PDF sewing patterns
PDF is the format that lets you produce without any specialist software. Open it in any reader, print it, cut it. Moldey sells two versions of the same pattern, and the difference is not quality — it is where you print it.
PDF A4 — print it at home
You get numbered sheets that you tape together following the match marks until the piece is at full size. All you need is an ordinary printer. It costs
0.This is the right choice when you produce in small runs, when there is no print shop nearby, or when you want to test a pattern before committing to it.
PDF plotter — print it on a roll
You get one continuous sheet at true width — 90, 120 or 150 cm — to send to a plotting service or a roll printer. Nothing to tape. It costs
5, and the width you choose does not change the price.Once you are cutting several styles a week, taping time costs more than plotting does.
The one thing you have to get right
Print at 100%, with "fit to page" or "scale to printable area" switched OFF. That option shrinks the pattern by a few percent without telling you, and the printed result looks perfect — the problem only shows up once the garment is sewn and does not close.
Every pattern includes a test square on the first sheet. Measure it with a ruler before you cut anything. Thirty seconds of checking protects the whole production run.
Questions
- Do I need special software to open a PDF sewing pattern?
- No. Any PDF reader works, including your phone or your browser. Only Audaces (.ads) and Optitex (.pds) files need their own CAD software.
- Should I choose A4 or plotter?
- A4 if you print at home or at a copy shop: numbered sheets you tape together. Plotter if you have access to a roll printer: one continuous sheet, nothing to tape. Plotter saves time, A4 saves the cost of plotting.
- Can I print an A4 pattern on US Letter paper?
- Yes — print at 100% and accept that a little margin gets trimmed. What you must never do is let the reader scale it down to fit: the scale is lost and the pattern is useless.