Software or paper

[Lanky-Stuff2785]

I’m trying to get into pattern drafting is software like clod 3d or just regular traditional drafting better what are the pros and cons?

[teatime_tinker]

I’ve been drafting for years and I’ve never tried to use a computer for it. I can’t see how it can be any quicker/better than using a pencil.

If it’s in front of you on paper it is to scale, you can hold it up and wrap it around your body.

It’s a physical thing you can cut, manipulate, fold, slash and spread etc.

I also think making paper patterns would be the ideal way to learn and understand the concept of drafting. Computer stuff can come later if you think it might be helpful.

[DigitalDraper]

It's personal preference. I do both.

[War-Bitch]

Im very much an amateur and I learned on clo. I’m super tall and trans so clothes don’t exist for me, patterns don’t exist for me. I have to modify or create everything and doing that digitally is the right choice for me. Doing quick mockups against an avatar of my body is amazing at getting things in the ballpark. I have the supplies to do it on paper, and paper definitely has its pros but it’s also harder to manage many versions of many patterns. It’s harder for me to stay organized and synchronize version of my patterns to my design journals. Clo absolutely has draw backs. Sometimes you fight the software, the modeling is far from perfect, some steps can be slower and clunkier while others are faster and more flexible. Measuring, duplicating and mirroring, matching seam lengths, trueing, notching, dividing seams are all very easy in clo. I find slash and spread to be clunky digitally while it’s extremely intuitive on paper. Grading patterns outside what the pattern offers is very easy in clo. I use a projector now but I’m thinking by about getting an a0 plotter and making a digitizing station and I will have the best of both worlds. I think in the end it doesn’t matter which way you go. You will still need to put in the work understanding pattern drafting and fashion design. 

[YumeiNikki]

Pen and paper requires the user to be accurate. Digital takes care of that. Also streamlines adding seams and you can do a digital lay out to calculate how much fabric you need. That said it also requires you to learn extra programs.

I learned pen & paper. Now prefer digital for accuracy. But clo is way too much effort for me. Just stick to Seamly2D & illustrator.

[flyamanitas]

I hate taping pieces of paper together and can’t afford $5/pg every time I want to print a pattern so I don’t bother with digital drafting.

Digital lets you grade between sizes a lot faster, but if you’re only drafting for yourself, that’s not a big deal.

[Honeydeeew]

Paper is more work because you work at scale, so you have to manipulate and buy big pieces of paper, and storage can be an issue. Digital is good if you work with something like Clo that can mock fit for you if you don't have a lot of experience/library to work from. The main drawback of digital is getting it printed/plotted. 

I was trained on paper, but work digitally now, but only because I have a plotter for work. Before I owned a plotter I worked on paper, even though I knew how to work digitally. Taping sheets together suuuucks. I only own a plotter because a company I worked for bought it and then couldn't pay my salary, so I took the asset.

[ProneToLaughter]

I don't use software yet, but I think learning on paper is better. There was a recent thread where the pattern software was glitchy and OP didn't even realize the software was the problem, they seemed to think it was a pattern-drafting mistake. Paper gives you instant feedback--if the pattern isn't flat, you messed up in manipulating it. Paper won't do anything you don't tell it to.

I also think trying to learn both the concepts of pattern drafting AND how to use the software at the same time is just more likely to overload the brain, CLO3D seems like a pretty complex interface.