How to Print and Cut a PDF Sewing Pattern

PDF Patterns are quickly becoming the future of home sewing as they are quick to download and easily accessible to anyone with access to a printer. Printing and cutting a PDF sewing pattern correctly is really important for ensuring that your final product is just as you’d hoped. So if you want to know how to use a PDF Sewing pattern then keep reading!

printing and cutting a PDF sewing pattern

step 1

Make sure your printer settings are set to no scaling or 100% scale. The patterns have been designed with certain measurements and if your printer tries to make it fit the page in a different way it will mess up these measurements.

step 2

If your pattern has a scale guide box, then print only that page and measure it to check everything is correct. If your pattern doesn’t have a scale guide, then you can print just the first page and compare it to the assembly guide image in the instructions. Just check that the lines look in about the right place.

step 3

If everything looks good, then go ahead and print all your pages. If there are lots just make sure they stay in the correct order as they print. Otherwise, assembly can take a bit longer to organise the pages.

step 4

Look in the instructions and see how the pattern needs to be assembled. There should be some kind of assembly guide that shows what the pattern looks like when all the pieces are together. It may numbers or letters to help you match the pieces

step 5

The margins will vary with each pattern – but in general if there is a margin then the easiest way to stick pieces together is to fold the margin of one piece and stick it on to the unfolded margin of the piece next to it. If you have borderless printing, then you can just line the edges so that they are touching.

step 6

Sellotape in rows or columns – by sellotaping in rows or columns you are more likely to keep the right shape and it is easier than taping in each piece individually

step 7

Tape all the pieces together before cutting anything – this just helps everything to be uniform and means you are less likely to accidentally cut the wrong bit

step 8

Check your size in the size guide in the instructions – don’t just assume your measurements – actually measure yourself!!

step 9

Cut around each piece – on the line that is your size – cut as close to the outside of the line as possible

Now you are ready to use your PDF sewing pattern!

General Tips

Being perfect when you’re cutting out a pattern is rarely necessary. If your fabric is stretchy you can worry less about being too neat

Be careful cutting curves. The angle of curves is important so try to stay true to that

Cut close to the line – but if in doubt bigger is better. It’s generally pretty easy to make things smaller, it’s much harder to make them bigger!

If you are looking for some more patterns to test out your new skills then check out our PDF sewing patterns on Etsy