Tool Tip Tuesday

The Zoom Tools Zoom In Use this tool to magnify a section of the quilt or block. 1. Position the mouse cursor at the top-left of the area you want to magnify. 2. Click, hold and drag to make a box surrounding the area. 3. Release the mouse. The zoomed area will be displayed. This is especially helpful when drawing a block. Zoom in to make sure the block’s lines are connecting. Zoom Out Click this tool to return your view to the previous level of magnification. Continue clicking to zoom out further. If you have zoomed in multiple times, you can click this button multiple times, zooming  out with each click. Refresh Use this tool to redraw the entire screen at the current magnification level. This action does not change the magnification level. It simply “cleans up” your screen of any remnant “screen garbage”. Fit to Worktable Click this

 Print Use this tool to display a menu of printing options. To print any of the following you must first be on the correct worktable, then click the Print button to view the menu: Quilt image = Quilt worktable Fabric yardage = Quilt worktable Block image or pattern = Block worktable Multiple photos on one page = Any worktable Photo that’ set on a quilt = Quilt worktable To print a block pattern, or any other set on the quilt (Quilt worktable): 1. Click the Select tool. 2. Click the Layer the item has been set on. 3. Click the block, text, photo embroidery, or stencil to select it. 4. Click the Print button to display the menu. 5. Click to choose the type of pattern you want to print. Printing from the Quilt worktable gives you the option to Use size from quilt. This is very beneficial when you

Clipping Blocks The selected block can be clipped  either to the center layout’s edge, the quilt edge or blocks can hang over the quilt’s outer border. Do Not Clip  Let a block hang over the quilt’s outer border by clicking this tool. Clip to Border of Quilt  Clip a block at the quilt’s outer border by clicking this tool Clip to Center Rectangle of Quilt  Clip a block at the quilt’s center layout edge by clicking this tool. The Clip tools are found on the Graph Pad. They are useful for clipping blocks on Layer 2, on Layer 3, or in a Custom Set layout. You can choose to clip to the center layout’s edge, the outer border edge, or let blocks hang beyond the border edge. Use the Adjust   tool to select the block you want to clip. To display or hide the Graph Pad, choose Graph Pad from

The Watch a Video Tool Use this to display a menu of help videos available for EQ7. To play a video click the video title you would like to watch. The videos are a great place to start if you’re a beginner but they also include information for more seasoned users. • If you’d like a reminder of this and other tools in EQ7, check out the  Display Dynamic Help tool. • To print this: Click the title (Tool Tip Tuesday! -  The Watch a Video Tool) and then print as normal.

  The WreathMaker Use the Pick  tool to select one or more patches for the Wreath. Right-click on the worktable and choose WreathMaker… Specify the number of clusters for the Wreath, from 3 to 20. Enter a value from 0% to 100% for the spacing of the clusters. Wreaths are automatically centered. A value of 0% represents no spacing. This means the lower center point of the select box rotates around the center point of the design. A value of 100% pushes the clusters as far to the outside edge of the design as possible. This may require the cluster to be made smaller. Enter a value for resizing the cluster. Note that the maximum value for resize changes based on the size of the original selection. If the original selection is small, the maximum resize is 300%. If the original selection is large, the maximum value will vary. On

The Eyedropper Tool Use this tool to find a fabric you’ve already used in a quilt. 1. Click a fabric in the quilt on the worktable. 2. The fabric is now “found” and and selected in the palette. However, more options are available for the Eyedropper tool in the Graph Pad. You can not only find fabrics used in quilts, but you can also find colors and blocks. The Eyedropper options will display on the Graph Pad when you have the Eyedropper tool selected on the toolbar. (If you do not see the Graph Pad, it can be turned on by clicking VIEW on the top menu and making sure there is a check mark next to Graph Pad.)   Find existing fabric or color: Click on a fabric and it finds the fabric in the palette. Click on a color and it finds the color in the palette. Click

 The Swath Tool The Swath Tool draws a pre-defined, stylized stroke surrounding a segment. This segment or “spine” of the stroke can be edited and shaped like any curve or line segment. The stroke or “hull” surrounding the spine can have varying widths and end styles. 1. Click Worktable > Work on Block. 2. Click Block > New Block > PatchDraw Motif. You may not see the the Swath tool on your screen. If not, here is how to get it: Click the Customize Toolbar    tool on the left side of your screen. Click Add/Remove Buttons… Choose Swath tool from the list. 3. Click the Swath Tool 4. Position your mouse cursor on the worktable where you want the line to begin. 5. Click, hold and drag to draw your stroke. The “spine” of your patch will draw in blue. 6. Release the mouse to finish your line. Two lines appear