Are you having issues opening or downloading your digital quilt patterns? If you’ve got an iPhone or an iPad then you’re not alone! Looks like some Apple products have issues opening PDF quilt patterns.
Read on for how to solve issues opening PDF quilt patterns on an iPhone or iPad !
Top Tip
First up, my top tip is to always open your digital quilt patterns on your desktop. Whether you’re an Apple, PC, Google, or Android user, it’s always best to download, open, and save your digital files on your computer.
Why?
Because there’s a good chance that your desktop is backed up.
And it’s probably where you file your important documents.
Since you’ve already got important stuff there, let’s keep your digital quilt patterns tucked away with them 😊
I’ve already walked you through my best tips on how to save and work with digital quilt patterns here.
Tip – it’s best to download your quilt pattern(s) to your computer as some phones and tablets have issues with saving, downloading, and opening PDFs. This is especially true if you have an iPhone or an iPad.
Two common issues opening digital quilt patterns on iPhones and iPads
Today, I wanted to specifically address two problems I’m seeing pop up as you work on the Little Forest BOM.
But before I dive in, I wanted to quickly share a recap on what a PDF file is!
What is a PDF File?
Here’s a quick recap on what a PDF is and why all Shannon Fraser Designs’ patterns use that format.
A PDF file is a multi-platform document that can be viewed on lots of different devices. It’s typically created by Adobe Acrobat or another PDF application. You can download your free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader here.
This file format is used to save different file types in a standard format, making it accessible across different platforms.
All Shannon Fraser Designs quilt patterns are saved as PDF files so that you can open the pattern on your cellphone, tablet, or computer.
What is an interactive PDF file?
An interactive PDF file simply means that you can take actions within the document – aka interact with the document.
Active Hyperlinks
This means you can click on active hyperlinks which will take you directly to the tutorials, videos, and other web-based destinations I’ve snuck in there to help you along the quilt-making journey. All the information you need related to making the quilt pattern is contained in one document!
When the problem occurs
When a new pattern for the Little Forest Block of the Month Quilt Along is uploaded, an email is automatically generated with an updated link to download the new pattern.
Depending on whether you’ve added delivery@shopify.com to your safelist, the email could land either in:
- your inbox
- your promotions folder
- or your spam folder
If you have rules set up for managing your inbox, then it could land in an entirely different folder that you’ve specified. Either way, if you’re not seeing the new email, give your folders a quick search for the subject ‘update is ready for the Little Forest BOM‘.
Click the link within that email to access the zipped folder.
Who these problems impact:
This issue seems to be mainly impacting Apple users, and primarily those working from their iPhone or iPad (but some Mac issues have occurred too!).
I’ve only had to troubleshoot one issue with a PC, and that was a system setting issue.
Two possible errors
Can’t open a PDF:
If you’re having a hard time opening PDFs on your iPhone or iPad, check out the following articles, which might be helpful:
- Adobe article: Why are PDF files greyed out on my iPhone (adobe.com)
- Apple discussion board: Can’t open PDF on iPhone but can open it … – Apple Community
Can’t open a zipped file:
If you’re having difficulty downloading/accessing a Zipped file, try seeing if the following steps help:
“Right-click on the .zip file, select “Open with…” and make sure that “File Explorer” is the app used to handle it. Scroll down until you find “File Explorer”, select it, and then check the checkbox to make it so always…“
I did some research and the above possible solution popped up. Give that a try and see if it does the trick!
For more quilty inspiration, check out:
If you’re having any issues opening/saving your Little Forest BOM patterns, send me an email at info@shannonfraserdesigns.com, and I’ll do my best to help you out.
While I’m using the Little Forest pattern as an example, these issues can pop up when you’re trying to open any digital file (not just your quilt patterns 😉).
Hopefully, these tips on how to solve issues opening PDF quilt patterns on an iPhone or iPad have come in handy for you. Please share them with your quilty friends who might benefit from these tips too!
xo
Shannon
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