Getting Patterns From Books & Magazines?

[kmmcrafts]

How do you guys get your patterns printed when they are in a book? Do you cut the page out of the book or do you try to scan it without ripping out pages?

I usually don't do patterns from books because of this issue and I hate the idea of taking books apart.. But I guess it is just a book and once I have the patterns on my computer I could throw the book away.. seems kind of wasteful to me... It'd be really nice to see them digitalize magazines and these books.. Magazines isn't such an issue to me because you can take the staples loose and remove the large paper pattern section and place on a scanner.. the one thing about those is.. they're printed on both sides of this large paper and if you want patterns from both sides you end up folding it 50 times both ways until you get to the right pattern, LOL. If you cut out the pattern then you likely cut through something good on the opposite side.

I got this book for Christmas and have been enjoying the patterns until the last one I cut the other day kinda messed up my project because I ran out of line to follow.. this happen on both a couple of the inside cuts and the outer profile.. while in the cropped photo section posted below this doesn't look horrible as you can see somewhat where the red / pinkish lines would be.. BUT, I only have a black and white printer... add magnification into the mix of that blur and I couldn't do anything but guess where to cut.. also add the fact that I was cutting on a saw that I wasn't acquainted with too.. 

I've seen worst cuttings but this came out kinda bad.. and it's too the fault of me not wanting to rip out a page in the book, but this make me mad as heck.. I'm about to rip the whole book to sheds and put it all on computer file then go burn what's left of the papers. But before I do that.. I'm asking you guys if there is a better way to get the patterns printed?

Photos below of my project and a cropped portion of my pattern where it made me mess up. 

 

[Fish]

I usually copy from the book, magazines I  cut it out. I've ran into the same problem when I print from the book.  Nice cutting too!

[barb.j.enders]

I print from the book.  If I notice an issue with the line I will draw it on.  From the latest magazine, I copied from the large insert, missed part of the pattern, so I traced it and taped it on.  

[don in brooklin on]

With Scroll Saw Workshop magazine I have the DVD's and so I can open the page in Inkscape and do what I want.  I have issues 1 -72 on DVD even though I have a lot of those as books.

I refuse to subscribe to magazine until they make the insert in the middle available online.  I do buy the occasional one at Walmart but struggle to copy the patterns.  

For other books etc. I copy from the book and I have had the same issues.  I sometimes scan twice and the piece together.

I also have found that my library gives me access to hoopla which has a few scroll books as eBooks.  They don't let you download or print but you can do screen capture or the web capture and then I can import to Inkscape and modify and print.

 

 

[kmmcrafts]

Yes, I stopped subscribing to the magazine sort of because of this.. but to be honest I stopped when the other magazine went under.. that one IMO was the best of the two of them I knew of anyway. I think the name of the one I liked was Creative Woodworks and Crafts? Anyway I realized I really didn't use the patterns too much anyway and the way they cram them in there is stupid for anyone that does want to use them.. 

I have often thought about buying those digital versions from the magazine...

I typically go to the new stands and read the magazine.. If I find a pattern I like they usually list who the design is from and most designers have a website.. I go there to purchase the one I want and get the digital version that way. 

I can't go in and show you the book because of copyright / trademark.. but in this particular book and this particular pattern for some reason the put the edge of it over toward the center on the book and put descriptive stuff on the other side.. hence it makes it more difficult to scan the page.. I think that's what really makes me mad.. like lets put the patterns way over into the crease of the book.. I know a lot of folks might have issue with sizing patterns, but if they made the pattern smaller so it could be scanned easier then have a note to enlarge it X amount so we could scan them in anyway.. instead of putting the pattern clear over into the crease where the scanner doesn't pick it up.. 

[Scrappile]

I've been scanning the patterns to my computer.   Then I crop as much of the space on the page away that is not part of the actual pattern..  Makes it much easier to resize the pattern.  After I have cropped as much of the waste away as I can I resize the pattern so I know what size I have.  then I convert the pattern to PDF file.  That way I can easily increase or decrease the size again and print as a poster with the Adobe print fuction.   I have been doing the military emblems thing from a book.   I have pretty much decided to cut the binding on the book and scan the pages.  I am ruining the book anyway trying to san individual pages.  I am wondering f I can shave the binding off on the table saw.  Haven't had the nerve to try it yet.

[jerry walters]

I most often cut the pattern from the magazine or pattern book then scan the pattern. I find if I don't cut the pattern from the book, the copied pattern is skewed, especially the portion that is close to the binding of the book. I hate destroying the publication in that manner, but I have thought of removing each pattern and putting them in a three-ring binder. (a lot of work).  The other reason is that many magazines have articles that someone else might enjoy. I keep most of my subscriptions because when I am no longer around (hoping for many more years) someone out there might want these. I will also mark each publication with notes that I refer to many times, especially when doing something new. I have thought of purchasing DVD of magazines but too cheap to do that. Maybe with a little more research I can find a particular pattern on-line and just purchase that one.  Jerry

[OCtoolguy]

I've contacted Fox Chapel numerous times about making the patterns available digitally. They keep telling me they are not able to do it. Hogwash! The entire magazine is done digitally. Who do they think they are kidding? We may be old but we aren't stupid! I've been a loyal subscriber for many years but I think I'm done. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by OCtoolguy

[jerry walters]

15 minutes ago, OCtoolguy said:

I've contacted Fox Chapel numerous times about making the patterns available digitally. They keep telling me they are not able to do it. Hogwash! The entire magazine is done digitally. Who do they think they are kidding? We may be old but we aren't stupid! I've been a loyal subscriber for many years but I think I'm done. 

No. we ain't stupid. We get along pretty well for old folks.

 

[kmmcrafts]

I hadn't thought about cutting the binder part off with a table saw.. but I did think about it with the bandsaw or heck.. even the scroll saw.. I see there are people cutting designs from old books with the scroll saw so I should be able to cut the binder part of the book off.. Hate to ruin ( so to speak ) the book but I also hate my projects not turning out well because of poor scans too.. 

I've thought about re-subscribing to the magazine.. I do miss them and on one hand I'd hate to see them go out of business.. on the other hand... we've been telling them to go digital or at least layout the patterns so they're easier to scan for years.. I complained about this back in 2007 - 8.. I think they've had plenty of time to consider and if they go out because of the lack of subscribers it's on them for not keeping up with the times...

[Scrappile]

I just though I'd get a straighter. nicer cut on the table saw.  Band saw, I can do. think I will have to switch the blade to a finer cutting blade, but might be a safer bet.  I was thinking of sandwiching the book between two pieces of 1/8" plywood taped good on the table saw,, what could go wrong !

[OCtoolguy]

27 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

I just though I'd get a straighter. nicer cut on the table saw.  Band saw, I can do. think I will have to switch the blade to a finer cutting blade, but might be a safer bet.  I was thinking of sandwiching the book between two pieces of 1/8" plywood taped good on the table saw,, what could go wrong !

Boom! Poof! Way to go Wiley Coyote!

[meflick]

I'm a book lover - I just can't stand the idea of cutting up my books so I haven't done it yet but have been tempted a time or two.  I try my best to get a copy of the pattern from the book.  Some books that is harder to do than others. Some books do a better job putting the pattern where the binding isn't as much of a problem in trying to get the copy.  I don't recall one that I haven't been able to eventually get a clean copy from. I do have some older books that have that "comb" style binding that lets it lay flat or easy to remove from the binding and put back.

One reason I asked for a light table one year for a gift was so that I could "trace" patterns or use it to align patterns where I had to join pieces.  It's been a life saver a few times.  I have learned to look well at my copies to make sure I got all the lines.  If I missed a bit, its usually just a tad bit and like Barb, I will draw it in usually with the aid of my light table.  Light table is much easier to do then holding it up to the glass window to trace!   Usually once I get a copy of the pattern copied, I do scan it into my computer to keep especially if I want to make the pattern a different size.  Much easier to scale on my computer and print it. Plus, I can make it have red lines which I much prefer to use for cutting then black.

I will take the magazine apart to get the pattern inserts but I hate doing that too. Like Kevin noted, sometimes they are still not easily copied without making lots of different folds and angles.  Sometimes the patterns have "pieces" that need to be aligned (which is where my light table is a tremendous help.) I usually close the magazine staples back up without putting the pattern insert back in place but leave it inside the magazine. The problem with that is you still risk it being lost. Like Don, I have purchased the SSWC magazines back issues on CDs so if it is from an old magazine, I can go there and try to get a print of the pattern.  I still subscribe to the magazine, I would hate to lose it and usually it has a project or two that I am interested in.  I too however wish that they could find a way to provide the patterns to download electronically.  I have had others where you could do so - I understand why they don't want to - for couple of reasons - but I don't think any of them really keep people from getting a "shared" copy if they really want too.

Since I started carving in the past few months - I have also been looking at FC's carving magazine, "Woodcarving Illustrated" I think it is.  Interesting enough with it - you CAN BUY DIGITAL subscription BUT it costs the same as the printed copy subscription. You cannot get a "dual" subscription to both the digital and printed copy at a slightly reduced price if you get both so if you want both, you have to pay same price for both. PLUS, you still don't get the actual patterns in "digital" format - if you want an article and/or pattern printed out from the online version, you can only do so by doing a "screen capture" one page at a time! I sent them an email inquiring about all of that and their response was the company who does it says it can't be done.  I told them like Ray - hogwash.  I'm pretty technically savvy and have had other online magazines before that could - that their source needs to catch up with technology. So for all of those reasons - I have yet to subscribe to the carving magazine. I really want to subscribe - but I would like both the printed copy to keep but access to the digital version.  Since they don't do that, I have not pulled the trigger on a subscription in either format.  I left it to the subscription fairies over Christmas, put in on my Christmas list, but none of my fairies ordered it for me! So so far, I've not subscribed yet. 

So since they can do the Carving magazine in Digital format - we know they COULD do the scrolling one that way too but choose not to.  I suspect that may be due to the number of subscribers and that Carving has more then scrolling and/or they do it with the Carving magazine first, to see how it worked out and didn't get enough so they figure not worth it for the scrolling - but all really just a guess!

Edited February 10, 2023 by meflick

[Bill WIlson]

1 hour ago, kmmcrafts said:

I hadn't thought about cutting the binder part off with a table saw.. but I did think about it with the bandsaw or heck.. even the scroll saw.. I see there are people cutting designs from old books with the scroll saw so I should be able to cut the binder part of the book off.. Hate to ruin ( so to speak ) the book but I also hate my projects not turning out well because of poor scans too.. 

I've thought about re-subscribing to the magazine.. I do miss them and on one hand I'd hate to see them go out of business.. on the other hand... we've been telling them to go digital or at least layout the patterns so they're easier to scan for years.. I complained about this back in 2007 - 8.. I think they've had plenty of time to consider and if they go out because of the lack of subscribers it's on them for not keeping up with the times...

I wonder how hard it would be to drill holes to allow the book to be put into a 3 ring binder, after the spine of the book was removed?

I know it could be done, a few pages at a time, with a 3 ring hole punch, but it seems like it could be easy enough to do on a drill press, even sandwiched between 2 pieces of plywood.

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, meflick said:

 

We subscribe to the daily newspaper still. With that subscription we get the E edition also. It works great for highlighting an article an importing or sharing to whatever social media I choose. I share many of the cartoons if they have a political bent to them. No problem at all. So, if they can do it, so can the magazine publishers. They just choose not to. For whatever reason.

[OCtoolguy]

35 minutes ago, Bill WIlson said:

I wonder how hard it would be to drill holes to allow the book to be put into a 3 ring binder, after the spine of the book was removed?

I know it could be done, a few pages at a time, with a 3 ring hole punch, but it seems like it could be easy enough to do on a drill press, even sandwiched between 2 pieces of plywood.

I did it years ago with my collection of Wood magazines. I just clamped the mags between two pieces of hardwood and drilled them using a brad point bit. It worked fine.

 

[Roberta Moreton]

I will cut the pages out of a book with a razor knife if need be. I  take the insert out of the magazine and close the staples back up. I keep the inserts filed by year. I have some file cabinets I use for my woodworking and other hobbies. Plus a bookcase or two.

Edited February 10, 2023 by Roberta Moreton

[crupiea]

I take a picture with my phone and email it to myself. 

 

[kmmcrafts]

3 minutes ago, crupiea said:

I take a picture with my phone and email it to myself. 

 

I did think about that just about an hour ago.. I'm going to try that before I cut this book up... Thanks

[Angelo]

Hi,

Office dept can cut the spine of the book , sometimes ask few dollars sometime they do for free…I don’t know why tese different customers service, I cut several books and they do a really good job 

ciao

[Roberta Moreton]

I love my Office Depot. I did not know they do this!

[scrollingforsanity]

I do the same thing Roberta does. Probably not correct but its my magazine so I have at it. Razor knife works well.

[BadBob]

On 2/10/2023 at 10:51 AM, Scrappile said:

I am wondering f I can shave the binding off on the table saw.  Haven't had the nerve to try it yet.

Yes you can, but you can cut the binding with your scroll saw.

I would mark a line about 1/16 to 1/8 inch in from the binding and cut it on the scroll saw.

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by BadBob

[BadBob]

I got to throw in my long-winded two cents worth. I have scanned hundreds and possibly thousands of pages.

If you are scanning from a book and want an excellent scan, you must get it flat on the scanner. In some cases, this will mean damaging the binding.   If I am scanning the entire book, I don't care if I break the binding. Cutting the binding off makes it easier.

Once the book is scanned, I will be happy with the scans. I no longer care about the book. You can scan entire books by cutting off the binding and hand-feeding them. It is a slow, tedious task. Nowadays, I pay someone to scan books for me. I highly recommend "Book Scan US" for this. They have scanned 47 books so far for me. How much it costs is complicated. You need to ship the books to them, which is a cost. After that, the basic cost is $1 to scan a book of 300 pages or less. If you want the book back that costs return shipping, there are options (OCR, Higher resolutions, etc.) and small fees for some things. For example, I had some odd-sized books that needed to be cut down to fit their scanners. You also need a dropbox account and a Google account. You order by filling out a Google sheet spreadsheet. You get your books via a shared folder on DropBox. It takes them a long time to get the scanning done. I think it is one person. You only pay once the work is completed. "Book Scan US" is highly recommended. I'm working on box number three. I load all my scanned books into Calibre, where I can tag them, add the contents, and index them to the comments. It is all searchable.

Scroll Saw Wood Working and Crafts believe their method is a copy protection scheme. They are wrong. I have the digital versions of the magazines from their CDs, and I don't have any severe problem getting patterns from those. I have to put some back together because they were scanned as separate pages. If I were to scan the paper, I would cut the patterns out, cutting them in half to get them to fit on the scanner if needed.

The first thing I do when I cut a scanned pattern is open it in Gimp and clean it up if needed. If the pattern is in more than one piece, I can put it together in Gimp. Next, I copy the pattern to Inkscape and trace it converting it to SVG format. There are some tweaks you can do in Inkscape, like setting the line width and color, but the big thing is that once I have the pattern in SVG format, I can make it any size I want with zero degradation. When I triple the size, I don't get broad gray pixelated lines, and the lines stay the same when I shrink a pattern. The sizing works great. If I want a pattern 4 inches high, I lock the dimensions and set the height to four inches. When I print the pattern, I get a four-inch pattern. I can set the page size to the dimensions of the piece of wood I am working with, add the patterns I want to use, resize and turn them any way I need to make maximum use of the wood. Set the page size back to normal and print. It is a steep learning curve, but it is worth the effort.

 

 

[kmmcrafts]

I think in order to be within the copywrite / trademark laws you have to retain the original copies.. A lot of books I have I'd only use a handful of the designs from them so no I personally don't want to do the whole book.. That said, I wonder if you showed a designer proof of having the pattern if they'd share the fine so you could get a good digital copy instead of trying to scan.. However that would also be quite annoying to the designer if everyone started doing that too.. LOL 

I think in my case I'm going to take a razor knife and cut the pattern pages out that I want and then place them back in the book. If they get lost or whatever so what.. I have my digital file as has been mentioned..