Questions about what to do with a .ZIP file?  This article is for you!  If you are not familiar with ZIP files, you may be wondering why we use them on our site and what do you need to do with them once you finish downloading a ZIP file in order to get it into your sewing machine.  Here are a few pictures to help out...

We use a program called "WinZip" to package our embroidery files for downloading because we can put several files into one download, making it possible for you to get the files for Brother, Husqvarna, Pfaff, Janome, and other machines with just one download.  WinZip also compresses the files so they can download quicker. 

If you don't have WinZip, visit their web site at... http://www.winzip.com/downwzeval.htm to download an evaluation copy for free.  If you like it, you can buy a license to use it for a few dollars. Install the program using all the default settings and it will handle ZIP files for you automatically.

Now that you have WinZip installed, we can continue...

Download a ZIP file from our "Design Library" to your PC.  Need help with downloading?  Here's a pictorial about how to download designs from our site... http://www.artisticthreadworks.com/public/175.cfm

Once you have saved a ZIP file during the download process to your hard drive, you must open the ZIP file or "un-zip" it to get to the various embroidery files inside.  Some software (like BuzzTools) will unzip a file automatically for you, but for those using software that does not automatically unzip, you can use "WinZip" to open the file instead.

I use "My PC" to view the directory where I just saved the ZIP file and double-click on the ZIP file name.

Using My PC to view ZIP file

(Some people only single-click to open a file if they have set their pc up for single-clicking, but I will just refer to it as double-click since most people still double-click on programs to open them)

Once you double-click to open the ZIP file, the WinZip program will open up.  It looks like this...

WinZip open

As you can see, there are a lot of files in this one ZIP file I just downloaded.  The files ending with .TXT  are color-charts.  The ones ending with .DST are for Tajima embroidery machines or other commercial machines that use .DST format.  There are also HUS, JEF, PCS, PES, and SEW files in the ZIP file. 

To unzip the files your machine uses, simple highlight the format you want to extract and click on the "Extract" command button.... 

Extract Command

WinZip will show this box that allows you to choose where to put the files it is extracting.  I put mine in a folder called "Downloads" but you probably have a special folder you save your designs in already.  Just navigate the "Save To" box to where you want them saved and click on the "Extract" button and the files are copied from within the ZIP file to your hard drive and ready to copy to your embroidery machine.

Save to dialog box