Printing guide
How to print and assemble your pattern
Every download contains the same pattern in five files: A4 and Letter sheets for a home printer, A0 for a copy shop, and two projector layouts. Home printing is the cheapest route and the one that goes wrong most often, almost always for the same reason: the printer quietly rescaled the page. These five steps take about ten minutes and make that impossible.
Five steps from PDF to a taped pattern
- 01
Print at 100%, never «fit to page»
In the print dialog set scale to 100% or «actual size» and turn off any fit, shrink or auto-rotate option. This one setting causes nearly every pattern that comes out the wrong size. Print a single test page first, not the whole file.
- 02
Measure the test square
The first page carries a square with its size printed next to it. Measure it with a ruler before you print the rest. If it is off by more than a millimeter or two, fix the scale setting and print that page again.
- 03
Trim two edges, not four
Each sheet has a dotted trim line. Cut only the right and bottom edges of every sheet, then lay the untrimmed left and top edges under the neighboring sheet. Trimming all four sides removes the overlap you need for alignment.
- 04
Line up the match marks
Sheets carry row and column labels and small marks on the borders. Lay them out row by row, slide each sheet until its marks meet the ones on the sheet before it. The 10 mm overlap gives you room to correct as you go.
- 05
Tape rows first, then join the rows
Tape each row into a long strip, check the lines still run straight across the joins, then tape the strips together. Cut out the pieces only when the whole sheet is assembled: the outlines cross sheet borders.
How many sheets to expect
After the printer margins and the 10 mm overlap, each A4 sheet carries 18 × 26.7 cm of pattern. The table shows the largest single piece in every category and the sheets that go under it. Small pieces share sheets, so a whole pattern usually needs fewer sheets than its piece count suggests.
| Category | Largest piece | A4 sheets under it |
|---|---|---|
| Dresses | Front33.6 × 110 cm | 10 (2 × 5) |
| Tops & shirts | Sleeve40.2 × 61 cm | 9 (3 × 3) |
| Pants & skirts | Skirt panel77.6 × 77.6 cm | 15 (5 × 3) |
| Comfort / athleisure | Back47.4 × 155 cm | 18 (3 × 6) |
| Outerwear | Front Coat40.4 × 112.1 cm | 15 (3 × 5) |
| Kids | Back40.5 × 110 cm | 15 (3 × 5) |
| Underwear & corsets | Front body25 × 76.8 cm | 6 (2 × 3) |
| Cosplay & historical costumes | Cloak body panel183.8 × 107.5 cm | 55 (11 × 5) |
| Elements | Sleeve35 × 61 cm | 6 (2 × 3) |
Piece sizes at the sample measurements (height 176 cm, bust 96 cm, waist 78 cm, hips 102 cm); your own pattern scales with your numbers.
When to skip home printing
A4 or Letter at home
Free apart from paper and ink, and it works for every model. Best for small and medium pieces; taping a coat or a cloak from dozens of sheets is where patience runs out.
A0 at a copy shop
One large sheet, no taping, and no scaling mistakes. Send the A0 file, ask for 100% scale and plain paper. Worth it for outerwear, cloaks and circle skirts.
Projector straight onto fabric
The bundle includes light and dark projector layouts. Calibrate with the test square, then cut directly on the fabric with no paper at all. The fastest route if you already own a projector.