Has anyone used this site?

[SUP]

I came across a site which offers many free patterns and tutorials. Has anyone tried anything from this site?

@leatherbagpattern3574

A google search will take you to the YouTube site - no individual videos so could not embed here.

I ask because some weeks ago, I downloaded a pattern from Etsy from a seller who has been around for a long time and had very good ratings, but the download damaged my printer settings. Could not get it corrected and had to replace it.  I don't want a repeat with my new printer.

I would appreciate any information on this.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by SUP

[fredk]

I've not used that place you linked to nor will I go to it

Simples; if in doubt do not

There are plenty of other sites with patterns which are more reliable. Sometimes you can even get a pattern on here. And you can adapt any pattern to your own ideas

[MtlBiker]

51 minutes ago, SUP said:

I came across a site which offers many free patterns and tutorials. Has anyone tried anything from this site?

@leatherbagpattern3574

A google search will take you to the YouTube site - no individual videos so could not embed here.

I ask because some weeks ago, I downloaded a pattern from Etsy from a seller who has been around for a long time and had very good ratings, but the download damaged my printer settings. Could not get it corrected and had to replace it.  I don't want a repeat with my new printer.

I would appreciate any information on this.

 

 

I don't understand how that is even possible.  You download a pattern and it either prints or doesn't.  How could it "damage" your printer settings?  I don't even see how it could change your printer settings... you'd have to do that yourself.  And because of this you had to replace your printer? 

Please elaborate!

[fredk]

I'm assuming the pattern carried in a computer virus which upset the printer's software programming. I had a similar problem once but my computer repair chappies simply wiped the old programming and installed it from HP directly. Some repair places don't know how to do this. its just , can't be fixed, buy new, we have one over there at $$' (me being cynical, btw)

[Chakotay]

Etsy is my go-to for leather patterns.

If you have a bit more to spend and don't mind the wait, there's Babylon Leather. It's an overseas outfit that sells physical patterns in either acrylic or cardboard. Huge selection of bag/satchel patterns and I've purchased several times from them.

[SUP]

@MtlBiker like @fredk said, I suspect there was a computer virus. Luckily it was an old printer so don't mind too much replacing it. I did not bother to take it to a repair place, too old for all that. So asked around, checked with techie acquaintances and then  just replaced.

I know it was that download because just prior to that, I had downloaded and printed a dieselpunk.ro pattern which was fine. Then this pattern and suddenly everything went wonky. 

@Chakotay I will try that. Better to wait for a physical pattern than get such problems. This was directed from Etsy though.

But I have bought and downloaded other patterns from Etsy  and not had any problem. I am going to remain wary of free patterns though. Not getting anything from that site. 

I would like to make my own patterns and am at the point where I am able add my own details to the patterns I buy. I hope to make my own pattern soon, I have some ideas and the leather for it as well.

Thank you all, for your guidance and suggestions.

[Burkhardt]

12 hours ago, SUP said:

I came across a site which offers many free patterns and tutorials. Has anyone tried anything from this site?

@leatherbagpattern3574

A google search will take you to the YouTube site - no individual videos so could not embed here.

I ask because some weeks ago, I downloaded a pattern from Etsy from a seller who has been around for a long time and had very good ratings, but the download damaged my printer settings. Could not get it corrected and had to replace it.  I don't want a repeat with my new printer.

I would appreciate any information on this.

 

 

The download takes you to a video review of the actual pattern that is sold on Etsy

[toxo]

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

[SUP]

@BurkhardtYes I got it from Etsy. 

@toxo I was wondering about that too. Other seller give a couple of free patterns too but only a few and very simple ones. This site gives many of them, of larger more difficult projects and  I wondered if there is a catch.

 

[MtlBiker]

@SUP - I've been thinking about the experience you reported for a few days and the possibility of that happening worried me as everyone in my company and myself included often downloads files from the web and prints them.  Those could be text files, graphics, PDFs, etc.  So I asked questions about this on a couple of the computer tech sites I frequent.  The overwhelming majority of replies insist this couldn't happen, but here are some of the comments...

"You can theoretically give a printer a virus by altering its firmware but it is highly doubtful a file that is sent to the printer would do that. It is called firmware for a reason and there are mechanisms built it to prevent anything from changing it."

"No, this is the same hocus pocus logic that JayzTwoCents used in claiming that NewWorld was killing graphics cards. Imagine how widespread fatal malware would be if such a thing was actually possible. Hardware is either built well or it isn’t. End of story."

"Technically absolutely. But did it happen? VEEEEERRRYYYYY low chance. More likely the printer just happened to die during that print due to some hardware issue.  So, in theory, a badly written printer firmware could screw up and destroy itself (or the settings). After all, settings can obviously be written to, same goes for firmware on most modern devices. The chance that the manufacturer has such a bad bug in their firmware that straight up kills the printer by writing garbage are, as they say, low, but never zero."

I have a sandboxed computer and printer that's not on my network and I'd love to try that file.  Would you share the details of exactly where/how to find that file?

[fredk]

Well, it happened to me, twice. The last time was in March this year. My computer repair chappie traced the virus to an attachment to a PDF file. When that was sent to the printer it changed the printer settings and disabled it. It was a simple fix for him; clean out the printer and re-install the drivers or whatever direct from HP. And delete that PDF

[SUP]

@MtlBiker It does happen. I have heard of it happening which is why I am usually careful with downloads. This one slipped through. I will try to remember where  found that pattern. I promptly deleted it so will need to search for it.

The thing is, I would have thought my old printer just broke down but in between 2 printing jobs, and not within one? The dieselpunk.ro one had 44 pages printed, in Poster format! They all printed perfectly and then this one, a couple of pages, were all out of kilter. Too much of a co-incidence to be a sudden printer failure, I think.

 @fredk you were lucky to find repair people who knew what to do. I thought that would be the solution too.

@MtlBiker I will look for that pattern and send you the link if I find it.

Anyway, I got a nice new printer.

[chuck123wapati]

57 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

@SUP - I've been thinking about the experience you reported for a few days and the possibility of that happening worried me as everyone in my company and myself included often downloads files from the web and prints them.  Those could be text files, graphics, PDFs, etc.  So I asked questions about this on a couple of the computer tech sites I frequent.  The overwhelming majority of replies insist this couldn't happen, but here are some of the comments...

"You can theoretically give a printer a virus by altering its firmware but it is highly doubtful a file that is sent to the printer would do that. It is called firmware for a reason and there are mechanisms built it to prevent anything from changing it."

"No, this is the same hocus pocus logic that JayzTwoCents used in claiming that NewWorld was killing graphics cards. Imagine how widespread fatal malware would be if such a thing was actually possible. Hardware is either built well or it isn’t. End of story."

"Technically absolutely. But did it happen? VEEEEERRRYYYYY low chance. More likely the printer just happened to die during that print due to some hardware issue.  So, in theory, a badly written printer firmware could screw up and destroy itself (or the settings). After all, settings can obviously be written to, same goes for firmware on most modern devices. The chance that the manufacturer has such a bad bug in their firmware that straight up kills the printer by writing garbage are, as they say, low, but never zero."

I have a sandboxed computer and printer that's not on my network and I'd love to try that file.  Would you share the details of exactly where/how to find that file?

anything hooked to the net can get hacked.

https://www.poweradmin.com/blog/how-to-keep-malware-out-of-your-printers/

https://cybernews.com/security/we-hacked-28000-unsecured-printers-to-raise-awareness-of-printer-security-issues/

 

[Northmount]

I have a 400 page book on printer programming.  Not all commands work for all breeds of printers.  That can be a problem, especially if it hit default settings.  And yes, you can change the printer's defaults so when you shut it off and restart it, the defaults don't return to your previous settings.

Spammers are embedding malicious code in container, archive, or compressed media files that supposedly contain something you want to open or install.  PDFs, MSI, etc.  If you receive emails that have container files attached, be very careful.  Make sure they are from a reliable source. 

There are other safer and more reliable ways of transferring large files.

 

[SUP]

@MtlBiker  not finding that pattern. I know it was some sort of bookmark. But when I search, there are so many, I am at a loss.

@Northmount exactly. Spammers and hackers have so many ways of causing harm!  I never download anything from emails that I receive. and I check the raw message to see where most emails arrive from as well. Hackers are so good these days that they can create very authentic looking emails and logos of well known companies, banks for example. 

This was something that I was not even looking for.. a bookmark that looked like a fun thing. Now when I look for it to send  @MtlBiker the link, I cannot find it.

The default damage happened to one of my earlier printers a long time ago, maybe 10-12 years - that I could reset. Simpler world then, I guess and easier solutions.

[Wepster]

A bit off topic, but years ago I was trying to print something for a friend, my HP inkjet was not behaving correctly. Spent close to two hours on the phone with HP tech support. For my situation, windows (think it was 98) had a font that screwed up the printer. Was not even a font that was being used, just an obscure font tucked away. Deleted the font, and the printer was fine. Very strange.

[SUP]

@Wepster Wow. The thing is, everything is code written by people. So depending on how that is written and co-relates to everything else,  systems work, or they don't. I was in tech myself as is my husband, and sometimes, seeing how there is such a 'will do' attitude to the code being written or being passed for release, I have nightmares. Everything seems to be held together with a lick and a promise. Add to that the increasing number of hackers and spammers worldwide. 

This AI craze is crazy as well. AI is as good as the code written by humans - who are fallible.  Too much science fiction, too little common sense. As dumb as those google glasses a decade ago. 

Sorry..one of my hobby horses. Off it now.

[Wepster]

1 hour ago, SUP said:

@Wepster Wow. The thing is, everything is code written by people. So depending on how that is written and co-relates to everything else,  systems work, or they don't. I was in tech myself as is my husband, and sometimes, seeing how there is such a 'will do' attitude to the code being written or being passed for release, I have nightmares. Everything seems to be held together with a lick and a promise. Add to that the increasing number of hackers and spammers worldwide. 

This AI craze is crazy as well. AI is as good as the code written by humans - who are fallible.  Too much science fiction, too little common sense. As dumb as those google glasses a decade ago. 

Sorry..one of my hobby horses. Off it now.

"The flapping of the wings of a butterfly can be felt on the other side of the world."

"For want of a nail..."

It seems humanity has long felt the inter-relatedness, and how tiny things can have large results.

[SUP]

@Wepster very true.

[DwightT]

FWIW: Before I retired I worked on printer firmware, specifically in the code for downloading and installing new firmware for an update.  Obviously I can't say anything for older printers or for printers from other manufacturers, but as MtlBiker noted for newer printers at least it would be very unlikely that a virus embedded in a PDF file could cause damage to the printer.  Any downloads that would change printer firmware or configuration settings must be in a very specific stand-alone format (not part of a valid print job), and must have a valid digital signature that verifies that it came from the manufacturer.  The keys used to sign that download are closely held by very few people in the company, so it is very unlikely that a download would be accepted by the printer unless it really was from the manufacturer.

So in short, while there is always a minuscule chance that a print job could contain a virus that could damage a printer, it would be so unlikely to have an impact on newer printers that I wouldn't worry about it.  On the other hand, if anybody does happen to encounter such a print file, I would love to get a copy so that I could pass it on to my colleagues at my old employer.

    /dwight

[SUP]

@DwightT, I'm afraid I have to disagree. We are techies too, for over 4 decades, continuously from development to QA. So have some knowledge.

Several people I know agree with me as well, that this is possible and several have experienced it. Personal experience trumps theory, I believe!  Sorry no offense intended but so many here say that people tell them it is not possible while we know it is and and have experienced it!

I did not bother to try to get my printer repaired because it was an old one but if I had, I would have probably been told the same thing that @fredk was told, that it is possible and the same action would have been taken, of uninstalling and re-installing the printer drivers, after a complete, in-depth virus check.

FYI for all, pdf files are considered to be some of the most vulnerable for attaching hidden malware. The creator of the pdf document might not even intend to infect other computers but if the sender's computer is compromised in any way, then unbeknownst to the sender, malware could get attached and sent. 

There are so many ways to infect and spread viruses and new ones are coming up each day. People saying it is not possible is the same as scientists saying  in 2007 that  "sea levels will not go up more than 1 inch by 2050 and there is no real danger due to global warming until at least the  late part of this century!!" 

@DwightT, I respect your experience but remember, there are plenty of printer companies and thousands of hackers with the singular aim of  bypassing security, many of them school children who want to be 'discovered'. Personal experience from a boy in my daughter's school. 

As far as I am concerned, I  have always been and always will be wary of any downloads, even from reputable sites. Better safe than sorry.

 

[DwightT]

I didn't say that it wasn't possible.  I said that on newer printers from the company that I worked for, it would be highly unlikely.  I explicitly said that I can't speak for older printers or for printers from other manufacturers.  Vulnerabilities that existed in older printers are actually the reason why I spent several years with the team that was working on hardening our printers to prevent those exploits.  Even now though we don't say that it would be absolutely impossible to hack into the printer's firmware.  But it would be extremely difficult and highly unlikely.

Hacking into a printer driver (the code that runs on the user's PC to format a job for the printer) is another matter.  That code is somewhat at the mercy of the host OS when it comes to security so depending on the OS it could be easier to corrupt a driver.  I only worked on the printer FW though, so I really can't say much about that.

It's always good to be wary of downloads from any site.  But as far as a download print file being able to corrupt the FW on a newer printer with up-to-date code, I'm not going to be too concerned.

    /dwight