A4 Piecing + A0 Print

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. I know and well aware that I've been blogging about printing and sewing patterns, and now printing again, but I am excited for this one!

I've made myself an experiment and maybe the decision factor to finally get this to hit after many pleas!

You all know how much I hate piecing A4s together, all that needing pasting ending up resting in peace in my files, always get looked at then just nothing. I love sewing, I love trying new patterns, I love seeing the end product, but piecing the A4s together is dragging my mojo down.

So, Aimee decided to give me a yes to send some of my A4s that were kindda waiting impatiently to piece and print in A0. We discussed a bit of the price and just like that it is a deal agreed. I was happy to give a go ahead.

I guess paying $8.50 for 16 pages of A4s to be pieced and printed in A0 is a fair deal, don't you?

I mean I wouldn't mind paying someone to piece the 16 pages together manually for that amt.

I am also very glad and pleased to know that they value pattern makers, so it is a piecing job done each time, meaning, all files used will be discarded once job is done. Meaning I will not get that A0 softcopy.

Couldn't emphasize why such jobs done by sewist makes a lot of difference. I am confident patterns are handled with secrecy and at highest privacy and within the rights given by the pattern makers. I am confident such patterns will not be duplicated or sold to anyone else. I know these patterns when pieced together will not be misused.

So I send 3 A4 PDF Patterns over, 1 wide print and 4 A0s to print. I didn't press for time, I was willing to wait 2-6 weeks (this was clearly expressed, as well). I send the emails on 30th March, and as usual, there is constant communication between me and the corresponding person of contact, this time it is Aimee, on issues found. Like how one pattern seemed cut off, so I contacted the pattern maker to ask if there is a revised file for that. Got it on 3rd April, forwarded it to her. And on 4th April, she is already arranging for delivery.

I am always pleasantly surprised by how quickly they do their work. I am very sure I wasn't the only customers that is demanding their attention. So I am just wow-ed by the fast turnover. Always. It is not like there are elves and little dwarfs working for them to get things done, but it does sound like they do with the dates of events put out like that, doesn't it?

I also liked how 2Quilters allow for one person to attend to one customers and never had the need for intervention whilst communication. Like previously, when sending my A0s to print, I liased with Yvette, and the whole necessary things were handled 99% by her. Only one email was from Aimee, and that too, Yvette was aware of and informed me to look out for that email, etc. So you know you are talking to one person and the message get across.

Likewise for this round, I communicated with Aimee and there is no intervention required. So I wont be talking to two persons about the same thing, or have myself on repeat speech mode, which is awesome.

I don't know about you, but I have come across situations where I talk to A then A pushed me to B, then B pushed me back to A and then have to repeat myself twice or more. So this experience is such a happy. smooth and satisfying one!

If you haven't read my previous review on the A0 print, you may read about it here:

The package arrived like below in a DHL box, I requested mine to be folded.



If you request yours to be rolled, it will arrive like this:

So how to get your A4 pieced together and printed as an A0? Simply click here, add to cart and contact them at their email: print (at) 2Quilters dot com.

Days of events may differ with the amount of patterns you send for piecing and printing, if there are issues that may need pattern makers' input etc. So conservatively, I would put 14 days from day you email them, they usually do it in half my conservative timeline. :)

Mine was like this:
(Day 1)30th March: Files emailed
(Day 2-3) 31st March/1st April: Communication to confirm instructions, and prices, one of the A0 is actually a wide print, etc
(Day 4) 2nd April: Aimee spotted some parts were cut off from one pattern, so I had to contact the pattern maker for a revised file
(Day 5) 3rd April:  Received the revised file and forwarded to them to print.
(Day 6) 4th April: All printed and delivery is being arranged
(Day 7) 5th April: Despatched for delivery
(Day 8) 6th April: Package arrived!

Time to get to work people!

To the next batch and more!

A happy happy sewist,
Jun

Wassalam

A0 Printing Services Review

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. I know and well aware that I haven't been blogging reviews lately, so let this be the first.

A0 Printing Services

I am not new to printing A0s being a CAD Designer, A0 is a size we deal with on daily basis. We know where to send our drawings for printing. There are companies who invest in plotters for their company usage as well, and some even investing in one that can fold the A0 into a size A4.

So what is this review about? I am not talking about printing drawings now, I am talking about printing sewing patterns. I am an avid PDF Pattern user, and putting together A4s to make pattern pieces puts me off and turned me into a hoarder of patterns that never got round being pieced together, what more sewn. So, I looked for pattern designers who provides an A0 print copy and turned them into my favourite designer to go to.

The most I am willing to work with piecing A4s together is less than 10pages, anything more and I would try look for an alternative designer who provides A0 or bite my fingers off and tape them together anyway, taking my leisure time, which sometimes leave these papers lying half way pieced in my sewing room and complete them over a few days. THAT is just how lazy I am about piecing A4 together.

With an A0 pattern in hand, I didn't take long to go to Ultra Supplies to print them. They used to charge $3 for a page of black and white print, and $6 for full color. But recently have tripled the cost and got me blinking and gulping down my saliva.

Ultra Supplies

The service there was brilliant only if I am served by Mr Dong, The rest were not as friendly, and not very helpful. Folding is at additional charge of 20cents/page. Delivery is only available for above $100, but I never used it since folding is charged, furthermore if I need to spend $100, it will mean min 34 pages, and it means $10.20 is for folding, which I find a little ridiculous. And NO, I don't wish for my patterns to arrive to me rolled. Not for sewing patterns, not for CAD Drawings either. Have you ever tried discussing and trying to unroll your A0? It keeps rolling back, and it hits my pissed off chord. So, NO...

The only reason why I still go there, then, despite the bad service unless Mr Dong served me, is because it takes less than an hour to get all my patterns printed out, after waiting for my turn to be served, it would be about 1.5hours, which is relatively fast.

But with their charges now, I am not so sure about returning, charging $5 for a page of A0 in black and white and freaking $16 for a full color is outrageous!! And our patterns are not always in one page, it often comes in 2 pages and we usually need copies so NEXT pls!! Above those charges, there is service charge and GST!! Printing 8 pages cost $130.11 with all the charged added!!! How absurb??!!

So I tried sourcing for another printing company, I emailed one which was recommended.

Plixo

All you have to do is email them, they charge $3.50/page for black and white, didnt ask them how much for color. Price include GST, so much easier to calculate! They do delivery but I didnt ask how much either, because I procrastinate a lot like that. It is located near Redhill MRT if that is convenient.

So I never ended up using Plixo, and I don't wanna part my money with Ultra Supplies and having to fold my patterns myself. So I waited and prayed for something more convenient to come through.

Prayers answered, it popped up! Our famous local Quilters are going to provide the A0 Printing service for us sewist! Specifically for sewing patterns!

2Quilters

As the name suggest, this business is born to 2 Quilters who got together to supply us sewist what we need, from threads, to fabrics, to needles, to rotary cutters and now to A0 printing service! More about the owners, Aimee and Yvetter here.

It may appear strange providing printing services when quilters are suppose to be quilting, but it made sense to us. Them being a sewist, we don't need to tell them we need it to be printed to 100% scale, because they would know. When I send my drawings to the shops, I would have to repeatedly tell them to print to scale and not to fit. I would say 100 times at least so they don't mess it up.

It was a breeze dealing with 2Quilters, I have purchased threads and needles from them before and they were prompt and great, and this time is no different, if not better! It was a Monday that I add to cart the number of drawings down to their website here, and subsequently emailed them the files that needs to be printed and further instructions as to which pages, and how many copies, etc. I got confirmation emails on Tuesday, I paid on Wednesday. And guess what? I received all of them, folded nicely, arranged and in order on Friday! That is so quick!

Now I don't have anymore reasons to procrastinate on sewing.. I am so going to send more patterns to them to print..

Oh I forgot, with 2Quilters, it is $3/page for black&white and $5/page for color, if you are printing more than 10pages, it goes down to $2.50/page and $4/page respectively. And.... free local postage for purchases above $30! Awesome bargain, I tell you!

So look no further, this is the best deal ever to send your A0 patterns for printing. If you have a better deal, do whisper to me.

Until you find one, I am collating my patterns together for the next batch of printing. :)

A happy sewist,
Jun

Wassalam

Psst: for designers who have A0 Print copy, refer here.