Many of the puzzles we will discuss in class must be printed out from files available via links in this website.  You can download the documents and print them on your home printer if you have one, or you can email the puzzle files to FedEx for printing and pickup.  Alternatively, you could email the files to your young friends and let them print them.  Specific directions for these options are given below, but feel free to email Brack at brackerw@gmail.com if you have questions or problems.

Downloading Files.  In the different sections of this website, there are links for downloading files to your computer. The lettering of links will be in a different color than the rest of the text, like this.     If you click once on a link, it will open a new browser window that will show a document (or a new page in this website, or a page from another website on the world wide web).  If the page shows a document, it can be downloaded to your computer by clicking on the download icon (see below)

Sometimes your computer is configured so that, when you click to download a file, it asks you where you’d like to put the file. But often it just downloads automatically, so, naturally, you want to know “Where did it go?” Generally it goes to a folder called “Downloads” - here are instructions for finding files you have downloaded if you have a PC or if you have a Mac

Printing.  Most of the files provided for this class are in pdf format and can be downloaded and immediately printed on any home printer.  Some files, which can be personalized through editing, are in Word format (.doc or .docx) or in rich text format (.rtf) and can also be downloaded and printed easily on a home printer.  If you do not have a printer, all of these files can be emailed to a commercial printshop (like FedEx) for printing and pickup, or can even be delived to a specified address.

Two-sided printing:  Some of the puzzles here (like the flexagons) need to be printed on both sides of a single sheet of paper – and the images on the front and back need to be aligned as precisely as possible.  You can do this on a home printer.  Some home printers can print both sides automatically (you’ll have to consult your instructions or manual to find out how to do this with your model printer).  Or, you can first print on one side of a sheet of paper, then re-insert the same sheet into the paper tray - in the proper orientation - and then print the second side.  Depending on your patience and temperament, this process can be either a) a puzzle you enjoy solving (see ** below), or b) a big pain in the neck.  If you chose b), then you should consider using a printing service like FedEx, which can take care of this for you.

**A tip for two-sided printing at home:  The tricky part happens after you’ve printed the first side when you have to put the sheet back into the paper tray in the correct orientation so that it prints correctly onto the second side of the paper.  To figure out how to do this, take a blank sheet of paper and write in pencil on the bottom (“footer”) something like “bottom, closest to the front of the printer” – then insert into the paper tray and print the first side.  When the printed sheet emerges, look to see the relationship between the location of your hand-written “footer” and the side and orientation of the printed page….understanding this will allow you to re-insert the paper so that the two images are printed on opposite sides and in the correct orientations….try it!

Specific instructions for FedEx printing: You can locate a FedEx store near you (or near your eventual recipient) by searching at https://local.fedex.com/en-us/.  The usual procedure is for you to pick the printed documents up in person, but during these COVID times, it seems to be possible to phone the FedEx location that will print your documents and ask them to mail the printed sheets to your home or another specified address.  (This may depend on who answers the phone!)

To email a document to FedEx for printing, you first need to create a (free) FedEx account. Navigate to https://www.fedex.com/en-us/create-account.html which will look like this:

Once you have your user ID and are ready to print some documents, go here: https://www.fedex.com/apps/printonline/#! and sign in from the menu bar at the top:

The FedEx site will prompt you for your documents and other info. Voilà!