Print from Knitty!

Note: I actually created a better way to do this via a greasemonkey script - I talk about it in this entry. I’d recommend using that method, but the CSS method also works well, if you don’t care about printing with images.

Okay, this is total geekery, and you probably will need to be fairly comfortable with web technology to get this to work.

But, I created a style sheet that will allow you to print out knitty.com patterns without causing extreme pain to yourself and loved ones. Or without killing multiple trees. Mainly, it removes all images and only leaves the text and enough formating to print out reasonably correctly.

In order for my Fabulous Knitty Printing System to work, you must:

• Be a Firefox 1.5 user. It may work with earlier versions of Firefox, but I only tested this with 1.5. As far as I know, this will not work with Internet Explorer. I only tested this on Windows XP.
• Install Chris Pederick’s Web Developer’s Toolbar, which is an extension for Firefox.
• Download the Knitty Print Without Killing Loved Ones stylesheet. Just right click on the link and choose to save the stylesheet to your hard drive.

Once you have Firefox and the Web Developer’s Toolbar installed, navigate to the knitty pattern you wish to print. On your Firefox toolbar, you should see a list of new button, one of which includes CSS with a drop down. Click on it, and select Add User Style Sheet. Browse to where you saved the stylesheet you downloaded, and select it. You’ll see the page change to a basic one. Then print normally. You may end up with an extra page at the end, but its better than 18 pages of unreadable crap, isn’t it?

Please note that you may get unexpected results if you use Print Preview, and then Print. Why? I have no idea. Also, I am not a web developer by any stretch of the imagination. I have no idea what I’m doing - this was just me stabbing in the dark until I found something that worked. I mainly picked everything up from this article.

Someone who knew what they were doing could do much better, and knitty.com itself could actually create their own style sheet that did the same thing, but was built into the site. The disadvantage of my system is that if knitty changes how they code their pattern pages, my stylesheet can break. Also, you won’t get any images using my stylesheet, which can be a bad thing if you need a schematic. But, you can always print those out separately by right clicking on an image and choosing view image. Then, print out the image from its own window.

Let me know if you have any problems, but I don’t promise excessive handholding, unless I’m in the mood to be helpful. I handhold all day at work, and sometimes my palms get chapped.