Sewly saves paper in four ways: it prints only your pattern (one size, drafted to you, not a stack of nested sizes), packs the pieces tightly and tries both page orientations and several column counts to find the fewest pages, skips pages with nothing on them, and gives large plain rectangles such as waistbands, ties and gathered skirt panels as cutting measurements instead of printing them. Larger paper (A3, Tabloid), copy shop sheets and projector files save even more.
Why do PDF patterns use so many pages?
A typical multi-size PDF pattern is laid out once for all sizes, on a fixed grid of pages. The pieces have to fit the largest size, so smaller sizes carry empty space; pieces are often placed in sewing order rather than to save space; and pages that fall in the gaps between pieces are printed anyway because the grid is a rectangle. Straight bands and rectangles, which you could mark with a ruler, are drawn at full size across several sheets.
None of this is wrong: it keeps a multi-size pattern simple to produce and use. But when a pattern is drafted for one person, many of those pages can go.
How does printing only your size save pages?
A Sewly pattern is drafted from your measurements, or the standard size you chose, so each piece is drawn once, at its real size. There are no nested size lines to trace and no space reserved for larger sizes. Changing a measurement or an option redraws the pattern, and the page plan is recalculated with it.
How are the pieces packed onto the pages?
Before printing, Sewly arranges the pieces like a puzzle: each one is turned upright when that helps, the tallest go first, and rows are filled from left to right. It then tries portrait and landscape pages and different numbers of columns, and keeps the arrangement that needs the fewest printed pages on your paper. When two arrangements tie, it prefers the one closest to square, which is easier to lay out and tape.
Each piece keeps its grainline, notches and label wherever it is turned, so the page layout has no effect on how you place it on the fabric.
Why are some pages missing from the printout?
Once the pieces are placed, the arrangement is divided into pages, and any page with no part of a piece on it is left out. Pages keep the name of their position, a row letter and a column number (A1, A2… B1), so a missing B3 tells you there is a gap in that spot. The page map on the cover shows the whole arrangement with the blank pages grayed out, and the alignment marks on each shared edge name the neighboring page. The guide to assembling a tiled PDF pattern explains how to lay everything out.
Why are some pieces given as measurements instead of printed?
Large plain rectangles are listed on the cover under "Cut by measurements (not printed)", with their size and how many to cut, instead of being drawn across several sheets. The sizes include the seam allowances, so you mark them directly on the fabric with a ruler and chalk. Pieces handled this way include gathered and tiered skirt panels, ruffles, several waistbands, tote bag handles and inside pockets, apron ties and straps, the front band of the kimono jacket, the scrunchie strip and the panels of a cushion cover.
The difference can be large. In example runs with the default options and a typical size (bust 92 cm, waist 74 cm, hip 100 cm):
| Pattern | A4 pages printed | If the rectangles were printed too |
|---|---|---|
| Gathered skirt with pockets | 2 | 12 |
| Fit-and-flare dress with a gathered skirt | 12 | 24 |
| Kimono jacket | 14 | 21 |
| Apron | 7 | 13 |
| Cushion cover | 0 | 12 |
To cut a rectangle accurately, mark one corner, measure along the grain and across it, and check the diagonals: in a true rectangle both are equal. For extra certainty, use the 3-4-5 rule at a corner: points 30 cm and 40 cm along the two edges should be exactly 50 cm apart.
How much paper does a bigger sheet save?
Each A3 or Tabloid sheet holds about twice the area of A4 or Letter, so the same pattern needs roughly half the pages and far fewer joins. In the same example runs, an A-line skirt took 13 pages on A4 and 7 on A3, and wide-leg pull-on trousers 26 on A4 and 13 on A3.
Copy shop files go further: the pieces are packed onto A0 or 36 × 48 in sheets, one or two for most garments, with nothing to tape. A projector file uses no paper at all. See printing a sewing pattern at a copy shop for how to order one.
What else can you do to save paper and ink?
- Print only the pages you need. If one page misprints or goes missing, reprint that page by its number rather than the whole file.
- Try draft or economy mode. Pattern lines are thin and stay clear in lower-ink modes; check the test square afterwards, since some printer drivers change other settings with the mode.
- Keep the guide on screen. The sewing guide is available on screen with every pattern, so you do not have to print the instructions.
- Reuse the paper. Old printed patterns make good tracing paper for alterations, and their backs are fine for test prints.
- Measure the test square first. One wrong print run wastes more paper than any layout saves. The post on why the test square matters explains what to check.