Electric Quilt 4 Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the default fabrics I get whenever I start a new project?
No, but you can make a My Library file of your favorite fabrics. Then when you start a new project, go to the Sketchbook, clear the fabrics and then copy in your favorite fabrics.
Another way you get your favorite fabrics into the Sketchbook quickly is to make a project with your favorite fabrics. Then instead of starting a new project, open the project with the fabrics you like and use Save As to give the project a different name.
In EQ3 I could only use one fabric packet per project. Is this true in EQ4?
No. EQ3 packets were forced to be limited because only 16 base colors could be used at a time. In EQ4, projects can have hundreds of colors so you can easily select fabrics from many different packets and use them in one project.
Why don't the colors of my printout match the colors I see on the screen?
Many factors determine the way your blocks and quilts appear on screen and the way they appear on your printouts. Your monitor displays colors by combining red, green, and blue light. When these colors are reproduced on paper, they are made using ink and not light. Your monitor displays images at 72 dots per inch (dpi). Printers resolutions vary from 150 dpi to 600 dpi and greater.
Each piece of equipment used - scanners, monitors, printers - handle color a bit differently. EQ has done its best to make the final output from your printer look like the on-screen image without requiring complicated manipulations on your part.
Why doesn't the Fussy Cut tool work on the quilt view?
Fussy Cut is intended to position the fabric in the block (on the Block Worktable) before using Export Snapshot. It is not possible for EQ to keep the fabric in a specific position in the block when you put the block into a quilt.
Can I select the fabrics to appear in the Colors & Fabrics palette each time I open EQ?
Gordon Cooper answers this one:
The fabrics that appear with every NEW project are contained in a standard Electric Quilt project file - DEFAULT1.PJ4 found in the RES folder. This file is loaded by EQ4 every time "Create a New Project" is selected. It is quite easy to change the fabrics and/or colors to your own preferences. However we strongly recommend that you save a copy of the default1 file so that things can be restored to normal if required.
- With EQ4 running, Click "Open an Existing Project."
- Click the Box at lower left to "Open a project not listed above."
- With the "Open an Existing Project" window open, Click the Bent Arrow button, to go Up One Level. (This button is to the right of the "Look in" box.) This will give you the list of EQ's folders.
- Double-click on "res" to see the contents of the folder. There should be only one file - default1.
- Click on default1. Then click Open. The default1 Sketchbook will appear on screen. Close the Sketchbook.
- Make a backup copy of this file. Choose FILE - Save As, and name the project defaulteq. There will now be two files in the "res" folder, default1 and defaulteq. Defaulteq is your copy of the original and should not be modified.
- Now you can change default1 with your own preferences. Get fabrics from the Library as described on Page 52 of the EQ4 Design Cookbook.
- Now save the project. Choose FILE - Save As, and keep the name of the project default1. Your own default fabric selection is now saved in the res\default1.pj4 file and will be loaded each time you start a new project.
To restore the original default fabrics.
- Repeat Steps 1 to 4 above. When the "res" folder's contents are shown on screen, there
will be two files "default1" and "defaulteq".
- Select "defaulteq" and bring it into EQ4 as usual. Click File, Save As, and save this project with the name "default1".
When I change colors in my fabrics, how can I find the colors I want quickly?
When you make print fabrics in new colorways (see EQ4 Design Cookbook, page 118) you can save yourself from having to scroll through colors randomly by presorting the color palette. Try this:
- Sort the solid colors, putting only those colors that you want to use in the "Change colorway" up in the front of the palette.
- Right-click a fabric and choose Add Colorway.
- Beneath the right-hand swatch, click the arrow button that shows left-pointing arrow and a bar. This always takes you to black.
- Click the arrow pointing to the right. You now see the first color in the palette -- the first color you sorted. With each forward click, you'll see the next color in the palette. You are starting at the front of the color palette, working your way back. By presorting the colors (step #1), you can find the colors you want without needing to scroll through the entire palette.
Can I get rid of the fabric in the Sketchbook?
Yes. You can delete one or all swatches at once.
- Open your Sketchbook.
- To delete an individual fabric, click on it, then click the Delete button. To delete all fabrics, click the Clear button. These fabrics will be gone only for this project. When you open EQ4 next, the fabrics will be back. But if you open this project, it will not have the fabrics you have deleted.
