What Pattern software do you use?

[Cumberland Highpower]

On 6/26/2025 at 9:24 AM, chuck123wapati said:

A ruler, a compass, a pencil, a protractor, and a brain. I gave up computer drawing when I retired and haven't missed the constant updates, planned obsolescence, or wasting money a bit. 

I like that answer. Sometimes my die maker is amazed by all the residual pencil marks, arcs, curves, lines and intersects he finds all over the cardstock.  

I tried to learn Fusion 360 and partly have, but I'd just as soon use an old way of doing something than to sit for hour/s doing that.

Edited July 10, 2025 by Cumberland Highpower

[CdK]

Most of my patterns I design today are done using Lightburn. I will also many times use my laser to directly mark the leather on the flesh side for cut lines etc. Reference patterns and layup jigs are cut from card stock by laser.

I use Fusion a lot for my CNC mills & 3D printers but I found that Lightburn was quicker and more efficient for my leather work flow.

Adobe software I will no longer use or recommend.

Edited September 17, 2025 by CdK
missing word

[AJ2018]

Solidworks it’s excellent for templates but too advanced . 

[alfredleatherworks]

I use Fusion360 for my CAD program, and I use Adobe Illustrator for patterning. Almost everything starts with pencil and paper though. I’m much faster at drawing things out with a drafting set, rulers, and shape guides, but then I like to digitize my patterns using Illustrator because it’s easy to print and use and not have to worry about destroying the original pattern. I’m no pro with F360 or Illustrator though, YouTube University is my friend here 😅

EDIT: I also use a light table (well, led light tablet these days) for copying my paper patterns from the “rough sketch” paper to the nice clean finished version before scanning and digitally editing into printable format.

Edited Saturday at 05:26 PM by alfredleatherworks

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, alfredleatherworks said:

I use Fusion360 for my CAD program, and I use Adobe Illustrator for patterning. Almost everything starts with pencil and paper though. I’m much faster at drawing things out with a drafting set, rulers, and shape guides, but then I like to digitize my patterns using Illustrator because it’s easy to print and use and not have to worry about destroying the original pattern. I’m no pro with F360 or Illustrator though, YouTube University is my friend here 😅

EDIT: I also use a light table (well, led light tablet these days) for copying my paper patterns from the “rough sketch” paper to the nice clean finished version before scanning and digitally editing into printable format.

I do about the same, except I just scan them when done and save as a jpg file. 

[Darren8306]

I've just started using inkscape to take silhouettes and turn them into stamps, with tinkercad between to make the printable file. I have always had trouble with design software, 2d or 3d.

But inkscape (or illustrator, or any design program) is a slog for me. I can photoshop the heck out of stuff, but for some reason, that doesn't translate well.