programs

[heavykevy]

I was just wondering if there are any free programs or programs to try before you buy on making patterns.

Thank you
Kevin

[PiALaModem]

I assume you mean making patterns from photos. Sounds like most people, like me, use a general-purpose graphics program and manipulate the contrast and brightness and maybe use a program-defined filter. You probably have one or more of these if you ever bought a scanner or a digital camera, or even just a computer. Adobe Photo Deluxe is one that I know I got two or three times with various hardware purchases. Many people use that one. I've used it, too, and it works well, though now I like to use Adobe Photoshop Elements, which I paid for.

If you're like most people, you probably have dozens of programs that came with your computer with no explanation and that you've never tried. Poke around your Program Files (or use the Start Menu->Programs) or your Applications if you're on a Mac, and see if any titles sound graphics-y. Don't be afraid to click away and poke around.

One thing to try is GIMP, a freeware Graphic Image Manipulation Program that's associated with GNU. You can download it at http://www.gimp.org/ I present no warranties as I've done little more with it than to start it up and look.

[CanadianScroller]

Software I have found

There are lots of shareware freeware programs, depending what you want to do.

Connected lines allows you to trace over a picture.
AlgoLab's Photo Vector is a great program that will convert photos into lines that can be manipulated.
Serif has several programs that are free. I have used the draw program to trace over photos like the connected lines principle. They also let you manipulate photos with PhotoPlus
I use the full version of the Desktop Publishing software to creat word art.
Rapid Resizer is a program designed for designing patterns from bmp and jpg line art.
Alchemy Mindworks has software to manipulate and covert almost any format to another format. There is even a trace function for JPG.

Not shareware but not expensive is Me on Pumpkin an automated program that posterizes a portrait

Hope this helps