How to Print Plotter Sewing Patterns for a Garment Workshop

A plotter sewing pattern is printed at a plotting print shop or on your own plotter, on a 90, 120 or 150 cm wide roll, always at 100% scale, and you check the test square with a ruler before cutting. It is the usual format for a workshop that cuts by hand or from stacked layers: every piece comes out whole, with no sheets to tape together, and the paper can be reprinted when it wears out.

Modeltex production guide. Updated on Sep 6, 2026.

What a plotter PDF is and how it differs from A4

A plotter PDF is one long page at true size: the width matches the roll (90, 120 or 150 cm) and the length is whatever the pieces need, usually 1 to 6 meters per garment with the full size range. The A4 version is the same pattern split into sheets with joining marks: it works for testing or a small run, but a complete set can take 40 to 100 sheets to tape together, with errors adding up at every join.

Sizes can come nested (all the size lines of the range overlapping on the same piece, each one labeled) or separated (one complete piece per size). Nested files use far less paper but make you trace the line of the size you are cutting; separated files use more meters and are easier to cut and to transfer to heavy paper. Before printing, check the page size in the PDF properties: it shows the exact width and the meters of length you will be paying for.

Roll widths: 90, 120 and 150 cm

The file width is not negotiable: a PDF built at 150 cm will not fit on a 90 cm roll unless it is shrunk or split into panels. If the print shop shrinks it, the pattern comes out off scale; if it panels it, you have to join sections using marks, just like with A4. Find out which width your print shop or plotter handles before choosing the file.

The 90 cm width is the most common because it matches 36-inch plotters (a roll of about 91 cm), which almost every print shop has; 120 and 150 cm need 60-inch machines or textile plotters, more common at marker-making services and factories. At Modeltex every plotter pattern is built at 90, 120 or 150 cm depending on the size of the pieces; if your supplier only prints at 90, confirm the file width before you buy.

Paper: which one to order for each use

For cutting once or twice, bond or offset paper of 75 to 90 gsm is enough and is the cheapest per meter. If the pattern will be used many times on the table, order 90 to 120 gsm paper or kraft, which stands up to handling and pins. Print shops that work with workshops often also stock marker paper, which is lighter and made to lie on top of the lay and be cut through.

Almost no inkjet plotter prints on heavy board: for a stiffer pattern you print on light paper and glue it to gray chipboard or patternmaking oaktag. Avoid glossy or photo paper: it is expensive, it reflects the light over the cutting table, and it does not take pencil or chalk well.

100% scale and the test square

The only correct way to print a sewing pattern is at 100% scale, also called actual size. The options fit to page, fit to roll or shrink oversized pages, which are often switched on by default in plotter drivers and in Acrobat Reader, distort the pattern without warning: a 3% error on a pair of pants is almost 3 cm of length lost across the whole size range.

Every pattern includes a test square, usually 10 by 10 cm. Measure it with a metal ruler as soon as the print comes out, in both directions, because the plotter can stretch the paper along the feed direction and not across it; a difference of more than 1 or 2 mm is a reason to reprint. As an extra check, measure a known piece, for example the chest width of a front, against the pattern's measurement chart.

How to order from a print shop and what it costs

Send the original PDF, never a screenshot or an image conversion, and write on the order: 100% scale with no fitting, file width (90, 120 or 150 cm), paper weight, number of copies and, if the sizes come on separate pages, which ones you want. Ask for the prints rolled and not folded, so the lines do not break at the creases.

Plotting is charged per linear meter of roll and the price varies widely between print shops, locations and paper weights, so ask for a per-meter quote and multiply it by the page length of the PDF. As a rough reference, a t-shirt with the full size range nested takes 2 to 4 meters of a 90 cm roll; with separated sizes that figure can be three or four times higher, and pants or a lined jacket take quite a bit more.

Your own plotter or a plotting service

A plotting service makes sense while you print only a few sets per month: you do not tie up capital, you do not pay for ink or maintenance, and you choose the width you need. Your own plotter is justified when you print several times a week, when you need marker plots every day, or when the nearest print shop costs you half a day for every pattern correction.

If you buy, a 36-inch inkjet plotter covers every 90 cm file and is the most accessible machine; for 120 and 150 cm you need 60-inch models or textile plotters, which mean a different level of investment and space. Add ink, paper rolls, a dry place to store them and someone to set the driver to true scale, which is where most badly printed patterns come from.

When to reinforce the pattern or move to CAD

Paper is the right medium while the pattern is still changing or only used a few times. When the same style is cut every week, glue the print to oaktag or heavy paper: the line is preserved, it is quick to mark on the lay, and you do not have to reprint every time it tears.

The jump to CAD (DXF/AAMA, Optitex PDS or Audaces ADS) pays off when you cut from a computerized marker, outsource cutting to a service with a marker plotter, or change the pattern often: in CAD you adjust, grade and make markers without printing until the final cut. Plotter PDF for the workshop that cuts by hand and CAD for the one that optimizes fabric.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print a plotter PDF on A4 sheets on my own printer?

You can, using the Poster or tiling option in Acrobat Reader at 100% scale, which splits the long page into A4 sheets with overlap marks, but a 90 by 300 cm pattern turns into more than 50 sheets to tape together. If you are printing at home, it is better to buy the A4 PDF version directly, which is already paginated and numbered.

What plotter width do I need to print sewing patterns?

The one that matches the file width: 90, 120 or 150 cm. 36-inch plotters, the most common in print shops, cover the 90 cm files; 120 and 150 cm files need 60-inch machines or textile plotters. The exact width of your PDF is listed in the document properties, under page size.

How do I know the pattern printed at the correct scale?

Measure the printed test square with a ruler, usually 10 by 10 cm, in both directions: if it is off by more than 1 or 2 mm, it was printed fitted to the roll or the page and has to be reprinted at 100% scale. Also check one known measurement on a piece, such as the chest width, against the measurement chart.

What paper is best for printing sewing patterns on a plotter?

Bond or offset paper of 75 to 90 gsm if you will cut only a few times, and 90 to 120 gsm or kraft if the pattern will live on the table. For cutting through the lay, marker paper is used, which is lighter. Inkjet plotters do not print on heavy board: for a stiffer pattern you print on paper and glue it to oaktag.

How much does it cost to print a sewing pattern on a plotter?

It is charged per linear meter of roll and the price changes with the print shop, the location and the paper weight: the useful reference is the per-meter quote multiplied by the length of the file. As a rough order of magnitude, a t-shirt with the full size range nested takes 2 to 4 meters of a 90 cm roll; with separated sizes, several times more.

Is it worth buying a plotter for the workshop?

Only if you print several times a week or need daily markers; otherwise a plotting service is cheaper and does not tie up capital. A 36-inch plotter handles the 90 cm files with a moderate investment; 120 and 150 cm need large-format machines. Add ink, paper, space and setting the driver to true scale.

More guides

Sewing patterns ready for production, with the full size range, in the Modeltex catalog.