Weekly Goal Recap 1: Tulip Bag Re-Design and "Launch"

Last week I posted here about my goal for the week. Well, I accomplished it! I redesigned the Tulip PDF and I think it looks lovely. But instead of just updating the PDF, I experimented with something...

When a designer updates a PDF, Ravelry allows messages (either by the paypal e-mail used to purchase the pattern OR by Rav message) to be sent to all the people who bought that pattern in order to let them know about the update. So, I did this, but I included something else... a coupon code!

I gave all my previous Tulip-purchasers a code to get any other pattern in my store for one dollar. I did this because I was curious about two things:

1) Do people even read these update messages?
2) If people were given the chance to get a pattern (or patterns) for a very small fee, which one(s) would they choose?


Here are the answers I found:
1) Yes! The message was sent to 293 people. Eight of those people used the coupon code (some more than once). That works out to about a 2.7% purchase rate of those e-mailed, which is actually pretty good! And that may not be entirely accurate because you never know--some people I messaged might not be on Ravelry anymore, or maybe they're not into knitting anymore, or they don't remember buying Tulip and just dismissed the message, or they just didn't have the dollar to spend.

2) Ok, here's the breakdown:
Honeypot - 3
Pretty in Pleats - 3
Wavelength - 3
Gradient - 2
Patches - 1
Basketwoven - 1


We have a three-way tie between The Honeypot Bag, the Pretty in Pleats bag, and Wavelength. Interesting to note - two of these are bags. All of these people originally bought a bag pattern. Hmm.



Anyway, that's my recap of the Tulip re-design. Since it didn't take but a couple days to re-design Tulip, I'll probably do a few of those each week as a part of my routine until all of my PDFs are up to par.


Ok, now for this coming week's goal:
 

My Goal: Week 2

You know that crochet pattern I mentioned in my last post? Well, I came up with the idea to offer the physical headbands for sale in my Etsy shop. I've had my Etsy waiting in the wings for a while, but I really want to start using it. So, this week, I want to get my Etsy back up and running. This includes:

1) Re-designing my header

2) Typing up a new shop description

3) Photographing products

4) Typing a product description

5) Posting the product

I'll do one of these things each day, and by next week, there will be lovely headbands ready for purchase. I've decided to post the tutorial after I've created my shop so I can use the traffic generated by posting my tutorial/pattern to Ravelry to boost my Etsy shop.

My apologies for the delay of that pattern; it'll be worth the wait, I promise!

Talk to you all next week,
Grace

How to Write & Photograph Beautiful Technique How-Tos + How to Make a $2 Lightbox

Today I'm going to be talking about how to put together an instructional pictorial guide to a knitting technique. A fantastic example of this is the lovely Lucy from Attic24, one of my very favorite blogs. She takes fantastic, up-close pictures for her patterns (like this one here). I've always admired this. She could very easily just type out the steps, but she takes the time to photograph her patterns, making it easy for the very beginner to comprehend and execute them.

In my upcoming knitting patterns, I'm going to have to do a lot of photography. Not because the techniques are tough, but because I want beginners to be able to make them too. Today I'm going to share some steps to help you take awesome step-by-step pictures using your iPhone!

Please note: I realize that you'll need a better camera than an iPhone if you want to take pictures for a book, but these tips are great to apply to your blog tutorials or PDF patterns on Ravelry if you don't have a better camera.

Here's how to set up your space:

1. Find a window (preferably facing west)
We're going to make use of natural light and milk it for all it's worth. Find a nice big window in your house, throw back the curtains and snap away.
Also, if your window is facing west, you can take pictures using morning light. You don't want your light to be really harsh and direct. In the morning, a westward facing window will provide the very best light.
If you don't have a westward facing window, you'll want to wait for a time of day that the sun isn't directly blazing down through the glass.

2. Make a lightbox.
Ooooh that sounds really expensive. Well, I've got news for you - it costs like 2 bucks. Go to the dollar store and buy two things: A piece of foam core and a roll of duck tape (some dollar stores don't have foam core... if your's doesn't, check a craft store). Then, cut three pieces out of the foam core:
8 1/2 x 11 inches X2
8 1/2 x 8 1/12 inches X1
Then, tape them together so they look something like this (that patterned duck tape though!):

Now, slip a piece of cardstock or computer paper underneath your light box, place it so the open side faces the window, and boom! Lightbox created! You'll be taking your pictures from up above the lightbox.
The great part about this lightbox is that you can insert whatever background you want! You can use patterned paper or set it outside on top of concrete or wood.
Here's an example of a picture taken with my iphone using this lightbox:

Pretty nice, right?

3. If you're using your iPhone, take your pictures in square mode (or in Instagram)
If you take your pictures in square mode, you'll be able to tell if your subject in centered in the picture. Plus, this just makes editing a ton easier!


All right, now that you have your set-up created, it's time to focus on how to photograph and explain most effectively:

1. Write the steps.
Before you begin, write down all the steps, movement by movement. Scribble all over your notebook page with little tips you've discovered while working this technique. Everything you've learned will be able to help someone else, so make note of all these things!
Then, group them into sets of what can be explained using one picture. Once you've rambled all over your page about everything someone could possibly need to know about this technique, strip it down to single, simple, concise steps, each step being represented by one picture.

2. Photograph these steps and put them in a collage.
Using your lightbox, snap pictures of the steps your wrote about. I would suggest using larger yarn & needles than the pattern calls for so your readers can really see clearly what you're doing.
Once you have all of your square pictures, head over to Pic Monkey to put all of them into a collage. You can skip this step if you want, but for document designing, I find it's very helpful to combine all of these pictures into one file (so your PDF isn't like 50 pages long). If you're using this tutorial for a blog post, I'd keep the pictures separate.
If you choose to make a collage, I'd also recommend editing numbers onto each one of the pictures. This way, you can number the steps below the picture and people will be able to connect each step to it's coordinating picture easily.

3. Add words to guide people through.
On that note, you're going to want to add words for each one of your steps. Use all of that content you wrote earlier to explain each step using as few words as possible. Write as if you're speaking to someone across the table from you.
If your pattern is do-able for a beginner, I'd suggest having a beginner friend give it a shot before publishing! Pay attention to where they get stuck, and go back and clarify those sections.

This week, I'm going to be writing an extra blog post on a free a crochet pattern for a braided headband/earwarmer. I'll be utilizing these tips to help explain the crochet & braiding steps. My goal is to get all of you knitters out there to be able to make it! Be on the lookout for that!

Until then,
Grace

How to Set Weekly Goals in Order to Drive Your Fiber Arts Career Forward

Lately, I've been considering what I'm doing here. I have my book planned out and outlined, and all of the products will be finished by the end of the year for photography. But I want to work on something, book related or not, before then. I want to build my "brand" tons before my book releases (which, by the way, I've decided to keep it to an e-book format for my first try at book-writing). I just need something to get me going. So I came up with the idea of setting weekly goals or weekly actions for myself; giving myself one little thing each week that will move me forward. 

So what are weekly goals exactly? Well, it's pretty self-explanatory, but basically I'm going to devote all of my attention to one major thing each week. Each Friday's post will cover my weekly goals from here on out.

Maybe you have something in mind that you want to work on, but you just can't seem to decide of a first step. You should join me!

Here's how I'm going to be picking and setting my weekly actionable goals:

1. Each weekly goal should have a consistent time requirement.
Here's what I mean: Each goal should take about the same amount of time. Don't spend 15 minutes on one goal one week, and 8 hours the next week. Set aside a specific amount of time each day, and when selecting your goal for the week, make sure it fits within that time constraint. If it doesn't, you should break down that goal further.
Why? The very best way to accomplish something long-term is to make it a habit. Taking few minutes every day will make this a routine, and goal setting should always be a routine!

1. Each weekly goal should have a specific number tied to it.
Goals that never get accomplished usually don't have specific numbers tied to them. "I want to work out more" won't happen long-term. "I will work out 30 minutes 4 times per week" is far more likely to actually happen. So set a number and tie it to your goal.

3. Each weekly goal should have a "why" behind it.
Remember this post? It's incredibly important that all of your goals have a deeper reason behind them. It'll be your driver when you don't feel like completing what you've set out to do.

My Goal: Week 1

My goal for this coming week is to re-design one of the PDFs currently in my Ravelry store. I've learned a TON over the few weeks I've been writing this blog and I want to apply this knowledge to the patterns I'm currently selling. I'm going to start out with my most popular pattern, The Tulip Bag. 

I'll get to my other patterns in future weeks, but for now I'm just starting with 1. This shouldn't take more than 15 minutes everyday.
Also, if you're not familiar with Ravelry, I should mention that all of the people who have previously purchased Tulip will receive the update. Everyone benefits from the re-design, not just the people who buy it going forward.

So how about you? Do you want to join in?

Head over to my Ravelry Group  to tell me what you're working on this week. I'm going to set up a new thread every week for all of us to engage under and discuss our goals for the week.

I hope you guys can join me in progressing your fiber arts career!

Until Tuesday,

Grace

How to Write Knitting Patterns

Over the past few posts, I've been covering how to design your pattern PDFs and release them. I realized I had forgotten something very important! How to write those very patterns!

So maybe you've been experimenting with your own designs for a while and just scribbling down vague instructions that only you can understand. But hey, you can take those patterns and make money off of them! Seriously! It's really not that hard at. all.
Whether you're writing an entire book or just a single pattern for Ravelry, you'll need to know how to properly write your pattern. You have to make sure people can follow your steps and recreate exactly what you made.

Here are some general tips to start us off:
1. Be good at your craft. In order to design a pattern you'll need a fairly long history of other people's patterns that you've read and knit. This will give you a feel for how knitting patterns are structured and what they include. Don't expect to learn to knit one day and then write a lucrative pattern the next day. Also, you need to have a quality finished project to photograph. So the first step is: Get some experience under your belt.
2. Take it seriously. You are going to be costing people their hard-earned money to buy your pattern. Please for the love of all that is good in the world, make it nice.
3. Literally write down every movement your fingers make. Preferably on pen and paper so you can scribble things out and write in the margins and I don't know, I just personally love pen and paper. When writing down instructions, even if it's a "rough draft," DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OUT. I'm telling you this from experience! I've been in the process of designing a pattern and told myself "Oh, I don't have to write this step down! I'll remember it when I type up the final version."
Well guess what.
I never do.
And then I have to go back and either rip back or read my knitting to figure it out and it's just such a struggle.
So don't make my mistakes!
Likewise, don't assume your readers know what to do next. Don't leave anything out when writing the final version either.
4. Anticipate the roadblocks your readers will find, and help them through.
For the pattern I just released, I had it tested. This was absolutely SO very valuable for me because it demonstrated to me that other people aren't as close to my pattern as I am. As my pattern's creator, I know everything about how to make it. I've worked all the kinks out in my own head. These kinks don't work themselves out for my readers, however. If there's a "sticky" area in your pattern, pay extra close attention to explaining it well.
5. If your pattern includes a chart, use Microsoft Excel to make one. Excel is a knitter's best friend and, quite honestly, it's a designer's as well.



All right, now that we have those things out of the way, let's dive deeper into each section of a well-written pattern.
If you want an example of what each of these sections look like in a real pattern, I have a free beanie pattern here! I made use of all these tips, so head on over to get and idea of how I applied them.


Introduction (optional):
You may choose to add a little intro in the beginning of your pattern. This is similar to a product description on a clothing website. This could include your inspiration, why someone would want to make your pattern, design elements, and finished size(s). Basically get your readers so excited that they can't wait to cast on.

Materials:
Pretty self explanatory, but in this section you'll want to list out everything you used for your project. Include the exact yarn you used including yarn weight, the brand, the colorway, and the grams/ounces in one skein of said yarn. Also, include the needles you used. Add the size in both numerical American value and in millimeters. If you need stitch markers, add that, and how many. Also mention handles, buttons, zippers, fabric lining, or any other add-on you will need to finish the project.
A mistake I made in my newest pattern was using my hand-dyed colorway for the finished piece. I couldn't tell people what yarn I used exactly, and I got questions about it. So in the future I'll keep that in mind.

Notes:
Here, you add anything else someone would need to know before starting. Discuss any unusual stitches, gauge, or necessary yarn put-up (if a center-pull ball is needed like for two-at-a-time socks). If there are any new techniques you've developed, you should mention that here. If you've taken pictures to guide people through the steps for this technique, place those at the end of the PDF after the pattern. Simply make people aware that there is an unusual stitch needed, and let them know about the picture tutorial at the end. If you add the picture tutorial here, it can scare people away before they even start! So just inform people of it, and move on.

Pattern:
The main event. Here, you write out your pattern. Start out with "Cast on X" and write out all your notes in a simple and clean, row or round format. When you're finished, give your pattern to an expert knitter friend to try out. I say expert simply because you want someone who will be able to pick out flaws and inconsistencies. A beginner may just follow the pattern blindly and give you the A-OK regardless of what you wrote. It does not matter whether or not you are going to be charging for this pattern; it is crucial that you double triple quadruple check that the pattern is correct before releasing it. Errors are annoying and confusing. If you've ever come across one you know this, and the last thing you want is for your audience to feel these things while working through your pattern. If you'll be charging for your pattern, I'd highly recommend getting it tested by some lovely peeps over on the The Testing Pool group on Ravelry. Sometimes even the best knitter friends can be a bit soft in their critiques, so get it tested by some people without a major emotional connection to you.

Here are some other things to keep in mind when writing your pattern:
     -Make note of what kind of cast on you used. Long tail? German? Does it matter?
     -Don't just say "increase" or "decrease". Choose a type of increase that works best for the project visually, and stick with it. (knit front back, yarn over, make 1, etc) Same with decreases... Always use knit 2 together when it would look good for the stitch to lean right, and slip slip knit when you need the stitch to lean left. If it doesn't matter, use knit 2 together since it's more familiar.
     -If you used short rows, make it clear. Tell people to turn their work, and make it blatantly obvious.
     -When explaining techniques (which you should always always do--never assume people know a technique), make it as clear as possible. Imagine you're talking to a friend who's sitting right in front of you. Think back to when you were a beginner, and what words would have made this technique click in your head. If the technique is very unheard of, or you developed it, you must, in addition to step-by-step actions, add pictures. Make them simple and small. Perhaps put them into a collage in chronological order.
     -It can be helpful to add a note to each row telling if it's a right or wrong side row (rs for right side, ws for wrong side). Adding something like "Row 27 (rs):" can be super great in guiding a person through your pattern and helping them to know they're on the right track. Also, adding a total stitch number to the end of each row is a great thing to do. That way, people can count their stitches and immediately recognize whether or not they made an error.

Editing and Perfecting:
Once you've finished writing your pattern and think it's ready for release, give it a day or two and then go back and read through it again. This will make your little page design errors stand out.


Ok, so this is one post. You probably read it in a few minutes. But pattern designing, on the contrary, is a time-consuming, extensive process (if you want to do it well, that is). You guys all know that I'm taking you along with me on my journey and there is p l e n t y more I'll learn about pattern writing. No doubt I'll have plenty more posts that relate to this topic and in the future I will link them here:
[Future Grace, insert links here]


All right, that's my introductory guide to designing patterns! I hope this was helpful.
Until next time,
Grace

PS. It's the last day to make use of my buy-one-get-one-free coupon code in my Ravelry Store! Use the coupon code HTWAKB to get any pattern free when you buy my new pattern Basketwoven.

10 Steps to Successfully Launch a Pattern on Ravelry

Ok, so after my last post, you have your PDF all ready to go (and it looks totally fabulous). If you're planning on selling your newly created pattern and you want it to do well, you have to create a game plan. If you simply launch your pattern out into the Ravelsphere without any form of marketing, you can only expect your pattern to do so well. You may be happy with the results executing like that, but here are 10 steps to making the most out of your new pattern:

1. It's gotta be a good pattern.
The very first thing is the pattern itself. This is the basis upon which everything else grows. Make sure your pattern is two things:
     -Unique
     -Well written
Every single time I'm working on the idea for a pattern I try to make sure it "reinvents the wheel" in some way shape or form. Try combining two very different techniques and make something totally new. I've heard this is called the "Hummingbird" technique. You take something from one world and flutter it over into another dimension. This could be, like in my Tulip Bag, taking the knit log cabin and the crochet granny square bag and mushing the two together. Basically, just make sure your pattern is new and fresh and interesting.
Then, you must execute this thing well. Obviously, if your pattern is going to gain long term success, it must be written very, very clearly. People need to understand it! I would highly suggest using The Testing Pool group on Ravelry. I took advantage of this wonderful resource for the first time with my new pattern (details and a coupon code for that below) and it was an awesome experience. Basically, you post a little ditty about your pattern in the group and people will volunteer to test the pattern for you for free. It's fantastic. They offer wonderful advice even right down to bolding certain stitches in places where people could slip up. Little things like that make all the difference, so get your pattern tested!

2. Take nice pictures.
When I say "take nice pictures" I certainly don't mean you must go out and buy the most expensive camera or hire a photographer. Sure, these things are definitely necessary later, but for now, it's perfectly ok to simply use your phone. Here are a couple tips I've discovered on how to take good iPhone pictures:
     -Get your piece out in natural light. I'm talking legitimately o u t s i d e. Ultimately, it should be a bit of an overcast day so that the sun isn't too direct. This will provide the ultimate clarity and color correctness.
     -Take your picture using Instagram. Call me crazy, but I seriously think pictures look better when taken with the camera within Instagram.
     -Upload them to your computer and use a photo editor to help out a bit. Here's an example using my new shawl design, Basketwoven.
This is the original picture taken with my iPhone 5s:

It's nice, but it's kind of dull. It looks like it's had a bit of the life sucked out of it. To remedy this, I popped onto Pic Monkey and did a few things (all of which are found under the "Colors" and "Exposure" tabs). 1) I boosted the saturation 2) I boosted the temperature 3) I boosted the clarity just the tiniest bit. And voila! Take a peek:

3. Type up a nice (but not long-winded) description.
The next thing to focus on is your description. Ravelry will ask for a description of your pattern and it's important you nail this. Include everything people must know about your pattern like yarn, yardage (in meters too), needle size, gauge, if it can be made in different yarn weights, size, time it takes to complete, skill level, all that jazz. You can also add a couple sentences about how the pattern came to be. Keep it brief though, let the pattern info take up the bulk of your description. Basically, after reading your description, people shouldn't have any other remaining questions about your pattern.

4. Post when people are online
If you don't have any sort of existing audience you'll want to post your pattern when a lot of people are online. You only get a limited amount of time on the homepage of the patterns section, when your pattern is in the "Recently Posted" section, so make the most of it! Get as many eyes on your pattern as possible in that short amount of time. You can see how many people are online on Ravelry's homepage in the top right corner. I've found anything over 4,000 is awesome.
Another thing I'll mention is that, unless you have a large audience on your blog or group, DO NOT POST ON MONDAY MORNING. There are always a ton of people online Monday morning, and big publishers know this. They'll post big collections of patterns all at once, and you're unfortunately likely to get lost in the shuffle. But, if you have a large audience that's able to push your pattern up into the popular section, go for it!

5. Self-promote in appropriate threads.
If you look around in the forums section, you'll find a few groups with threads specifically for self-promotion. Take advantage of this! I personally love looking at these threads to find the latest and greatest patterns, and I'm not alone. These threads usually gain large audiences, so post away!

6. Offer an introductory coupon code.
This is a fantastic way to get more people to actually purchase your pattern. Right in the description, offer a coupon code for an introductory discount. People love getting good deals. Also, I would suggest mentioning that there's a deadline to make use of this coupon. This will promote a sense of urgency, and push people over the edge into buying.

7. Throw an extra creative element into your PDF.
Free stuff! It's awesome! Do some brainstorming and come up with something extra you could add to your PDF. Maybe your pattern is for a bag, so you include instructions on how to line it. Little things like that really add value to your purchase price. Also, make sure you make people aware that this extra is in there!

8. Put up a quality blog post a few days later and mention your coupon code expiring.
Remember that coupon deadline I mentioned earlier? When it comes time to take down the coupon, put up a blog post telling people it's about to expire. This will get all those last-minute purchases to actually happen. Also, if you can make this blog post really, really, really good that's even better. Write about something that your audience is really struggling with, and solve their problem well.

9. Price higher.
Sometimes, all you need is a higher price. If you're releasing a pattern for a sweater in 10 different sizes, put up a price that makes sense. Don't lower your price because you think more people will buy it. Raise it so people know it's a quality pattern! Obviously, with this comes the expectation of quality that you must deliver upon. But if you've followed all the previous steps, you'll be good.


10. Send copies of your pattern to podcasters for them give away.
If you're unfamiliar with the world of knitting podcasts, you must familiarize yourself with it. Basically, there are some awesome people who post either video or audio regularly to update their audience on what they're working on, lead knit-alongs or crochet-alongs, and provide giveaways. Often, you can PM these people on Ravelry offering your pattern up as a giveaway prize. It's great for the podcasters, great for their audiences, and great for YOU because you get free promo on their podcast. If you want a few podcasters to check out, I'd recommend A Homespun House with Molly, The Dyer's Notebook with Laura, and The Bakery Bears with Kay and Dan.

All of these tips conclude with one more bonus tip, which is: Don't get discouraged if your pattern doesn't do as well as you imagined. It's ok! That just means you're one pattern closer to releasing your big hit. :)

All right, now onto the details of my new pattern (just released this morning), Basketwoven! I mentioned it earlier, but if you're interested in taking a peek, here are a couple more pics.

 I'm offering a special coupon code for my lovely blog readers. Use the code HTWAKB (How to Write a Knitting Book abbreviated) at checkout to get any of my other patterns free when you buy Basketwoven. This code will last through next Tuesday. I hope you guys love it!

Hopefully you found this post helpful! Best of luck in your pattern designing endeavors!
See you next time,
Grace

How to Design a Knitting Pattern in Microsoft Word

So maybe you have a pattern ready to go. It's all ready to sell but the problem is, you don't know where to go from there. Or perhaps you have a lovely hat or scarf pattern that you've been using for years jotted down in a notebook. Well guess what? Sit down, spend 30 minutes at your computer, and BOOM. You're a designer!

Ravelry requires patterns-for-sale to be in PDF format. When I first started designing, I had no idea how to make a pretty PDF. I would just type it out, choose a nice font, insert my picture and upload. But something about that just didn't suit my very type-A personality. I wanted it to be fancier and more polished and professional-looking especially if I was going to be charging for the pattern. So, I went on youtube and researched how exactly to design in Microsoft Word. Basically, I learned how to use Word as a desktop publisher of sorts.
I have a pattern coming out on Friday. It's a lovely basketweave pattern shawl and I'm going to show you my design process using that pattern as an example. Here's everything I've learned:

1. Open notepad and type it all out.
Yep, notepad. Not Word. Type out your intro, materials, special notes, and, of course, your pattern in a simple notepad document before you even open Word. Make sure it's edited and ready to go.

2. Open a new document in Word.
When you open your document, before you do anything else, go to the insert tab. Then click "shapes" and then "new drawing canvas." Creating a canvas on your document will make Word act a bit more like a desktop publisher. You'll gain complete control over where you place your pictures and text boxes, rather than being confined to the margins Word defaults to.
Ok, once you have your drawing canvas, go up to "position" on the toolbar and then "more layout options." Then go to "text wrapping" and then "In front of text."
Now you can stretch your canvas out to fit your page. If you want to leave a margin, go for it.
At this point your document should look like this:

3. Add more shapes.
Now, you can add another drawing canvas for your header or for your various text boxes. Simply follow the same steps: Insert > Shapes > New drawing canvas > Position > More layout options > Text wrapping > In front of text. You can use these additional shapes for the notes, stitch abbreviations, gauge, title, and anything else that you typed up earlier in notepad. Learn how to add text in the next step, which is:

4. Jazz it up!
You can do 4 basic things to any of your shapes or canvasses. These four things are adding an outline, filling your shape with color, adding text within a box, and adding a picture.
Here's how to do each one:

Add an Outline

Right click on your canvas or shape > Format Drawing Canvas > Line Color > either Solid Line or Gradient Line (select your preferred color) > Line Style (select your preferred style)

Add Fill Color

Right click on your canvas or shape > Format Drawing Canvas > Fill > either Solid Fill, Gradient Fill, Pattern Fill, or Picture/Texture Fill > Select your preferred fill

Add Text

Select your shape and go the Format tab at the top of the toolbar > Draw Text Box > Draw it within your shape > Type or Paste your text into the newly created text box > To get rid of the white background, go up to shape fill and select no fill > To get rid of the black border, go up to Shape Outline and select No Outline

Then, format your text just how you would normally in Word. Highlight it, and choose fonts, colors sizes, boldness, italics, all that jazz.

Add Pictures

Right click on your canvas or shape > Fill > Picture or Texture Fill > File > Select picture file

5. Make use of pro hacks.

As I was designing, I found that there were a few things that were super duper helpful.

1. With a shape or canvas selected, use the arrows on your keyboard to nudge it down, up, or over incrementally. This is super helpful in getting accuracy that you may not be able to with your mouse.

2. Hold down the Control key on your keyboard to select multiple elements, group them, and be able to move them as one unit. This is helpful when you notice that all of your page elements could really be moved to the right by like 1 pixel. Select them all, and then use your arrows to move them all.

3. Unless your pattern is really short, you'll probably need more that one page. In order to add another page, go to the Insert tab and click "Blank Page."

4. Down in the bottom right corner, you'll see a little toggle button with a zoom percentage next to it. Bring this way down to 50% so you can see the whole page at once.
5. You're not confined the the preset Word color options. Whenever you're looking to select a color for something, you can click on "More color options" and customize it. Then, the next time you want to select a color for a different element, this custom color will pop up for ya.

6. Save as a PDF.
Once you have your document looking fabulous, you're going to go up to File > Save As > Type in your document name > Select "PDF" from the drown down menu.

Voila! You did it!

Here's my PDF in progress:

That big blank section will be for the picture, but we'll keep that a surprise until Friday ;)

And that's about it! Pretty cool, huh? I never knew this was possible with Word. It's awesome!

Go experiment with this! It's a fantastic tool and, for most of us with PCs, it's also a free one!

I hope you learned something from this post!

I'll see you Friday with tips on how to successfully launch a pattern.

Until then,

Grace