Cost of Needlework Patterns

Dr. Brat wrote:
So while your point about the cost of printing is well taken, I
don't think you can generalize from your experience to the rest of the
world.

Not intended as a generalization or sweeping indictment of home
printing. Just mentioning the possibility for many of us. Printing at
home isn't always as cheap as one might think. Nor is color rendition
always reliable.

It clearly wouldn't cost me as much to print something as it
costs you. There's also the convenience factor to be considered. I
don't have to leave the house to print a pattern on my printer, nor do I
have to pay shipping and handling charges.

Not sure what that has to do with downloading patterns direct, or
printing from CD's. I thought that's what we were talking about: paying
more for patterns that are already printed, or the ability to purchase
and print ourselves.

Dianne
--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:

Dr. Brat wrote:

So while your point about the cost of printing is well taken, I don't
think you can generalize from your experience to the rest of the world.

Not intended as a generalization or sweeping indictment of home
printing. Just mentioning the possibility for many of us. Printing at
home isn't always as cheap as one might think. Nor is color rendition
always reliable.

Yes, but color rendition is not always reliable on the pictures that
accompany pre-printed patterns, either.

It clearly wouldn't cost me as much to print something as it

costs you. There's also the convenience factor to be considered. I
don't have to leave the house to print a pattern on my printer, nor do
I have to pay shipping and handling charges.

Not sure what that has to do with downloading patterns direct, or
printing from CD's. I thought that's what we were talking about: paying
more for patterns that are already printed, or the ability to purchase
and print ourselves.

You don't see what not having to leave the house has to do with
downloading patterns directly? If I'm figuring the price of a pattern
that is already printed that I am purchashing, I need to also consider
my time to go get the pattern at the store, or the cost of having it
delivered to me. Those are costs which I should also consider when I am
deciding if it would be cheaper to download a pattern directly. Given
that, I would not like to download a pattern and take it somewhere to
have it printed. Once again, I'd have to leave the house and spend time
and gas to get somewhere, so the cost of download would have to be
significantly less than purchasing pre-printed to make it worth it.
There are extra factors on all sides that people aren't taking into
account when trying to determine the most cost effective method of
pattern delivery.

I actually prefer to purchase the leaflet, because I like going to the
LNS and browsing. I also find that things I print off the computer tend
to get lost in the jumble (poor organization on my part, but it's a
factor to consider).

Elizabeth ("time, quality, money: pick any two")
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate
and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

check with:
http://www.inkrepublic.com

They have great device to lower down your printing cost of C86, besides
they are having earth day sale:
http://www.inkrepublic.com/EarthDay.asp

good luck!

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:
Lucretia Borgia wrote:
And to think I am knocking paying CAN$39 to replace my colour
cartridge in my cheap ole printer that does a mighty fine job, even
for photographs. I would print off a pattern in a heart beat
and
never think about it. Plus, I just have Adobe Reader (free) and
have
no problems with printing off anything coming in as a PDF.

I know you run sites etc Dianne and I am way behind you but once
more,
I don't get any spam through craftiness involving no time
whatsoever,
and with a CAN $50 printer and CAN$39 cartridge, have no problem
printing anything. Can it be that lesser knowledge leads to
better
ways?

Well, we just had to buy a new printer. Our three-year old one bit
the
dust (more cost to repair than to purchase new). So, we squeezed out

$100 for a new Epson C86. That's the same as my Epson C84 (two years

old) which I paid more for at the time.

There is a difference in price breaks. Mainly the fineness of the
printing and the speed. If I'm printing lots of booklets for EGA or
customers, I don't want to wait all day! And, I need as good a color

rendition as I can get.

To use our printers requires 4 different ink cartridges. I had an
old
one that used only one cartridge, which was about $40 or so.

Actually, what I really wanted to get (to replace the one that broke)
is
one that prints 11 x 17. But I can't afford it.

We did not buy the most expensive printer, I can assure you. And I
know
that our C84 and C86 print much better than my old Epson with a
single
cartridge. There really has been huge improvements in print quality
the
past couple of years.

I refuse to purchase off-brand ink cartridges. Did that once. Lousy

printing, constant need to clean (which uses tons of ink).

I'm not sure what "knowledge" has to do with anything. :-) If you
get
print jobs that suit your needs with the equipment you have, more
power
to you. I (we) do a LOT of printing. The newer mid-range Epsons
suck
up ink. And replacement cartridges are expensive. I got the bill
out
to double check my figures . . . didn't want to quote the wrong
amount.

Anyway, my point was that printing things yourself costs money . . .
more money than many might think. Of course, I don't know how many
patterns you'd print out. But it's certainly a cost factor, and one
you
have to take into consideration if most designers started selling
designs this way, which was the premise of the conversation. That
and
the cost of paper. It's easy to think, "Oh, this pattern is only
$8."
To that you must add ink/paper.

Dianne
--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

I just tossed out my C80 Epson because the ink clogged so badly that it
couldn't be cleared. I found it ate ink cartridges like candy and in the
two years I owned it it cost me a small fortune to feed. It does give you a
nice copy but if it isn't used a lot it's impossible to get it unclogged and
the cartridges are very expensive.

I replaced it with an HP and so far it's been working fine and I don't have
to constantly clean it.

Lucille

wrote in message
ups.com...
check with:
http://www.inkrepublic.com

They have great device to lower down your printing cost of C86, besides
they are having earth day sale:
http://www.inkrepublic.com/EarthDay.asp

good luck!

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:
Lucretia Borgia wrote:
And to think I am knocking paying CAN$39 to replace my colour
cartridge in my cheap ole printer that does a mighty fine job, even
for photographs. I would print off a pattern in a heart beat
and
never think about it. Plus, I just have Adobe Reader (free) and
have
no problems with printing off anything coming in as a PDF.

I know you run sites etc Dianne and I am way behind you but once
more,
I don't get any spam through craftiness involving no time
whatsoever,
and with a CAN $50 printer and CAN$39 cartridge, have no problem
printing anything. Can it be that lesser knowledge leads to
better
ways?

Well, we just had to buy a new printer. Our three-year old one bit
the
dust (more cost to repair than to purchase new). So, we squeezed out

$100 for a new Epson C86. That's the same as my Epson C84 (two years

old) which I paid more for at the time.

There is a difference in price breaks. Mainly the fineness of the
printing and the speed. If I'm printing lots of booklets for EGA or
customers, I don't want to wait all day! And, I need as good a color

rendition as I can get.

To use our printers requires 4 different ink cartridges. I had an
old
one that used only one cartridge, which was about $40 or so.

Actually, what I really wanted to get (to replace the one that broke)
is
one that prints 11 x 17. But I can't afford it.

We did not buy the most expensive printer, I can assure you. And I
know
that our C84 and C86 print much better than my old Epson with a
single
cartridge. There really has been huge improvements in print quality
the
past couple of years.

I refuse to purchase off-brand ink cartridges. Did that once. Lousy

printing, constant need to clean (which uses tons of ink).

I'm not sure what "knowledge" has to do with anything. :-) If you
get
print jobs that suit your needs with the equipment you have, more
power
to you. I (we) do a LOT of printing. The newer mid-range Epsons
suck
up ink. And replacement cartridges are expensive. I got the bill
out
to double check my figures . . . didn't want to quote the wrong
amount.

Anyway, my point was that printing things yourself costs money . . .
more money than many might think. Of course, I don't know how many
patterns you'd print out. But it's certainly a cost factor, and one
you
have to take into consideration if most designers started selling
designs this way, which was the premise of the conversation. That
and
the cost of paper. It's easy to think, "Oh, this pattern is only
$8."
To that you must add ink/paper.

Dianne
--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

Dr. Brat wrote:
You don't see what not having to leave the house has to do with
downloading patterns directly? If I'm figuring the price of a pattern
that is already printed that I am purchashing, I need to also consider
my time to go get the pattern at the store, or the cost of having it
delivered to me. Those are costs which I should also consider when I am
deciding if it would be cheaper to download a pattern directly. Given
that, I would not like to download a pattern and take it somewhere to
have it printed. Once again, I'd have to leave the house and spend time
and gas to get somewhere, so the cost of download would have to be
significantly less than purchasing pre-printed to make it worth it.
There are extra factors on all sides that people aren't taking into
account when trying to determine the most cost effective method of
pattern delivery.

Ok. Wasn't sure where you were headed. Now I am. :-)

Dianne
--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

It is very hard to justify paying $3.50 for a skein of silk
floss when it is used for a total of just five stitches in a design or
buying a package 500 beads when you only need a couple.

That's why I look upon patterns as a "suggestion" rather than
directives.

Lizzie
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chain3turn/my_photos
http://www.livejournal.com/users/samplerlady/
"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."
Joseph Chilton Pierce

Yes, that's why I often buy the books and get a lot of patterns for
$10.00 but it's true the supplies are just inane. I often don't use
the speciality threads as I don't find that they are worth the extra $

Well the ANG kits are no better and when I made a comment on a
Yahoogroup about it, every ANG teacher said that I was getting
personalised service for such a low low cost. Personally membership
+ the teacher + threads is over $100.00 for one class. I really
couldn't afford to 'learn' embroidery or needlework at that price!

I'll do it the old fashioned way: practise.

Love Elizabeth