Tuesday, March 19, 2013

How to Download Your CraftHub Purchase

There are two ways to retrieve your purchase:
  1. Visit the login page of the shop that you purchased your files from <- This is what we recommend. If your shop owner did not provide you with a link to their login page you can find it by typing in http://ETSYSHOPNAMEHERE.crafthub.me/login
  2. Wait to receive a link via email. The email will contain a link to the login page specific to the shop you purchased your item from.
Your purchase will be available as soon as your payment is confirmed 

Enter the email address associated with your Etsy account, and your order number (found in your Etsy receipt) then click the login button. This will take you to the download landing page.

To retrieve your files via email

After your payment is confirmed you will receive an email from CraftHub. You will receive this email five to ten minutes after submitting your order. If the email does not come to your inbox please check your spam folder.




Open the email, and then follow the link to download your files. The link will take you to the download landing page.

Download your files

On the Download Landing Page you will see the products you purchased. Click the Show Files button to view the files available for download. Please note that shop owners have the ability to customize this page, so your download landing page may look slightly different.












Click the Download button to start the download. 
Please note that files are saved in your Downloads folder by default.


Open your files

Open your Downloads folder to find your files.
Please note that this screen may look different depending on the type of computer you use, your personal settings, and the name and type of file you have purchased.


In this instance, my purchase has been delivered as a .ZIP file, so I will need to open the file in order to view the individual items.


That it! I can now use my files. You can try our instant download service for yourself on our Etsy shop.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

How to Write your First Pattern in 6 Steps

CraftHub is delighted to present Stacey Trock of FreshStitches! In addition to designing for FreshStitches, Stacey has written two crochet books: Crocheted Softies and Cuddly Crochet. She's also CraftHub's first ever guest blogger! Thanks, Stacey, for sharing your pattern-making tips with us!

How to Write your First Pattern in 6 Steps

You might think that you need a whole bunch of fancy software to put together a professional-looking pattern, but it just isn't true! You can put together a great-looking pattern using what you probably already have on your computer!
I’m going to assume that you already have written a clear set of pattern instructions, and I’ll give you tips to turn those instructions into a beautiful pattern!

Step 1: Take fabulous photos

You don’t need an expensive camera! You just need your product, some good lighting and a regular point-and-shoot camera.
If you’re not rock-solid on your photography yet, check out my 5 Photography Tips and my detailed write-up of how to create a seamless white background.
The secret to good photography is taking oodles of photos. You can always delete ones you don’t like, but you want to maximize your chances of snagging that perfect one!
Don’t forget that in addition to the cover photo, you’ll want to take photos that show off any detail work or unique features of your design.

Step 2: Select your format

Chances are, you have a word processing program like Microsoft Word on you computer… great! You can use it for formatting your pattern!
Have a look at the features your program offers. Go to File > New. Is there an option of using a template? A template can be a great way to get started with the design of your pattern.

If you don’t want to go the route of the template, think about setting key elements of the pattern apart with simple design elements. Perhaps your materials listing could go in a colored text box. headers) to break up the text. Keep in mind that many people find a huge, solid block of text difficult to read, so use design elements (and headers) to break it up.

Step 3: Insert your photos

To insert your photo into a document, go to Insert > Picture, and pop in your selected photo.
Take a look at the top of the screen after you've inserted your photo… do you see formatting options? In my version of Word (above), you can see a variety of picture formatting settings: such as changing the shape of the photo or adding a border. This is an easy way to add a personalized style to your photos.

Step 4: Add your information

Do you want to add copyright information? How about putting your email address on the pattern so customers with questions can contact you? Or maybe you’d like to include your website?
Don’t forget these details… remember that the pattern instructions are a way to communicate with your customer! You want to make things easy for them… don’t make them hunt you down if they have a question!

Step 5: Try a font!

Once you have your text and photos in… you’re finished (and can skip to step 6)! This step is optional, and just adds a little extra to your pattern!
I’m a big fan of fun fonts, and downloading a new font is a great way to add your own sense of style.



My favorite website for browsing new fonts is dafont.com. There are two things to keep in mind.
One, be sure to read the conditions on the the particular font you’re interested in: fonts designed for personal use only aren’t intended to be used for commercial purposes. (…just like patterns!)
Two, most people find fancy fonts in the text difficult to read, so keep the fun stuff to headers and titles.

Step 6: Make a PDF

PDF stands for ‘portable document format’, and it’s called that because it’s a file that shows up exactly the same on every computer. You’ll want to convert your document into this format before it’s ready for distribution.
Fortunately, this is easy! In the old days, you needed fancy additional software, but now, it’s as easy as going to Print in your Word Processor and selecting Adobe PDF as your printer.
The result is your pattern… that’s ready to distribute!

Are you ready?

You shouldn't let fear of technology or lack of a graphic designing degree keep you from putting together a pretty pattern that you can be proud of!
I hope I've encouraged you to give it a shot!

This post was written by Stacey Trock of FreshStitches. Find her at www.freshstitches.com (http://www.freshstitches.com).



Monday, March 4, 2013

Try it from your Customer's Perspective!

Is CraftHub.me right for your Etsy shop? Try our instant download service from your customer's point of view and find out!

Visit our etsy shop and purchase the example listing to experience our service as your customers will. As soon as you have completed your purchase, go to http://etsy.crafthub.me/orders to download the example product. You will be prompted to enter your order number and the email address associated with your Etsy account.

You will also receive a link to download the example product sent to your email 5-10 minutes after completing your purchase. The link will be sent to the address associated with your Etsy account.