Jigsaw Puzzles from
Puzzles on Parade
If you are feeling a little puzzled we have selected a few
topics for you in order to pass on a selection of hints and tips
on how to improve your enjoyment of this wonderful hobby.
Which jigsaw puzzle for you
There are several types of jigsaw
puzzle such as small, large, 3D, "mystery"
etc. not to mention the almost infinite number of picture subjects.
If this is your first puzzle or you want an easy challenge then
you should choose a picture that has distinct areas of colour.
This makes it easier to find the patterns. Drawings or photographs
with clear lines (for instance objects such as cars and trains
or buildings) are far easier to work out than paintings which
often have blurred brush strokes. This means that objects are
less well defined and not as easy to separate. First timers may
wish to go for a jigsaw puzzle with a low number if pieces, i.e.
500 or 1,000. As more experience is gained then move up to larger
puzzles with more pieces (2,000 and 5,000 for example) and less
clear images. Some of the Thomas Kinkade range such as country
cottages are examples of the more difficult "blurred effect"
jigsaw puzzles.For the real experts new ranges of jigsaw puzzles
such as Wasgij or Puzzle Ball have brought a whole new challenge
to the art of puzzling. Puzzle Ball gives a 3-D slant on the
otherwise flat landscape of puzzles. Wasgij is among the various
puzzle types which offer the puzzler little or no help from the
picture on the box. These are difficult in fact in the
same league as the "impossipuzzles" which offer pictures
of repeat shapes such as smarties, baked beans, etc.
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Starting your jigsaw puzzle.
The most common way of starting for most people is with the
edges. Firstly separate all the pieces with straight edges
the border pieces, finding the 4 corner pieces in the process.
Then sort these pieces into different colours such as sky,
grass etc. Now assemble the whole of the outer edge of your jigsaw
puzzle. If you cannot finish this task because an elusive straight
piece has not been found (it is amazing how what you would thing
is an obvious piece can be so difficult to find usually
a small piece) it is probably best to leave this for now, as
it will turn up sooner or later.
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The different shapes of jigsaw puzzle pieces
Most jigsaw puzzles are made up of a mix of some basic shapes
oblong and square, which are commonly used in puzzle manufacture.
We have shown below some of the more common types of pieces.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 0 knobs 4 holes |
1 knobs 3 holes |
2 knobs 2 holes adjacent |
2 knobs 2 holes opposite |
3 knobs 1 holes |
4 knobs 0 holes |
These are the most common types of puzzle piece, and will
probably form the bulk of your jigsaw puzzle. The main shape
of the body is a definite square or oblong. Some puzzles have
only square pieces but most are a mix of shapes. Puzzle pieces
are locked together by their holes and knobs and the number of
each will vary within the pieces of your jigsaw puzzle. It will
pay to look for the various distinguishing features, especially
when you are trying to match difficult pieces, for example those
of a similar colour like skies. Some key "styles" to
look for are:" The shape of the knob or the hole. Obviously
for every hole there must be a correspondingly shaped knob. "
The position of the knobs and holes along the side will also
vary. " Are the sides straight or sloping and what are the
" The shape, size and angle of the corner of each piece.
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Assembling your jigsaw puzzle
Once the "frame" is created you can start on the
rest of your jigsaw puzzle. It always helps if you can see things.
Spread your pieces out face up so that you can see
them all. You can use the box for this, or steal the trays from
the kitchen for extra space. Both of these will allow you to
"stir" the pieces to find what you want. Depending
on the picture, it often helps to sort the pieces into different
colours or shades. Most pictures can be split into different
areas of colours so doing this almost allows you to do several
puzzles within a puzzle. If there are different objects in the
picture concentrate on those first because this allows you quickly
to start making good headway. Once the jigsaw puzzle starts to
grow it is useful to start connecting across and vertically to
the edges. This will give you a much better spatial awareness
of your puzzle and the relative positions of the different areas
and objects.
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Solving Specific Problems
If, towards the end of assembing your jigsaw puzzle you are
struggling to fit a single puzzle piece or a range of them then
it may help to line them up in shape order. Split them up into
0 hole, 1 hole, 2 hole, 3 hole and 4 hole pieces. Then line them
up the same way around. Now you can see what fits a bit more
clearly. You can then work through the different "types"
one by one in a logical sequence rather than the normal
random selection process.Not sure if a particular piece fits.
Often jigsaw puzzle pieces are very similar in shape and size,
and what appears to fit in a particular hole may not "feel
right". A good way of confirming the "fit" is
to turn the pieces over and look at them from the back. This
way it is easier to see if they fit or not without being
influenced by colour or pattern.
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Your Tips
If you have a tip or tips that you would like to share with
your fellow puzzlers please send it to us and (if we agree with
it) we will add it to this feature.Please e-mail to:
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Friendly Staff
Professional Service
Puzzles on Parade
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Telephone: 020 8295 0688 Fax: 020 8295 1061
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Email: contact@puzzlesonparade.co.uk
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