Scroll down or click on a link below to go to a particular question:
- How do I change account and password information?
- How do I update my credit card information?
- When are bundles released? Do they expire?
- Can I call someone on the phone for help or questions?
- How do I find images & printables to download?
- How do I download a single image?
- What is a zipped file and how do I unzip it?
- Why can’t I open vector (.ai, .eps or .svg) files?
- How do I print a PDF?
- What is a Photoshop brush and how do I use it?
- How do I install a Photoshop brush?
- What software should I get?
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How do I change account and password information?
**CLICK HERE TO view a short video on the log in process**
How do I update my credit card information?
When are bundles released? Do they expire?
New bundles are released each Monday. They do not need to be downloaded immediately. The great thing about the Premium Membership Site is that you can access & download the graphics any time you need them. As long as you have a membership, the site will be available to download images and bundles as you need them.
What is a zipped file and how do I unzip it?
On The Graphics Fairy Members site, you will see the option to download your bundle images and printables in a zipped file (these are blue download buttons at the bottom of an individual bundle’s page). A zip file is a package of files that have been grouped and compressed so they are easier to share and send.
To open the group of files, you must first download the zipped file and then you will unzip (or extract) those files.
On a PC, first click on the download link and save the zipped to your computer (note the location where you saved it). Now navigate to the location where the zipped file is. Double click on the zipped file (it looks like a file folder with a zipper). You can now see the zipped folder’s contents. Click on the option at the top to “Extract all Files”. Windows asks you where you want to save the extracted individual files. Select a file folder and hit “Extract.” You now have all of the individual files on your computer, ready to use in your graphics programs.
Mac Computers have a built in compression support called the Archive Utility. The Archive Utility is located at /System/Library/CoreServices, navigate there to open it. Click on File > Expand Archive. Navigate to the zipped file you want to expand, select the file, and hit Expand.
On a Mac, many people have additional apps to help work with zipped files. This article from About.com has more information for Mac users. WinZip, The Unarchiver, and iZip are popular third party options to help unzip files.
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Why can’t I open vector (.ai, .eps or .svg) files?
Vector files will have the file type extension of .ai, .eps or .svg. In order to use vector files, you must have advanced software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. SVG files are often used in conjunction with paper cutting machine software. Do not worry, the vectors are just another file format we add as a bonus format in some bundles. The same image files are already included in your bundle as .png files, so you’re not missing out.
Vector files are used by design professionals to make large scale projects (think billboards). The program basically redraws the image as you make it bigger, so it does not get blurry when resized for really large projects. Most people that are not professional designers will find the image files (.png, .jpg) are perfect for their needs and will never need to work with vectors.
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How do I print a PDF?
Our printables are saved in the most common PDF format. In order to open & view a PDF, you’ll need a PDF reader (this comes standard in many computers). If you can’t “see” or open the PDF just by clicking on it, try downloading a PDF reader.
If this is your first time downloading a PDF reader, click the link above to download the free Adobe reader. The prompts will have you download an .exe file to your computer. Then navigate to that file and click on it to install the application.
If you are in a bundle page, click on printable you want to print. This brings it up in a new browser. Click the print icon (or save icon).
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What is a Photoshop brush and how do I use it?
In order to use Photoshop brushes, you must have Adobe Photoshop software. Photoshop brushes work like digital stamps that can be added to your images. The brushes are images that, by using the Photoshop brush tool, can be stamped on your digital project. Photoshop brushes are a convenient way to add images you use frequently, and they can still be manipulated (e.g., color, opacity, size). Photoshop brushes are files with the .abr file extension.
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How do I install a Photoshop brush?
In order to use Photoshop brushes, you must have Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements software.
Open your Photoshop program. Make sure the brush tool is selected. You’ll need to click on the brush tool type (at the top) you’re using. A popup menu will appear (this is where you normally select the brush you want to use). To load new brushes, click on the small triangular arrow on the menu, and scroll down and click “Load Brushes.” Note the location that opens. You will need to copy and paste your brush file (.abr file) to this location and click “Load.”
For more details on how to work with Photoshop brushes, visit this tutorial.
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How do find I images & printables to download?
You can find the images and printables on INDIVIDUAL BUNDLE PAGES, which you can access from either the home page, or bundle downloads page. Scroll down to the thumbnails of the printables in that bundle. Click on any thumbnail to bring up the full size PDF in your browser, then choose the download or print button.
You can also view any printables by hovering over the ‘Printables’ button in the menu. Click on a category of printable to bring up thumbnails of all the printables.
Click on the thumbnail of the printable you want to see. The printable will come up in your internet browser as a full size image. Click on the print or download button to print or save the printable.
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How do download a single image?
INDIVIDUAL IMAGES can be downloaded on each INDIVIDUAL BUNDLE PAGE. Browse the image list on the bundle page to find an image you want. Look for a set of corresponding thumbnails at the bottom of the bundle page. Click on the image’s thumbnail to get the full size image, then right click to save the image (the same way you would on The Graphics Fairy site). Note: if you want all the bundle’s images at once, use the blue Image Files download button instead.
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Can I call someone on the phone for help or questions?
We currently do not have a dedicated phone line to handle questions (we are too small). Answers to many questions (membership, how to download, etc.) can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you still are unsure, please use the Contact Us form at the top of each page, and we will respond to you in 24 hours.
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What graphics software should I get?
There are many image editing programs on the market & we get questions about all of them! Although we can’t give specific instructions on how to use all of these programs, we do have a few that we have used directly through the years, or that our users highly recommend, including Photoshop Elements, PicMonkey, Corel PaintShop Pro, and GIMP. We have put together a video {available here} what walks through many of the available options, and helps you determine which software would be best for you. Carefully think about things like what you want to do with the images, how tech savvy you are, and how much time you want to invest in learning a new skill. In the video, we also try to share some other types of software that we are asked about often, that are NOT ideal for those learning image editing.