How to print and assemble your PDF patterns?

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FAQ

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Printing guide for patterns with frames and layers by size

Pattern projection guide

Watch the video tutorial

Our PDF patterns

Frames are a border and a marker that have been added to the file. They are used to facilitate the assembly of printed sheets. If the pattern is printed on several pages, the frames allow them to be aligned correctly by following the markers. They also ensure the pattern's scale thanks to a test square or scale square (3 cm x 3 cm).

Layers by size allow you to select only the desired size by hiding other sizes in PDF viewing software like Adobe Acrobat Reader. This avoids confusion when there are several superimposed lines and greatly reduces the risk of error. It also allows for multi-size adaptation if you wish to combine several sizes (for example, between the bust and hips).

Video projection is a method for using PDFs without printing them, by directly projecting the pattern onto the fabric. With a projector, you can display the pattern on your workspace and cut your fabric directly by following the projected outlines. This avoids printing and assembly (saving paper, ink, and time by skipping the printing step). You can calibrate the display to be actual size.

Our PDF patterns are available in 4 formats:

• A0: A very large format (841 mm x 1189 mm) commonly used for large-format printing on a single large sheet. Ideal if you print in a reprography workshop or with a large-format printer

• A4 and US Letter: Formats suitable for home printers (A4 = standard format in Europe (210 mm x 297 mm), US Letter = format used mainly in North America (8.5 x 11 inches, or 216 mm x 279 mm)

• A3: Intermediate format (297 mm x 420 mm), twice the size of A4. Suitable for printers capable of handling larger formats (e.g., in offices or reprography centers).

FAQ

Why did you change the printing method for PDF patterns?

The PDF format allows you to print patterns directly from home, in A4, US Letter, or A3 format. It has the advantage of allowing you to order and receive your pattern instantly. But it will also make the use of the pattern dependent on the printing equipment available at home. Home printers are more or less reliable, and the print quality will vary depending on whether your printer is inkjet or laser, for example.

A PDF pattern in a smaller format than A0 will be absolutely the same; the pattern itself is unchanged regardless of the format. The initial workspace is divided into several smaller workspaces, depending on the sheet format, and it is impossible for the file to have shifts on a pattern piece from one workspace to another. However, printing on multiple sheets creates "cuts" on the lines that are present on several sheets. Depending on your printer, the sheets may shift during printing, as the printer will "feed" the sheets unevenly, causing a shift in the lines. The more sheets the pattern has, the higher the risk of this shift.

Similarly, each printer has a non-printable area, called the "print margin," which varies for each model. This area causes an interruption of the line, which will have to be manually extended.

In order to overcome these disadvantages, and to allow you to use your pattern even if your printer shifts the sheets a little or has a large non-printable margin, we have reworked the entire catalog of Maison Fauve PDF patterns by including frames that delimit each sheet. Even if your printer slightly shifts the print, the shift will occur outside the frame and will not affect your lines.

What's new in Maison Fauve PDF patterns?

Patterns have frames

For greater ease of use, and to no longer be dependent on the variable precision of the printer used to print your pattern, we now offer patterns in A4, A3, and US Letter format with frames. The use of this format is very simple and guarantees that the assembled pattern will have no shifts or non-printable areas.

The assembly plan is directly integrated into your pattern

On the first sheet of the PDF pattern, you will find the assembly plan for your sheets, as well as the test square which allows you to check that you have printed your pattern to scale. All information relating to the use of the pattern and the settings to validate before printing are indicated in the printing guide provided.

Patterns have layers by size

Your sewing patterns are available from size 34 to 52. Older models have a grading that stops at size 46 (the available size range is indicated on your pattern's product sheet). To avoid having to print all sizes, all our PDF patterns have a layer system, which allows you to select only the desired size(s). To access layer selection, you must first download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer.

PDF patterns are available in video projection format

To meet evolving use of PDF patterns, we offer the entire Maison Fauve PDF pattern catalog in video projection format. This format allows you to project the pieces directly onto your fabric. It requires having a video projector adapted for this use, and we are not able to guide you on the purchase of a particular type of equipment.

If I have already purchased the physical pattern, can I get the PDF pattern for free?

Just as a paper book is a different product from an audiobook or an ebook, the physical pattern and the PDF pattern are two different products, requiring distinct steps for their commercialization. The purchase of one format (PDF or physical) is individual and does not allow you to obtain the other format for free. We also do not offer a pack grouping the two formats.

What about my previous PDF purchases?

All PDF pattern files are automatically updated in your customer area. You have received several notifications informing you of the format change. If you have not downloaded or saved the old version of the PDFs on your computer, we will not be able to offer you this old layout, and the new version of the PDFs with frames and layers will be provided to you.

Are all Maison Fauve patterns available in PDF format?

We do not offer PDF formats of patterns from the most recent collections. PDF patterns suffer from piracy, massive and uncontrollable sharing on private groups in particular. There is no "real" solution to combat this phenomenon; the question has been discussed many times and of course thought about on our side, as well as in my exchanges with other designers. Delaying the release of our patterns in PDF format is a solution, certainly not always understood or acceptable to sewers, but which I believe is necessary to protect my work, that of my teams, and more generally my company. Our partners/resellers also appreciate that we protect our products and that physical patterns are not directly "competed" by the PDF format.

While we offer new items every season, our PDF catalog is also very comprehensive. I take care to re-sew models from past collections every season in our new fabrics, because I believe that my creations can live on for a "long time" and be adapted without losing their interest, sometimes years after they are released online.

I explain our physical/PDF pattern process in more detail in a dedicated video on our YouTube channel.

Is there a step-by-step guide available for all instructions?

To use your files in the format of your choice, we provide a guide for using patterns with frames and a guide for using patterns in video projection format. All necessary information on how to use our patterns is detailed in these two documents.

Order your PDF pattern

Select from our selection of PDF patterns in the shop.

Click "Add to Cart" on the product page. Confirm your order and pay. The "Your order is now confirmed" page will automatically appear.

You will receive an email "Your Maison Fauve pattern" with download links for your digital purchases. We invite you to keep this email indefinitely so you can download your files again.

The links can be used 6 times. We strongly advise you to save your files on your computer to keep them indefinitely!

Printing guide for patterns with frames and layers by size

To print your pattern, click on the printer icon (🖨️) or go to File > Print. In the window that opens, check the following options:

• In the "Pages to print" section: Pages 1

• In the "Page Sizing & Handling" section: Actual size

• On MAC: "Choose paper source by PDF page size".

The PDF format is intentionally smaller for each of the formats. In the preview, you must ensure that the cut-out rectangle is well centered and choose the print format you want: A4, A3, or US Letter.

These settings allow you to print only the first page. Now check the test square, making sure it measures the indicated size.

Do your prints seem misaligned? For the best printing, make sure to firmly hold the sheets as they feed into the printer so that the print is ideal during aspiration.

Print the pattern only in your size

The PDF catalog has evolved: all our patterns now have layers by size.

To print the pattern layer corresponding to your size, you must first download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer.

Open the PDF file you want to print with Adobe Acrobat Reader:

Click on the "Layer" tab symbolized by the following pictogram:

You will then see all the layers offered in your file. By default, all sizes are already displayed on your pattern.

To display only the desired size, uncheck all other sizes by clicking on the pictogram (👁️).

For example, on the Hussard trousers PDF pattern, if you want to obtain size 40. You have therefore unchecked all these sizes: 34, 36, 38, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, to keep only the lines for size 40. You get this result:

Make sure to leave the "LEGEND" layer visible, which corresponds to the text of the pieces, grainline indications, pieces similar for all sizes, the test square, the assembly plan, numbers, page markers, and cutting rectangles.

Assemble

Cut your sheets along the cutting rectangles. To save time, you can only cut on the right and bottom of the rectangle.

Assemble your sheets, according to the assembly plan on sheet number 1, ensuring your markers align correctly.

Cut

Check your size using the size chart and cut along the dotted lines for your size. If you wish to keep all your sizes, we recommend tracing the pattern.

Sew

And that's it! All you have to do is transfer your pattern to your fabric and sew! To get an optimal result, make a quick toile that will confirm the size and allow you to perfectly adjust the pattern to your body shape.

Pattern Projection Guide

To use video projection, you must first download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer.

Open the PDF file you want to project with Adobe Acrobat Reader. You have the choice between a projection file with a white background and another with a pink background. Choose the one that will be most visible on your fabric.

Calibrate your video projector

Click on the "Layer" tab symbolized by the pictogram indicated by the arrow below.

Then choose the calibration grid that suits you: in cm or in inches. Deactivate one or the other of these layers by checking and unchecking the layer with a click on (👁️). Also uncheck all sizes below.

Enter the zoom corresponding to your setup in the dedicated window.

If you encounter difficulties in calibrating your setup, we advise you to join the Facebook group "Projection et Patrons (de couture)". The zoom to be entered is defined according to your setup and will allow the pattern to be displayed at actual size.

Once your file is calibrated, you can move on.

Make sure to leave the "GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS" layer visible, which corresponds to both the text of the pieces, the grainline indications, and the pieces that are similar for all sizes.

Choose your size

Go back to the layers panel and choose (always using "👁️"), the size that suits you. You can make the calibration layer invisible for better visibility.

Close all software panels that are not necessary and that could reduce your cutting area.

WARNING: at each step, double-check that your zoom has not moved. If it has, you must reset it.

Cut

Cut all around the shapes. They are all present in the file; pieces such as sleeves have been doubled and symmetrized to allow you to cut a right sleeve and a left sleeve without having to fold your fabric (e.g., with the Soho dress).

Don’t forget to mark notches, registration marks, and the center of the piece.

For pieces that are off-grain, use the center lines, notches, and lines indicating where to lengthen in case of adjustment to move your fabric and screen to finish cutting your elements.

Sew

For best results, make a quick toile (muslin) to confirm the size and allow you to perfectly adjust the pattern to your body.

See the assembly tutorial