Coverleaf Magazines (or: How To Get The Newest Issue of Scrapbooks, Etc RIGHT NOW!)

How would you like to get the brand spanking newest issue of Scrapbooks, Etc.? I mean right now, as in this very minute, even if you're still in your pajamas and haven't had your coffee yet? Right now, even though the mailman still hasn't delivered yours (come on, I see the forum posts where everyone says it takes too long to get issues in the mail!)? You say yes? Then let me introduce you to Coverleaf!

I discovered Coverleaf, an online provider of digital issues of traditional print magazines, some time early last year. At the time I loved the idea, but I was less than thrilled with the issue of having to actually be online to read the issues (my frugal traveling self refuses to pay for Delta's wifi in-flight). I received an email a few days ago, though, that Coverleaf had made "upgrades" to the way that magazines are read (and also notification that the newest SBE issue was available), so I decided to check it out. Lo and behold, now there's a way to download a PDF of magazines for offline reading. Hallelujah!

So you say you want to get in on this magic, too? Have no fear, for I shall show you how it's done, and the best part is that if you have a print subscription the digital version is free! Yes, El Freebo!!

So, the first thing you need to do is point your web browser at http://www.coverleaf.com. That will bring up a page that looks like this (please ignore the search I did in the top right hand corner on how to do a screen capture on a Mac...ooops!).

Type "Scrapbooks Etc" in the little search box and click the Search button.

That should bring you to a page full of issues. Scroll down until you see the April 2010 issue (ask me not why they are not in date order on this page, for I do not have the answer). Click on that bad boy...

And you'll get a page that looks like this. Now, this is all well and good, but Coverleaf is only going to let you have a tiny peek at this magazine unless you 1) verify that you already have a print subscription or 2) either buy the single issue or a whole digital subscription (I am totally doing this when my print sub runs out).

So, do you see that big "Click to see purchase options for this magazine" button in the lower left hand corner of the page? Click that sucker...

And you'll be taken to this page. If you look below the main magazine issue display, you'll see three options for purchasing. If you don't have a print subscription, this is where you can buy the issue or a whole year's worth of issues. If you have a print subscription, click on the "FREE" button. That's the button I clicked...

And you're taken to this page. Now, from here you will create an account (if you don't already have one) and enter the name and address from your print subscription. Coverleaf will pretty much instantly verify your digital subscription based on that data. It may require an email confirmation, so just follow the on-screen instructions until the subscription is confirmed.

Once you're done confirming your subscription, come back to the magazine page (either by following the instructions above or by clicking on the "my stuff" tab). You'll see a toolbar across the top of the web page. Click the "print" option and then choose the "print all pages" option in the box that pops up. Then click the "PRINT" button in the box (not on the toolbar).

You'll be taken to this page, or something similar. This is where the instructions will be different for different operating systems, web browsers, and setup options. You may see some sort of a "Save" dialog pop up, like my computer did in the screen below. It may automatically save the PDF somewhere, in which case you'll need to go look in your Downloads folder. Or it may open up an Acrobat Reader window in your web browser. This last option is the slowest and may really slow down your web browser or computer and make you think it's crashed. Most likely it hasn't, you just need to give it a few minutes to finish downloading and rendering all the data before using the "Save As" option in Acrobat Reader.

Congratulations!! You've now saved a digital copy of Scrapbooks, Etc. to your hard drive! You can open it up in Acrobat Reader any time and browse the pages, or you can print it out.

While you're visiting Coverleaf, you might want to have a look around and see if there are any other magazines available that you already have print subscriptions to. I found Better Homes and Gardens as well as Family Circle, and I know that my Mom gets Organic Gardening. There are also some back issues of Country Home available (sigh- I really miss that one).