Why I LOVE Adobe Illustrator
Why I Love Using Adobe Illustrator to Create Fabric Patterns
As a surface designer, I get asked all the time why I use Adobe Illustrator to create my fabric patterns - theres more tha one answer I can give them , but mainly it simply because I LOVE IT!
Illustrator has become my design best friend, and I can’t imagine working without it. I remember the first time I made a repeating pattern in Illustrator, it was like my world slipped into place and I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. I still feel so incredibly satisfied when a pattern comes together and even though I’ve since created hundred and hunderds of patterns, I never lose that feeling of satisfaction and joy.
Here’s some of the reasons I just can’t get enough of Adobe Illustrator when designing my seamless patterns.
1. Scalability – The Perfect Fit Every Time
One of the best things about Illustrator is that it’s vector-based. What does that mean for fabric designers? Well, when designing patterns, sometimes you want to blow up your design for example, a big bold wallpaper or shrink it down for a delicate dress print. With Illustrator, your patterns stay sharp and clean, no matter the size. You can scale them up, down, and all around without worrying about losing detail. It’s like magic, honestly! I feel so secure knowing that whatever artwork I create will translate and work for any project that comes my way.
Photoshop & Procreate are other tools that I use in my design business but because they are pixel-based programs, I always finish my patterns in Illustrator cos I just love my vectors :)
2. Seamless Repeats – Smooth as Butter
I love how easy it is to create patterns that flow perfectly, no awkward gaps or misaligned motifs. The tools in Illustrator make it simple to repeat sections of your design, and everything lines up just right when I create a very structured repeating pattern that requires perfect alignment with other objects.. Trust me, when you’re designing fabric that’s going to cover an entire couch or dress, this is such a lifesaver!
3. All About the Color Play
Colour is one of my favourite parts of designing fabric, and Illustrator makes it SO fun to experiment. Whether I’m creating a bright, bold colour palette or working with soft pastels, it’s so easy to play around with swatches, adjust colours, and see how everything looks together. I love using the Recolor Artwork tool
4. Ready for Print – No Worries!
Once my design is looking fab, I can easily export it in all the right formats that printers need, like TIFFs, JPEGs, PNGs or PDFs. Illustrator makes it so easy to get my designs off the screen and onto fabric. I know that when it comes time to print, whether it’s for a big wallpaper project or a little girls dress, the quality will be awesome.
5. Pattern Swatches – Preview Like a Pro
This is one of my favourite features—custom pattern swatches! I love being able to take my design, turn it into a swatch, and apply it to different shapes or layouts. It’s like a sneak peek at how the pattern will look on different products.It has been a game-changer for me when working on patterns for clients or just getting a feel for how the design will look in real life. You can preview your pattern in any scale you like, and change colours with ease.
Why I’ll Always Choose Illustrator
I’ve been using Illustrator for years now, and honestly, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It just offers so much freedom and flexibility for fabric design, and it helps me bring my creative ideas to life in ways that work perfectly for my design style. I love that I can be confident I’ll be providing a professional pattern to my clients with this program and it’s just so much fun.
If you’re thinking about designing your own fabric, I 100% recommend giving Illustrator a try—you might just fall in love with it like I did. 💖
Want to find out my other favourite tools that I use every day in my surface pattern design business?
