How to download embroidery designs into file folders

Almost all embroidery design files that you download from the Internet are "zipped". If files extension (the last three letters of file name, located after a dot) is - "zip", then a certain file is a zip archive. In order to use the designs, they should be "un-zipped" first.

Zipping files approved as very handy and easy method for downloading files from Internet. Zip file is compressed (mathematical techniques used to reduce the files weight) archive (may contain one or more files, or even folders). Zipping allows to download several files at once, files can be packed into one Zip archive. It's allows to keep organized specific logical structure of files and folders. It's also allows faster downloading, because zipped embroidery design file weight less than not-zipped one.

Unzipping is easy. If you use Windows XP, then your operating system has built-in support for Zip files. Navigate to the zipped embroidery design that you've downloaded and just double-click on a Zip file, it will open in Explorer, just like a folder, and you may be able to use the embroidery designs files. Or if you right-click on compressed folder/ Zip file then click on extract all files. An extraction wizard window will appear, use that window to extract the files. Please see the step-by-step instruction below for more detailed explanation.

If you're using Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT or Windows then you'll need to install a special application to open Zip files. The application that is usually recommended to use is WinZip or WinRar utility. Both utilities demo versions may be downloaded for free. Below you may see step-by-step instruction with pictures too.

Step-by-step instruction for unzipping embroidery files.

Unzipping Embroidery files using Windows zip files extraction wizard.

1- Navigate to the folder where your zipped file is saved, mark it using mouse cursor. While the mouse cursor is pointing at the zipped file icon, click on you're right mouse button. A pop up menu will appear, then click "Extract All", and Windows XP Extraction Wizard will launch and guide you via unzipping process.

2- In the Extraction Wizard click on the "Next" button. Select the destination folder you would like to unzip the compressed embroidery designs, and click "Next" again. By default the destination folder will be the folder named like zip archive inside the folder that contains zip archive - the folder you navigated in previous step.

3- The unzipping file process will appear in the same window. When it's finished, your file is unzipped, and you may use it. Click "Finish" button on the Extraction Wizard. If you check the box "Show extracted files" then the window with extracted embroidery design files will launch.

If the check box not selected, the destination folder you selected to unzip the archive should contain two items - a zipped archive and a folder with unzipped embroidery design files (you may delete the zipped archive and keep the uncompressed files folder).

Navigate inside the folder and start using the machine embroidery files, color conversion chart or counted cross stitch chart, according to what you have downloaded. Here you may see how the machine embroidery designs and the machine cross stitch designs provided.

Unzipping Embroidery files using WinZip software.

1- Navigate to the folder where your zipped file is saved. Now you have two options. The first is while the mouse cursor is pointing at the zipped file icon, click on your right mouse button, and in pop up menu click "WinZIP" and in the next pop up menu "Extract to folder", see the picture below.

The second option is double click on zipped file.

2- If you double clicked on zipped file the WinZip software screen should launch. Click on the "Extract" button in WinZip window. The Extract window will appears immediately, pick up the folder to which you plan to save the unzipped embroidery designs files. Then, be sure that a check box labeled "Use folder names" is marked, and click on the "Extract" button. Look at the screen shots below.

That's all. The design files are unzipped. Now you may close WinZip and navigate to the folder where the designs files were saved (the folder that you choosed to save the embroidery designs files), and start to use the embroidery designs.

If you choose the first option for extracting the embroidery files, then they are already unzipped too. Unzipping the designs with WinRar utility is similar to WinZip.

Now you may use the embroidery designs files, see how the machine embroidery designs and the machine cross stitch designs provided, transfer the designs machine files to your embroidery machine, view and print Designs Information, Thread Table and Color Conversion Chart.

Good Luck, Have a Nice Day, and happy embroidering!

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