| |
- As you review the information, consider questions
like:
- What type
of quilter you are (traditional, innovative, contemporary).
- How
much flexibility are you looking for.
- How
much do you want to spend? Do not discount a program based on price alone
as the less expensive programs often slim down only in a few areas (usually in
the fabric area) but are excellent overall programs.
- Have
a list of questions of what features you want (if you know). Or develop
a list as you review the information about each program.
- HINT:
If at all possible, find a way to get hands-on experience before you actually
purchase a program to be sure you are making the correct choice. Try more
than one program for a better comparison.
-
Sorry
I can not be more specific, but it has been my experience that most people after
reviewing the Software Review Pages are able to uncover the information they are
looking for and make a decision that meets their needs. Bottom line--all
the Quilting Software Programs have something to offer and that is the reason
I carry the majority of them on my Website. I have the largest selection available on the Web.
2. FAQ: Do you have anything
to help with learning the programs? - Electric
Quilt has provided supplement books, EQ Simplified, Draw, Color and a block
reference book to give you boost in the learning curve arena. You can
find out more information about their books by clicking
here.
- The manuals for the current set of
quilt software programs are mostly tutorial in nature or come on CD and are not
in book form. In reviewing the manuals, I have found them to be very helpful to
get you through the programs but often lack in-depth reference topics. This type
of detail is found in the Help Files that come with the program and can be accessed
when you are using the program. This is limiting so my suggestion to you is to
print out the help files and create your own reference guide. I have written an
article on how to print out the help files quickly and efficiently. You can find the article by clicking
here.
- My book, Quick
Start Guide to Quilt-Pro 2 for the Mac, is good for help with for MAC version
of Quilt-Pro.
- For additional information about
helpful books on computer quilting, go to the Book
Center.
3.
FAQ: Why would I need a Quilt Program when I have a graphic program that I
can create a quilt in? - Good
question, one that over time I finally have been able to formulate an answer for.
The real difference is time and ease! This answer best applies to the traditional or innovative quilts
based on traditional quilts. For alternate
type of quilts refer to next question, when is a Paint/Draw program better than
a Quilt Program.
- The major differences
between the quilt programs and the graphic programs are what they specialize in.
See the comparison table below.
| | Quilt
Programs | Graphic Programs Paint/Draw
Programs | | End
Goal of Target Consumer Determines How the Program is Designed | Quilt
programs are geared toward one thing--developing or selecting already created
block(s) to be colored and placed in an easy-to-create-quilt. Most of the program
developers are quilters themselves or have wives who are quilter. This helps
the quilter ease built into the programs! | Graphic
programs do not have the built-in features geared for quilting that quilt programs
do and are developed for a wide audience of designers doing all types of graphic
art (from commercial to personal). This adds to versatility for the quilter looking
for more flexibility than a traditional quilt format offers. |
| Quilt Layout
| Each Quilt program has an automatic
quilt layout that address block, sash and border needs of the quilt. There is
no comparison or equal type of component in a graphic program. |
Graphic Programs sometimes have a tiling feature, but this
is not good control for a specific sized quilt layout. Graphic Programs
use copy and paste to build a repetitive block quilt layout. |
| Blocks, Borders and
Sashes | The Quilt
Programs have ALREADY created Libraries of blocks, borders and sashes (my
favorite time saving feature of any quilt program). |
Graphics Programs do NOT have built in Block, Border and
Sash Libraries. You must draw all blocks, borders and sashes (time consuming). |
| Grids & Guides (Graph paper to draw on) | Quilt
Programs have a Draw screen or area that are geared specifically for drawing the
Quilt Block. The Draw screens have ALREADY created grids geared toward the quilters
needs, i.e. 9-patch, 7-patch. Some even specialize in circle grids (mariners compass,
fans) or eight point stars grids. Go to Software
Reviews for additional details. | Graphic
program do NOT have patch specific grids and any grid developed often needs to
be built. Developing the Grids/Graph paper that you need as guides to draw
a block or quilt can be extremely time consuming! There are exception and
some programs can easily create Grids. | |
Draw and Edit Tools |
Most of the Quilt Programs have added drawing and edit tools
for the type of patches that the quilter need and use to draw blocks--again with
the built-in quilter ease. Some Quilting programs do this better than others,
therefore I suggest going to Software
Reviews for additional details. |
I have used many different graphics programs and
found that most of them are very limited in drawing tools and that they usually
have a limited number of patch type tools. Often
the Graphic Programs have much stronger editing tools for distortion of patches
and blocks. | |
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