How to: Scaling Patterns and Grading Patterns in Adobe Illustrator
Pattern Making in Adobe Illustrator
Scaling patterns is an incredibly useful pattern-making technique that doesn’t lend itself well to traditional pattern making on paper and it’s the focus of today’s pattern making project. The sheer mathematics alone in trying to scale down a basic block or finished pattern are mind-boggling; however, in Adobe Illustrator, it is an incredibly simple, quick, and highly efficient process and something that we should all know how to do.
Why Scale Patterns?
Presentation: Possibly, you want to present or showcase your finished pattern to your peers or a college? Printing off and piecing together a full-scale copy is a waste of paper and a time-consuming process. Instead, the pattern could be scaled down to fit onto an A3 or A4 piece of paper. It’s much quicker, easier, and cost-effective to present!
Specification Packs: A specification pack might benefit from a scaled-down version of the overall pattern. This would give the sample list or factory an overview or quick reference of the garment’s finished pattern. They could check if all pieces are present or which panels match up, etc.
Sewing Patterns: Fabric lay plans are an important way of showing the customer how to lay the patterns on fabric, ensuring the best use of the fabric and minimal wastage. To create these lay plans, the pattern must be scaled down and placed on an A4 page.
Inside the Pattern Making Project
In this project, we demonstrate how to effectively scale down basic blocks, slopers, and finished patterns in Adobe Illustrator, to fit onto any size piece of paper. We cover two different techniques:
- Learn how to scale a basic block or finished pattern up and down by freehand using the free transform tool and by clicking and dragging your mouse cursor to change the scale – so simple yet inaccurate.
- The second technique is far more accurate; it demonstrates how to scale your pattern using percentages. It’s far more accurate but less fun!
Both techniques are extremely useful when resizing your full-scale patterns for presentations, specification packs, and creating material lay plans.
Can I Use Pattern Scaling for Grading Patterns?
We get asked this question a lot! The short answer is NO; you cannot grade your patterns using the scaling method. The reason why is that grading simply doesn’t work that way. However, you can use Adobe Illustrator to grade your patterns, but you first need the knowledge and skills in both grading and Adobe Illustrator. In the latter half of this pattern-making course, we demonstrate the potential technique for grading patterns in Adobe Illustrator. It’s important to mention that we are not pattern graders; we do not have the knowledge to grade patterns in Adobe Illustrator, but we know enough about grading to conceptualise the idea in Adobe Illustrator.
New to pattern making in Adobe Illustrator? Learn the fundamental pattern making techniques with our comprehensive online course. Read more…
Essentials for Following Along
Before we dive in, you’ll need a dress basic block to keep up with this pattern-making project. We offer two types of dress basic blocks for your selection. Standardised basic blocks are ready for immediate use, allowing you to start drafting right away, though they might not match your measurements perfectly. On the other hand, a bespoke basic block, tailored to your specific measurements, offers a precise fit but requires time to create, as we’ll need 28 of your body measurements. Choose the one that best suits your needs!
Standardized Basic Block
Start pattern making immediately
Visit our partner site, DesignLab.London, for a variety of dress basic blocks available in multiple sizes. These serve as an ideal starting point or base pattern for your pattern-making project. Explore the collection, select your preferred style and size, and download it to proceed with your project.
Bespoke Basic Blocks
Craft a personalised basic block designed for your unique measurements
Looking for a tailor-made dress basic block for this project? You’re in the right place. Construct your personalised basic block in the Lab by providing your measurements. Simply create a profile, input your measurements, and utilise this profile to design a range of basic block styles. You’ll need the dress basic block for this project.
What's Next?
You're not done there though! If you want to share it online or print it off at home, you'll need to add seam allowance and transform it into a PDF sewing pattern. Check out the projects below to find out how.
Learn How to Add Seam Allowa nce to Your Patterns
Learn how to add seam allowance, to your basic blocks and finished patterns, in Adobe Illustrator, using our simple pattern making tutorial.
Master Pattern Making Techniques in Adobe Illustrator
Transform Basic Blocks into Precision Finished Patterns
Learn the fundamental techiques of pattern making with our Free comprehensive pattern making in Adobe Illustrator course
Learn How to Create PDF Sewing Patterns
Transform your finished patterns into multi-page PDF sewing patterns in a range of paper sizes. Then
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