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Digital files are often much, much cheaper on Etsy than buying their physical item counterparts. Plus, when you buy a digital file, you can finetune it to the exact size you want for your own wall. And once it’s printed, you can also choose the exact framing and matting combination you want.

Now, the details:

You were on Etsy or an artist’s website, and you fell in love with an image. Perfect for your wall, but you’re not sure how the whole printing thing works.

Not to worry! Lots of people use printable downloads every day for party decorations, invites, or coloring pages for kids (using their own home printer, if they have one), or for higher quality prestige printing for smashing wall art. The following is a list of steps for accessing your digital downloads, and how to turn them into art you’ll be proud to see on your wall.

So, what’s a digital download, or ‘printable’? It’s not a physical object; it’s an image file, in the form of 1s and 0s, saved on your computer or a thumbdrive. You bought it, you keep it, and you can always print it, as many times as you like. You can copy the file to two or three locations, so you don’t lose it.

Digital downloads come in various formats, including PDF, JPG, PNG, SVG, EPS, and more. Each type of file depends on what you need to use it for and how you are going to print it. Printing services will specify which formats they need.

Etsy places the file to your account in the orders section and you can download it on a desktop. They’ll also send you an email with a link to it.

Or, log into your account and click on “Purchases and Reviews.” Find the button that says “Download Files”. If you run into troubles, there’s a Help page. (Remember, you can’t access your digital download file through the mobile Etsy app.)

Now that it’s downloaded, you can open your file, just to check whether you have the right image at the right size. You’ll need to use the right software.

.bmp (Microsoft Windows Photos, Apple Preview or Apple Photos, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW)
.doc (Microsoft Word)
.gif (Microsoft Windows Photos, Apple Preview or Apple Photos, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW)
.jpeg (Microsoft Windows Photos, Apple Preview or Apple Photos, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW)
.jpg (Microsoft Windows Photos, Apple Preview or Apple Photos, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW)
.mobi (Calibre, Stanza, Sumatra PDF, Mobi File Reader, popular eReaders)
.mov (QuickTime, iTunes)
.mp3 (Windows Media Player or iTunes)
.mpeg (Windows Media Player, QuickTime)
.pdf (Adobe Acrobat Reader, Most Internet Browsers)
.png (Microsoft Windows Photos, Apple Preview or Apple Photos, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW)
.psp (Corel PaintShop Pro, Adobe Photoshop, ACD Systems Canvas)
.rtf (Microsoft Word, WordPad)
.stl (AutoDesk Viewer, Microsoft 3D Viewer, Microsoft Print 3D, ShareCAD)
.txt (Windows NotePad, TextEdit on Mac)
.zip (Usually, you can unzip a .zip file with any computer.)
.ePUB (Various eReaders)
.iBook (Internet browser or Apple iBooks)

You can print image files on home printers. This is great for low-resolution art up to 8.5” x 11”, like recipes, or sewing instructions. The downside here is that the print will only be as good as the printer itself. For larger wall art, the best move is to take your file to a professional printshop.

This can be done online, or it can be done in person. Local Walgreens and Costcos are often quite good. You can upload your saved image file to them using their official website, and just pick up your image, printed the size you specify, on the paper you choose, the next time you’re in the neighborhood. There are also online choices like Shutterfly or Vistaprint, who will ship you your prints in the mail.

You’ve got your print, and you love it. But it’s just a big piece of paper right now; what about framing? One easy option is to select a standard sized frame, mat and glass available at the local stores or mall shops, and insert your new print yourself. Or maybe your print deserves first-cabin treatment, and you’ll want to check out the local frame shop for the right frame, matting and glass. Either way, totally legit. Then just hang it on the wall, and enjoy.

And that’s the whole process. Before you buy a digital download, you should check a couple of things:

- Be sure you have the software you’ll need to open the download at home, or be sure you know where online to find a site that will open the image (such as Photopea.com, for opening a layered .psd file, if you don’t happen to have Photoshop on your own machine).

- Be sure you understand the optimum print size of the download and its aspect ratio. Artists generally will inform you that their image will look best at a certain size, say, 24” x 18”. Printing it larger will seem overblown, with visible pixellation; printing it smaller will cause it to lose detail.

In other words, make sure the digital download fits your needs before you buy.

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Tags: collage abstract art modernart digital download etsy midcentury kolaj homedecor interiordesign design