Skip to main content
Import PDF Tool Icon

Import PDF Tool

What it Does​

Places a PDF from your computer in the workspace so you can trace over it. A PDF is a document file, such as a pattern you downloaded or a full size scan of a pattern piece. The page is a reference only. It does not print.

Use this when your pattern is a PDF. Only the first page is brought in. The tool shows it at the page's original size, so a page that is 20 inches wide on paper is 20 inches wide in the workspace. The page is placed in the top left corner of the workspace.

The page is placed on a layer named Images. A layer is like a sheet of tracing paper, and you can hide or fade it with the Layer Visibility Tool or the Layer Opacity Tool. If the size is wrong, for example because the PDF was printed scaled, use the Scale Image Tool. To move it, use the Drag Image Tool.

For pictures such as photos, use the Import Image Tool.

How to Use​

  1. Activate the tool by clicking the Import PDF icon
  2. Select Select PDF File. A window opens so you can browse your computer
  3. Choose a PDF file. Wait a moment, because large files take time to load. The first page appears in the workspace
  4. Select Save to keep the PDF, or Cancel to remove it
warning

If the file window does not open, your browser security settings may be blocking it. Check your browser's file permissions. If the PDF cannot be read, a message starting with "Error loading PDF" appears.

info

The page is stored in your browser's database when you save the draft, so large PDFs work. It comes back when you open the draft again. PDFs are not included in Backup Data. After restoring a backup, use the Link Image Tool to connect the page to a file again. Link Image only accepts picture files (.png, .jpeg, .jpg), so you would need to save the PDF page as a picture first.

🧠Memorization

Images and PDF layers are not memorized.