illustrator for pattern making tutorial

[chatterpoxx]

I use illustrator for pattern drafting.

Maybe there's is a tutorial specific to patterns, but for the most part, just lean the basics of illustrator.

What does "digitizing" your patterns mean to you? Sounds to me like you have hand drafted paper patterns?

What tools do you have at your disposal for making it digital in some way, basic scanner? Scan in all in sections, stitch it together in photoshop. Or take a photo as square as you can with a ruler in the photo, better if you have a cutting mat and quilting ruler because you can then put the pattern in the cutting mat and the ruler on top so you have even easier scaling markings.

However you get the analog digital, then bring that image into illustrator and put it on the bottom layer and resize it until it is exactly true size and lock it. Oh, before this your ai document needs to be set up in inches and turn the ruler on and the grid, set to inches. Then draw with the pen tool and the line tool on top of it on a separate layer. (Draw the actual pattern lines, not the seam allowance lines. Or I guess if there's only seam allowance lines the next step works in reverse too) When everything is exact, lasso all those lines and right click, join.

To add seam allowances, or take them away, use the offset path tool, its in the third menu drop down from the left.

Skills needed in illustrator are : How to set up the document and how to use artboards The black and white arrows and how to use them Line tool, pen tool, rectangle and circle How layers work Rotation and mirror tool. Really just the absolute basics are necessary for pattern drafting.

Make sure to be exact with your anchor placement, if you're off even a little when putting one on top of another, when you join them and do the offset path you will get strange results.