will normally buy the ART file when you’re on most websites, but since I don’t use Bernina software to digitise, I don’t provide the ART file. But, you don’t need ART. You can use the EXP file.
How is that possible? Well, the software that you get with your embroidery machine, Artlink was the last I know about, converts the ART file to an EXP file. I know, WHAT? Why the rigmarole? Every company and manufacturer wants you to use their goodies exclusively. So what do you do now? Simply drag and drop that EXP file in the USB’s last branch of the embroidery folder.
Happy sewing!
