What should I do with my design downloads?

Most of the time your design purchases are delivered to you in a single ZIP file containing the individual design files, color sheets, copyright information and other documents. A large majority of design merchants offer "Immediate Download" of any designs purchased from them. While there are numerous processes for accomplishing this task, the end result is the same - you get your designs immediatedly. There is no need to wait for someone to send them to you by email or snail mail.

Once your transaction is complete you receive instructions on where to go and what to click to allow you to download your designs. That process is pretty simple, but before you can use any of the designs you purchased the file must be unzipped and the individual files saved to your hard drive or other storage media.

So, what exactly is a ZIP file? Specialized programs, such as WinZip, package any number of single files into one tightly compressed file. These files are easily identified by the .zip extension at the end of the file. Two things are accomplished in this process. The number of files you must download is reduced to one and the file size is decreased through compression to minimize the time required for file transfer.

Think of a ZIP file as a container that holds all the design files you purchased. Before you can utilize any of the design contained in the ZIP file you must first open the container. It's sort of like opening the lid on a jar and dumping out the contents. There are a number of programs that will open this container for you. However, the one we recommend is WinZip. It is simple to use and one of the best you’ll find.

The entire process of downloading, unzipping and storing your design files can be accomplished without any embroidery software what-so-ever. The only two pieces of software you need are WinZip and Windows Explorer. The former you can download a free trial and the latter comes with every Windows PC made. It's included as part of the Windows operating system.

The first step is to download the ZIP file containing the designs you purchased from the merchant by what ever method they use. After you click the provided link, select the "Save to disk" option in the popup box that appears on your screen. When you click OK another box will appear asking you where you would like to save the file. It is best to have a designated folder on your hard drive for all of your design downloads. That way you will know where they are when you need them. You might name this folder "My Design Downloads" or any other name that is meaningful to you.

Select your designated folder in the box provided and click "Save." If you don't have a designated folder you may have a difficult time finding the file once the download is complete. It might also be wise to write down the name of the file you are working with so you can find it easily later.

Once the download is complete, open “Windows Explorer” and locate the folder where you saved the file. Search for the file you just downloaded and double click on it. WinZip, if installed, will automatically open the ZIP file and display a list of the contents.

The next thing you must do is extract all the files and save them to your hard drive. Click the “Extract” button at the very top. A second box will appear prompting you to select the folder where you wish to save the individual files. You can select an existing folder or create a new one if desired. An example of this folder might be "My Designs" or something similar. Be sure the box that says “All files/folder in archive” is checked. Click “Extract” and you’re done.

Your design files are now ready to use. You can transfer them to a design card, back them up to external storage device, move them to a different folder, or what ever you wish.

You can create backups of all your designs on CD or DVD at any time. They can be copied in either their compressed or uncompressed state. If you backup the ZIP files, rather than the individual design files, you will need to copy the ZIP file from the CD back to your hard drive and unzip it before you can use the designs.

It's really quite simple. Not nearly as daunting as you might think. After you have done it a couple times you'll be unzipping like a pro. If you don't have WinZip, you can download a free trial version here. Once installed it's smooth sailing. Your unzipping tasks will be as easy as pie.

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