Ultimate Guide To Illustrator For Fashion Design by Sew Heidi

If you asked me today, I’d tell you I’m an expert at Adobe Illustrator for
Fashion Design.
But if I’m honest?
I wasn’t always this good. And the beginning of my fashion designer

journey was rocky.
I’ll tell you more about my story later. But I want to talk about more
important things first.
If you want to get a job (or keep your job) in fashion, you have to be
proficient in Illustrator.
Since you’re reading this guide, chances are you probably already know
that.
So let’s talk about how this step by step guide will help you learn
Illustrator for Fashion.
What’s Included in the Ultimate Guide to

Illustrator?
Here’s a 10,000 foot overview of what you get in this guide. Jump to the
part that you need the most, or read it all, chapter by chapter.
CHAPTER 1: What Software Do Fashion Designers Use to

Draw?
Any guesses? Yep, it’s Illustrator. Here’s why AI is king and why most
brands don’t use “industry” software like NedGraphics, Colour Matters or
Kaledo.
Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com by Sew Heidi 2

CHAPTER 2: What Version of Illustrator Do I Need? How
Does That All Work?
Illustrator CS and CC debunked. Here’s how to figure out what version
you need...and if a subscription upgrade is required.
CHAPTER 3: What Do Fashion Designers Use Illustrator

For?
MOST of the fashion design process is done in Illustrator, from sketching
to coloring and repeating pattern design to presentation boards. This is
exactly how it’s used, with examples.
CHAPTER 4: How Do I Know So Much About Illustrator for

Fashion Design?
My Illustrator skills landed me my DREAM FASHION DESIGN JOB...even
though I didn’t go to fashion school and had no industry experience This is
my story.
CHAPTER 5: 5 Myths You Believe About Illustrator...and

Why Proficiency Is Closer Than You Think
Designers like you get stuck in Illustrator because they believe things that
Simply. Aren’t True. A lot of your hangups? Are in your head. Here’s how
to overcome them.
CHAPTER 6: What’s the Best Way to Learn Illustrator fast

(and maybe even FREE)?
Your 6 options to learn Illustrator (with pros and cons). Here’s how to
choose the best option for you. (Hint: fashion school is usually the worst
option.)
CHAPTER 7: Free Adobe Illustrator Tutorials for Fashion

Design
37 40! of my best handpicked tutorials on:

● Getting Started: The Beginners Series
● Sketching Fashion Flats
● Recoloring Your Designs & Managing Colors
● Seamless Repeating Patterns
● Technical Fashion Design
● Fashion Brushes
Who is this Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for?

This guide is for you if you’re:
● A total beginner trying to break into fashion...and don’t know

where to start
● Old school and sketch by hand...but know you need to get up to
speed
● Know your way around Illustrator...but feel like everything takes
FOREVER
● Designing your own fashion line...and don’t want to outsource the
sketching
Fair Warning: If your lazy, this guide won’t work for you. You can’t just
read through it, watch the videos, and then *poof* magically be
proficient.
You’ll have to practice. You’ll make mistakes. And you’ll learn.
We’ll talk about all these things...and we’ll talk about the best way
overcome these challenges.
The good news? You’re here. Which means you’re already halfway ahead
of all the designers who haven’t found this guide.

Just kidding. I’m not into competition like that. If I were? I wouldn’t give
all this stuff away. So, if find this guide helpful and know someone else
who would too? Be a pal and share.
In the meantime, I’m really excited to have you here.

CHAPTER 1:
WHAT SOFTWARE DO FASHION

DESIGNERS USE TO DRAW?
If you watch YouTube videos or go to fashion school, you may think that
fashion designers frolic in fabric all day and sketch beautiful designs on
paper.
Why? Because hand sketching is glamorous. It’s sexy!
Visually, it “looks” really good.
But hand sketching in the fashion industry is

OUTDATED.
Now don’t get me wrong.
Hand sketching skills can be useful to quickly get ROUGH ideas on paper.
(I know some designers who still start the design process this way.)
But in reality? Digital (read: computer) drawing skills are MANDATORY.
So, what software do fashion designers use?
Well, there are a handful of “fancy” fashion design programs out there:
Colour Matters, Ned Graphics and Kaledo are a few.

There are also a handful of “general” design programs out there: Corel
Draw, Freehand and InkScape are a few.
But NONE of this fashion design software

competes with Adobe Illustrator.
Adobe is one of the most WIDELY used design programs in the world.
It’s used in LOADS of industries from fashion to graphics and architecture
to web.
It’s a GIANT company with engineers up the WAZOO and offices around
the world.
Since so many people use it, it’s cost effective (~$50/month or $600/year
for the entire Suite) and always maintained.
Simply put: Adobe JUST WORKS.
(There’s even a marketplace where you can buy and sell Illustrator
templates for fashion. I don’t know of anything like this for other
programs.)
Contrast that against fashion software (NedGraphics, Kaledo and Colour

Matters are the 3 big ones)?
You’re looking at VERY different things.
Fashion software is EXPENSIVE.
Like tens thousands of dollars JUST to get set up ($10-25k).
Then? Yearly subscriptions are $$$ ($2-4k PER user).

After all that $$$? The interfaces are clunky, some only work on Windows,
and support is mediocre at best.
(I know because I’ve used some of them.)
They don’t get updated often, they’re buggy, and most are just
OUTDATED.
This screenshot of Colour Matters from late 2018? A photo is worth a

thousand words:
I actually heard a rumor they’re going out of business...which is another

scary thing about using “industry” software.
They just can’t maintain their programs.

IMAGINE:
It’s mid design season and *poof*, just like that, your software is gone.
No more updates. No more support. All the work you created? Eventually,
you’ll have to recreate from scratch it in another program.
Which is why Illustrator wins (and I’m not the only nerd to write about
it).
Illustrator flexible.
You can endlessly edit things.
It’s relatively cheap.
And it’s not going anywhere.
If you want to work in fashion design? Adobe Illustrator is mandatory.
What about Photoshop? Don’t you need to

know Photoshop for fashion design too?
We’re going to talk about this COMMON misconception more later, but for
now? The answer is no. NO. NO.
Photoshop should be used for photos (cough, Photoshop, cough).

Now, I’m not anti-photoshop. But I’m anti-photoshop when designers use
it for things it shouldn’t be (like sketching fashion flats).
Fashion design is done with Illustrator. I promise, it’s all you need.

CHAPTER 2:
WHAT VERSION OF ILLUSTRATOR

DO I NEED?
The current versions of Illustrator are subscription based and called
Creative Cloud (CC). When you subscribe to CC, you get access to all
updates.
Previously (before June 2013), designers would buy Illustrator (and other
Adobe software) outright and own it.
When it got updated? You either kept the old version, or paid for the
upgrade.
What version do you need?

The older versions of Illustrator were called Creative Suite (CS2, CS3,
CS4, CS5, CS6).
CS5 and CS6? Still work fairly well.
Illustrator CS2, 3 or 4? That stuff is VINTAGE in digital years.
But MOST brands? Are on Creative Cloud (CC). Meaning the software LIVES
on your computer, but is CONNECTED to the internet.
That way, it’s always up to date like MAGIC.
And yes, it requires a monthly (or yearly) payment.

But if you JUST need Illustrator? It’s only about $20 a month.
If you’re still on CS, do you need to upgrade?

It’s up to you and your needs.
If you’re just using Illustrator for your own design purposes (ie you’re not
sharing files with clients or other team members), older versions can
work just fine.
If you have clients or do freelance work? Many brands will expect you to
be on the latest version. If you’re not? You will have file compatibility
issues.
Why? Because Adobe supports forward compatibility, but not backwards.
That means if you’re on CS6 (older version) and your client is on CC

(newer version), they can open YOUR files, but you won’t be able to open
THEIRS.
Also, artwork can become a jumbled mess when transferring between

versions. Designs can get so “broken” that they can become almost
useless.
More than once, I’ve inherited artwork from different versions that was
such a mess, it was easier for me to redraw it than try and work with
existing files.
So, even though many people are annoyed about paying a monthly
subscription fee, I personally think it’s a great way to keep everyone up
to date on the same version. It makes it a lot easier to collaborate and
share files.

If it’s not in your budget to upgrade and you have an older version? If it
works for you, that’s all that matters.

CHAPTER 3:
WHAT DO FASHION DESIGNERS USE

ILLUSTRATOR FOR?
MOST of the fashion design process is done in Illustrator, from sketching
to coloring and repeating pattern design to presentation boards.
And here are some of the exact tasks you’ll use Illustrator for:
CAD work like Fashion Flats & Tech Sketches

“Flats” are black and white drawings of a garment as if it were laying
FLAT on a table. They include accurate construction and styling details
(unlike fashion illustrations which are more artsy).
Add callouts for construction details? They’re now tech sketches. These
are used in tech packs to visually show a factory how to make the
garment.

Textile (Surface) Design + Seamless Repeating
Patterns
Illustrator has a pretty amazing pattern-making tool that makes it easy to
create custom seamless repeating patterns. You can then fill your flats
with them to mockup designs. The software allows you to infinitely
customize the size, colors and direction (ie on the bias) of the pattern.

Colorways and Line Sheets / Presentation
Boards
Fashion designers typically put all the garments in all the colorways
together on one “board” to show the collection merchandised. These
layouts are great for design meetings, buyer presentations, or catalogs to
help present the line as a whole.

Tech Packs (Do NOT use Illustrator for this.
PLEASE DON’T.)
I debated whether or not to even include this, but let it make the cut for
TWO reasons:
1. I know A LOT of designers and brands who use Illustrator for tech
packs
2. Illustrator should NOT be used to create tech packs, and I wanted to
take this opportunity to tell you why.
Tech packs in Illustrator are INEFFICIENT. And since I’m an efficiency

NERD...

Here are 5 reasons you shouldn't use Illustrator for tech packs (and do
them in Excel instead):
1. Illustrator does not to math, and things like graded specs require
math. Luckily, Excel does this very well.
2. Illustrator does not do charts, and tech packs are full of gridded
layouts. Like this one for colorways:
Or this one for your BOM (Bill of Materials):
Have you ever tried to create (and then edit!) a chart like that in
Illustrator? It's a huge pain and waste of time. Excel does this with a
few clicks.
3. Illustrator does not play very well with Excel. Meaning it's painful
to bring data (like graded specs) from Excel into AI. Trust me, it's
much easier to bring your AI sketches into Excel.
4. Most people don't have (or don't know how to use) Illustrator. But
Excel? Almost everyone has it. So when your boss or client needs a
quick edit, they can DIY it instead of bugging you for Every. Little.
Change. #annoyingforeveryone
5. Illustrator doesn't link data...so when you have to keep inputting
the same info over and over, it's a huge pain and a LOT of
repetition. And of course (you guessed it) you can do this in Excel.
Illustrator is DESIGN software. Not DEVELOPMENT software.
(Don’t believe me? Check out how I put tech packs together in Excel and
download my free template or for super in-depth step by step learning, I
have a comprehensive c ourse on tech packs. I’ve “converted” plenty of
designers who’ve graciously thanked me for cutting their tech pack time
in half.)

CHAPTER 4:
HOW DO I KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT

ILLUSTRATOR FOR FASHION
DESIGN?
I’m not writing this because I’m an Adobe affiliate. I’m not.
I’m not writing this because I’m an Illustrator nerd. Ok, I am an AI nerd,
but it’s not why I’m writing this.
And I’m not writing this because I have nothing else to do. I have
boatloads of things on my to do list.
I’m writing this because fashion schools (even top ones like FIT, FIDM and
Parsons) are NOT teaching designers the #1 skill they need to GET A JOB
in this industry (hint: it’s Illustrator).
I’m writing this because there aren’t a lot of GOOD resources to learn.
And I’m writing this because it was Illustrator

that landed me my DREAM FASHION DESIGN
JOB.
Even though I DID NOT go to fashion school…
And even though I had NO professional industry experience.

It all started back in 2004 when I graduated with a very expensive college
degree...
And then I landed my first job…as a RECEPTIONIST.
Long story short, I threw away 2 years of my life filing papers and
answering phones before reality kicked me. HARD.
I felt defeated, frustrated, and cheated by my worthless degree. I was

EMBARRASSED about what I’d become.
When people asked what I did for a living (and it was no longer a temp gig
I could blame on recent graduation)?
I felt NAUSEOUS.
And knew I had to change.
But with a degree in graphic design and “receptionist” on my resume, I

didn’t feel qualified to land a fashion job.
So I DIY’d it and launched my own label.
I sewed my HEART out on the red Husqvarna my mom gave me.

I SLAVED weekends away selling at markets, doing fashion shows and
photo shoots.
And I MADE it happen.
After a year, I was earning SOME money and had my designs in boutiques.
Business was growing and for the first time in my life, my dream was
CLOSE.
So I said goodbye to my HORRIBLE receptionist

gig to work on my fashion brand full time.
It was AMAZING.
But it was also freaking HARD.

Physically HARD.
Emotionally HARD.
Financially HARD.
One struggle was just replaced with another.
Embarrassment about my job? GONE.
But my anxiety? THROUGH THE ROOF.
I had no idea where my next paycheck would come from.
So when one RANDOM day (6 months later) my red Blackberry Pearl rang?
And there was a fashion job opportunity on the other line?
It was bittersweet.
I’d have to walk away from my collection...
But stable income sounded REALLY freaking good.

So...where did this magical job come from?
You see, back when I was a receptionist, I’d gone on one of those job
hunting BENDERS and applied to a kajillion opportunities.
#youknowthekind
They’d kept my resume on file, and almost a year later, needed someone
with my skills.
This was my chance to design product that was professionally made in

bulk (not piece by piece with my own two hands) and sold in retail shops
worldwide.
It was a no brainer. I said YES.
Just like that, my impossible fashion design

dream had come true.
And it was because I was good in Adobe Illustrator.
I worked with that brand for 3 years. But in the first 3 months it was
CRYSTAL CLEAR why I beat out the competition (even though I had NO
formal training or experience):
They needed a designer who was good with Illustrator.
Because designers use AI 20+ hours / week.
Proficiency is MANDATORY.

But students coming out of fashion school? Weren’t being taught the
software.
Old school designers? They could sketch by hand, but AI intimidated
them.
Companies needed designers who could create EVERYTHING digitally,

from repeating patterns and fashion flats to presentation boards and line
sheets.
I had enough AI knowledge from my graphic design degree to figure them

all out. And I did.
Life was AMAZING.
Days were full of design meetings and cork boards overflowing with
magazine tears.
Fit models shuffled in weekly to try on product and get pinned for
adjustments.
I spent endless hours sketching flats in Adobe Illustrator with my boss

often over my shoulder.

She couldn’t believe how fast I could mock designs up, and I couldn’t
believe I was living THESE moments.
It. Was. SURREAL.
My dream life of being a FASHION DESIGNER had come true.
And I want your fashion design dream to come

true too.
You have talent and passion.
Like me, it’s what keeps you from COMPLETELY giving up.
But right now, you feel STUCK.

Why? There are reasons. And they may make
you uncomfortable.
I could have very easily just put together a LONG list of Illustrator for
fashion tutorials and called it a day.
And yes, this guide DOES include a list of tutorials in logical order...we’ll
get to those soon.
But I know you need MORE than that.
How?
Because after teaching Illustrator to THOUSANDS of designers for over a

DECADE through in person workshops, free online tutorials and my
flagship program, The Masterclass?
I know a lot of reasons you get stuck are technical hiccups in the
software. And we’ll cover those.
But I also know that lot of the things that trip you up?
ARE IN YOUR HEAD.
I don’t say this to be MEAN.
I say them because if I didn’t? I’d be doing you a HUGE disservice.
Your MENTAL BLOCKS are more debilitating than you may realize.

Which is why before diving into the tutorials, there are a few things I
want us to cover first.
So keep reading.

CHAPTER 5:
5 MYTHS YOU BELIEVE ABOUT

ILLUSTRATOR...AND WHY
PROFICIENCY IS CLOSER THAN YOU
THINK
Illustrator is the only thing standing between
you and your fashion design dream.
But that “proficiency” word keeps coming up.
After all these years? You just need confidence and skill in Illustrator.
EVERY job posting on StyleCareers.com.
EVERY interview.
EVERY callback.
All you hear are those two evil words you’ve grown to loathe:
AI “proficiency”.

Just reading them makes your heart race, stomach drop and ears ring. The weight in
your chest grows.
You feel tremendous pressure to learn QUICKLY and you’re committed to figuring it out.
But the thought of Illustrator is DAUNTING.
Maybe it’s because you’re terrified and don’t know where to start.
And you know it sounds like an excuse, but you CAN’T FIND THE TIME to
catch up.
I know how you feel.
I spent 2 years trapped in a dead end job I was overqualified for.
I felt powerless, depressed and embarrassed.
So using passion, my OCD tendencies and surviving on very little sleep, I

launched a collection and then landed my dream job...BECAUSE OF MY
ILLUSTRATOR SKILLS.
But I would have KILLED for someone to help me get there.
Because, like you’ve probably ALREADY done, I wasted A LOT of time and
made A LOT of mistakes getting there.
Which is why I created this guide.
Because I want you to get ahead NOW.
Not next month or next year. NOW.

This guide will show you how to further your
fashion design career with confidence in
Illustrator.
There are a lot of things that will knock you down and TEAR you to
shreds.
Make you want to throw your computer out the window and GIVE UP.
And leave you overcome with disappointment and ANGER within yourself.
I am here to PREVENT this from happening to you. And show you:
Reaching your dream is POSSIBLE.
You can get there, and I’ll be with you EVERY step of the way.

First, let’s look at 5 MYTHS you believe about
Illustrator...and why proficiency is CLOSER
than you think.
A lot of designers like you get stuck in Illustrator because they believe
things that Simply. Aren’t True.
I promise, anyone can learn to use Adobe Illustrator for fashion -

INCLUDING you.
And it’s more achievable than you think.
Most of your frustration comes from TWO things:
1. MYTHS you believe about AI

2. UNQUALIFIED teachers who don’t show you how to easily do things
in a clear way that’s easy to understand
We’ll get to unqualified teachers later.
For now, let’s look at 5 MYTHS you believe about Illustrator and why
proficiency is CLOSER than you think.
MYTH #1: You have to know how to do

EVERYTHING
There’s an interesting frustration I hear from designers like you ALL. THE.
TIME.
It goes like this:

"I feel like I’ll never learn how to do everything! There are so many
hidden functions and features in Illustrator, so I feel completely
overwhelmed.”
But guess what?
You DON’T have to know it all. I don’t, and neither do you.
Here’s why:
Illustrator does A LOT more than fashion.
It's used for things like:

● graphic design (logos, packaging)
● artistic design (cartoons, illustrations)
● technical design (maps, charts)
There are a lot of fancy tools to do very SPECIALIZED tasks.
And you don’t need to know how to use ANY of them.
I don’t want to just TELL you this. I want to SHOW you this.
Look at my old college notebook from 2000:

Using JUST the tools mentioned in this photo (actually less), you can draw
an ENTIRE sketch.
Let's look at a flat together.
Count the tools used (noted in bold). The entire design was drawn with
just 6 tools.
And not mentioned but surely used, we’ll add the Selection Tool (black
arrow) for a GRAND total of 7.
JUST SEVEN TOOLS TO DRAW THIS FLAT!

So, if ALL you had to do was learn SEVEN tools, could you? I KNOW you
could.
Beyond this? You don’t always have to start from ZERO. For just a couple
bucks, you can get templates for any fashion design you can imagine and
customize it for your needs.
MYTH #2: Illustrator is terrifying

My guess is that when it comes to Illustrator, you may feel like this:
“The thought of illustrator terrifies me so I've been putting off

absolutely everything to do with it. It scares the hell out of me. Sounds
silly, but it's true.”
But you know what? You’re NOT alone.
TONS of designers are scared.

Here are just a few things people tell me ALL the time:
The truth?
There’s NOTHING to be afraid of.
You CANNOT break Illustrator.

You WILL NOT hurt your computer.
And NOTHING is permanent.
Mess up on princess seam? Don’t like the fuschia colorway?
Undo it. Change it.
Illustrator is FLEXIBLE. You have LIMITLESS edits. And you can ALWAYS
go backwards.
(Unlike when you mess up cutting $50/yd silk chiffon fabric...WHOOPS.)
So get in there. Play around. Have fun.

You will NOT ruin or break ANYTHING.
MYTH #3: Your hand sketches are 100x faster

(and better)
Listen.
If you can QUICKLY sketch beautiful flats by hand today, I’m not saying
drawing your fashion designs in Illustrator will be EASY tomorrow.
And there’s a LOGICAL explanation:
How LONG have you been hand sketching? Probably YEARS.
And were your sketches PERFECT the first time? Probably NO.
You learned, practiced, and SLOWLY got better. And I would bet MONEY
that you’ve improved year after year.
Now it’s time for a LEGIT HONESTY CHECK:
Have you spent that much time practicing and refining your AI skills? I bet
the answer is no.
But if you did? IMAGINE...
Like my Masterclass student, “S”, you’d realize hand sketching is a waste

of time and Illustrator is MUCH faster:

In the long run? You’ll find AI EASIER than paper. It’s FASTER to make
edits and mock up variations.
Your sketches AUTOMAGICALLY start to build themselves as you

“Frankenstein” different pieces together from designs you’ve already
drawn.
No more drawing everything from SCRATCH, over and over.
Illustrator will cut your design time in HALF.

MYTH #4: You have to be an artist (or know
how to draw)
Not all of us are born artists. And a lot of us can’t draw.
Including ME. And that’s OK.
Illustrator can be used as a technical and/or artistic tool. Many designers

who don’t consider themselves artists? They actually think sketching in AI
is EASIER than paper.
Want proof? I’ve been a fashion designer for 10+ years. And I can’t even
draw a T-SHIRT:
But in Illustrator? I can draw like a BOSS:

You can learn the tools to do this, even if you’re NOT an artist.
MYTH #5: You have to learn Photoshop too
No. You. Don’t. Here’s the thing:
Perceptions are fascinating. We believe them. And we beat ourselves up

over them.

And one of the most common misperceptions in fashion design is that you
have to know BOTH Photoshop AND Illustrator. #overwhelming
Photoshop does have a purpose. But it’s not sketching flats (or most
other things fashion designers do).
PS should be used for photos and certain textile design aesthetics that
have “photoreal” (ie watercolor or photographic bits) motifs, like these:
AI should be used for *pretty much* everything else.
99% of your fashion design work?
If you’re doing things right (cough, the most EFFECTIVE way, cough),
you’ll do them in Illustrator.
So why do job listings require Photoshop? Two reasons:
1. They’re written by HR or management who *think* you need

Photoshop to sketch (I’m glad HR thinks they know so much about
the fashion design process… #eyeroll)
2. Designers use PS because they don’t know how to do it (the right
way) in AI
This is such a problem in our industry, I even wrote an entire blog post on
it.
So just focus on Illustrator and IGNORE what other people say you need to
learn.
WHEW.
So, what’s next? We’ll go through the options on HOW you become
proficient.
And some of them are really REALLY REALLY BAD options.
So DO NOT skip the next chapter.

CHAPTER 6:
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO LEARN

ILLUSTRATOR FAST (AND MAYBE
EVEN FREE)?
When it comes to learning Illustrator for your fashion design career, you
have options.
Now, contrary to the title of this chapter, some of these options are NOT
free. Don’t worry, at the end of this guide, there are 37 40 (just updated
with new videos!) of my hand picked Illustrator tutorials that ARE free
(organized so you can QUICKLY find what you need based on YOUR unique
situation).
But for the sake of putting together a comprehensive list, I wanted to

include both free AND paid options to learn.
When it comes to learning FAST? That’s really up to you.
I know designers who’ve binged Netflix style on my 100+ free tutorials or

gotten through some of my premium courses in a week.
You CAN see fast results...IF you put in the time and effort.
There is NO magic pill. It takes work and dedication. And you HAVE to
practice.

Like anything in life.
The main reason I wrote this chapter? Is to show you that NOT all options
to learn Illustrator are the BEST options. (Regardless of price.)
And SOMETIMES, the option you assume is the BEST is actually the
WORST.
So read this section closely, choose carefully, and consider what’s MOST
important to you:
● Listing a well known fashion school on your resume?

● Or learning from someone who uses Illustrator daily in a REAL life
setting?
I will show you exactly how to decide in a minute.
But right now, I want to tell you the HARD stuff you need to hear.
How to kill your fashion design dream: the

truth no one else will tell you
If you take the wrong Illustrator course?
You can leave MORE CONFUSED than when you started, like Hayley:
“I was so confused because of the way he explained things, it felt like
learning a new language. He might as well have been speaking Chinese to
me.” - Hayley
You can get stuck with a GRAPHIC DESIGN teacher who has NO idea how
to apply the tools to fashion:

You can get stuck with a teacher who lectures from a BOOK - something
you could DIY for WAY cheaper:
As a result? You’ll lose so much confidence that you’ll QUIT:
I know it SUCKS to hear this. But I believe you have the RIGHT to hear the
truth.

Because I don’t want you to waste TIME and MONEY on methods that
don’t work.
Or worse, GIVE UP on your dream all together.
Because knowing Illustrator in the fashion

industry? It’s the difference between getting
the job and NOT getting the job.
To reach your dream and get ahead in fashion, Illustrator skills are
mandatory.
98% of fashion design jobs REQUIRE proficiency and hand sketching is

insufficient.
See for yourself. Of 20+ listings on StyleCareers.com, NOT ONE listed

hand sketching. But they ALL listed Illustrator:
It is your Illustrator skills that will SET YOU APART from the
competition.
So ask yourself, CAN YOU:
● Sketch flats quickly and accurately to convey your vision to

factories and buyers?
● Create seamless repeating patterns and colorways - and apply them
to your beautiful flats?
● Layout line sheets and presentation boards?
Because this is what jobs REQUIRE:
The days of assistants and graphic teams to digitally translate your ideas?
*POOF* gone.
Companies are cutting back and designers are expected to know how to
do EVERYTHING.
I experienced it firsthand in 2008 shortly after landing my dream job

in fashion.
2008 was a BAD year. Global economies crumbled and fashion brands
were no exception.
Sales plummeted but overhead stayed HIGH. Layoffs swept through

companies like tidal waves.
My manager was the first to go. Designers fell like dominoes.

In just WEEKS, our team of 20 shrank to 8.
Somehow, I was one of the last designers left.
I wondered WHY and HOW?
Some of the MOST experienced staff was let go. Me? I BARELY had any
“real” fashion experience.
And then the obvious reason HIT ME UPSIDE THE HEAD.
I knew how to do EVERYTHING in Illustrator. I was GOOD. And I was FAST.
● Flats took me MINUTES when other designers took HOURS.

● I could mock up colorways and design variations while the CEO
hovered over my shoulder.
● I could pull presentation boards together in ONE afternoon.
What they needed was designers who could “DO IT ALL”.
And most of the team? Their computer skills DID NOT make the cut.
No matter your experience in the industry - entry level or 20+ years,

Adobe Illustrator for fashion design is MANDATORY.
And you’ll be TESTED.

And even if you’ve been in the industry FOREVER and can draw flats
really fast in CM (Colour Matters, some of the outdated fashion software
we talked about earlier), it doesn’t matter.

Brands needs you to be fast in ILLUSTRATOR:
Ok. Now I KNOW you’re probably feeling PANIC.
DON’T. That is not my intention.
The reason you’re reading this is to get on the BEST path to learn
Illustrator for fashion design.
Which is what we’ll go through next.
But I’ve heard SO many horror stories, that I want to get all of this out on
the table so YOU can make a better decision for your future. SO that YOU
are armed with the right knowledge and choose the right path to learn.

So that you don’t come CRYING to me with a failure story. Instead, you
come SINGING to me with a success story, like some of the designers I’m
going to introduce you to later.
You can choose your own path to proficiency.

But some are more treacherous than others.
(Hint: fashion school is usually your worst
enemy.)
You know what people tell me ALL THE TIME? It goes like this:
“If I’m going to spend money on a course to learn Illustrator, I want to

be able to list a reputable fashion school on my resume.”
#FACEPALM
With 10+ years of experience in fashion, I’ve seen FIRSTHAND what comes
out of fashion school.
And it is NOT PRETTY.

Beyond what students say? Here’s something SCARIER.
I’ve talked to professors and faculty FACE TO FACE at “reputable” fashion

schools. The things they’ve said are FRIGHTENING.
I quote:
Parson’s professor after admitting their Illustrator teacher was terrible:
“The administration doesn’t care. As long as there’s a warm body

teaching the class, that’s all that matters.”

CSU faculty:
“The professors just can’t keep up with the technology. We have one
class, but it’s not enough. So I tell students to go home and learn on
YouTube.”
FIT professor, copied from her website:
“Are you enrolled in another school or program? Our course is a great

supplement to your current curriculum. Some designs schools only offer
a limited amount of Adobe Illustrator courses and in many cases don’t
leave you proficient enough to perform on the job.”
Speaking of FIT? Oh, have I got a GOOD one for you.
I was a guest lecturer in their Illustrator class once. After my 30 min

presentation?
The students told me they learned more than they had ALL semester.

They asked me why I wasn’t teaching the class. Because they were
learning NOTHING from their teacher.
(I even found out years later that they PETITIONED to bring me in as the
teacher.)
But you know...that TENURE thing…
Listen.
This guide isn’t meant to be a RANT on fashion schools.
But I know for a FACT that most of their Illustrator classes (even at
“reputable” schools) are taught by professors who:
● Have never actually worked in the industry

● Have never used Illustrator on the job or in a real life setting
● Teach it out of a graphic design book (yes, this happens) and
students have no idea why they even need to know the software to
work in fashion

So if it were me? I’d RUN. I’d run as FAR away from those fashion
schools as possible.
Because listing FIT, FIDM, or Parson’s on your resume doesn’t mean SHIT
if you don’t actually have the skills you need to pass the Illustrator test
during your interview.
Sorry if I sound harsh, but man this makes me ANGRY.

And I hear too many designers caring about “learning at a proper school”
when I KNOW they’re not going to get what they need.
Instead, they’ll leave bruised, battered, and UNPREPARED for the real
world.
So I wanted to make sure and hammer this one home.
Got it? Cool. RANT DONE.
Let’s look at your options to learn Illustrator, one by one, with all the
pros + cons.
Illustrator Courses at Fashion Schools

PROS
You will:
● Get a “certificate” and can list it on your resume (it looks good on
“paper”)
● Learn “in person”
● Network with other designers

You may:
● Get connections to job opportunities
CONS
It’s inconvenient. You have to:
● “Show up” at set times and places
● Jump through application, enrollment and registration hoops
● Take pre-reqs just to get the class you actually need
It’s outdated and ineffective. Teachers:

● Don’t have time to stay up with technology and aren’t using AI daily
in a real world setting
● Are unqualified and don’t have the skills you need, so instead share
my free videos with you:
●
● Have tenure and are “just a warm body” (like Parson’s and FIT
faculty have told me).
Course structure and support is lacking. You will:

● Only learn basic skills and will STRUGGLE to get what you really
need
● Be stuck with students who don’t understand basics and waste
HOURS of class time while you lose out on learning important skills
● Be left HANGING when you have questions or need support after the
semester ends.

Let’s check out two top fashion school courses to see what they look like.
I realize many of you don’t live in these hubs, but it’ll give you a good
overview.
FIT NYC
Courses: FF 242 Fashion Design Computer: Illustrator is the course you
want, but FF 141 Introduction to Computerized Fashion Design is a
required pre-req.
Total Cost: In-state: $477.50 / Out of state: $1435
Time Investment: 17 weeks (31 hours) x 2 courses = 8.5 months (62

hours). Including transit (30 mins / class), you’ve lost 17 hours in travel
ALONE.
London’s Central Saint Martins
Course: Creative Fashion Design with Illustrator
Cost: ~ $910 USD
Time investment (3 options):

● 10 weeks (25 hrs total)
● 5 days (30 hrs total)
● 4 days (30 hrs total)
IMPORTANT - READ THIS!

The 4- or 5-day “bootcamp” style class may look attractive, but it’s a
TERRIBLE idea. Your brain cannot absorb the content that fast and you
will leave more overwhelmed than when you started.
I know because I used to teach this way - it DOESN’T work. Every student
told me it was TOO much in TOO little time.
If you choose to learn Illustrator in fashion school, make sure you:

● Research the teacher and how qualified are they
● Contact past students to get real feedback
“General” Adobe Illustrator Classes

This is a horrible option but I’m obliged to mention it because I know WAY too many
designers who’ve done this.
PROS
● None
CONS
● You will learn how to design logos & brochures, but no idea how to
relate this to fashion
● You may not even understand why fashion designers need to learn
“graphic design” software
● You will leave more confused than when you started
If you choose to take a “general” AI class, make sure:

● Just don’t do it. PLEASE, don’t.
Learn Illustrator From a Book

PROS
● It’s cost effective
● You get forever “access”
CONS
● Books are expensive and HARD TO UPDATE, so they easily become
vintage (and not in a good way like that Chanel bag)
● There is no way to get help or your questions answered
● It requires TREMENDOUS self discipline
If you choose to learn from a book, make sure:

● The book is relevant to your version of AI
● You have discipline to learn from a book instead of letting it gather
dust on your shelf (I’ve been guilty)
**And yes, I realize this is a book...a book full of VIDEO tutorials ;)
Get Custom Illustrator Training with a Private

Tutor
PROS
● You can focus on the skills you need and ignore the ones you don’t
● You’ll get direct one-on-one support
CONS
● The cost adds up QUICK
● It can be hard to find someone QUALIFIED locally or online who is a
good match for you
If you choose to get a private tutor, make sure:

● You find the right person who has a teaching style you like
● You get feedback from past students to make sure the tutor is
qualified
● You can afford enough lessons to learn everything you need
Learn Illustrator for Free on YouTube

PROS
● It’s free!
CONS
● You have to sift through a lot of bad stuff to find the good stuff
● You’ll suffer through poor audio / video quality
● You may get a segment of how to do a specific task, but are then
left hanging
● You’ll watch graphic design tutorials and try to relate them to
fashion #hard
● It requires TREMENDOUS self discipline
PSA: I’m not TOTALLY knocking YouTube. I mean COME ON, I have 100+
videos on there. Maybe you’ve even watched a few!
And later in this guide, I’ll share a ton of them with you, organized in a
way to help you find just what you need.
I’m just saying this is not ALWAYS the easiest and quickest route to
proficiency.
Remember: Time is money.
If you choose to learn from YouTube, make sure:

● You have the time and discipline to dig through tutorials and
piecemeal things together
Learn Adobe Illustrator for Fashion Design

From Online Courses
PROS
● Content is more current and easier to update
● You can conveniently learn from the comfort of your own home,
24/7
● You can go at your own pace and view videos over and over
● Depending on the course, you may get perks like:
○ Lifetime access
○ A money back guarantee
○ Interactive support
CONS
● There’s no real “physical” life interaction
● You may or may not get a “certificate”
If you choose to learn from online courses, make sure:

● You can preview content to make sure the teaching style works for
you
● The program offers the features you need (ie support, guarantees,
etc)
If you aren’t getting what I’m saying by now, let me be totally BLUNT
with you:
Online courses are the BEST way to learn. (And yes, I have a few of
them.)

But before you open a new browser tab and start googling your options,
let’s dig a little DEEPER.
Because when it comes to online courses, there are BIG

differences in what you’ll get.
You may learn the tools you need on Lynda or Skillshare for $99.
Or you might shell out $200 for a disjointed course from someone who
BARELY knows their stuff.
(NOT NAMING NAMES, BUT I HAVE HEARD STORIES.)
Here’s where they all fall short.
They won’t follow up with you.
Who do you reach out to when things go WRONG?
When you have a meeting next week to present your work and this is a
MAKE or BREAK decision for the company?
These are the things that determine the SUCCESS of our career.
What’s the value of that POWERFUL presentation you give. The one when
your boss turn to you and says “you’re going to lead this project, you’ve
PROVEN you can do this.”
What’s the value of the raise you’re going to get over 5 years, 10 years
from now?
The LITTLE moments. It’s having CONFIDENCE. It’s being NOT TERRIFIED
to put yourself out there.
These are the things that make or break the journey that we’re all on as
fashion designers.
And I’m COMMITTED to being there for YOU in those

moments.
That’s not something Lynda.com or any of these other online platforms
will give you.
They WON’T be there for you. They WON’T have conversations like
THESE:

Because at the end of the day? It’s not JUST about learning Adobe
Illustrator for fashion design.
It’s about what learning AI is going to DO for you. How is it going to

CHANGE your life?

Get your designs into production like Barbara, a
Masterclass graduate?

Knock your client’s socks off (and get your work done in
half the time) like Beautiful Flats graduate Holli?
Get the confidence you need to leave your current job?

Or just stop being intimidated and afraid of doing things
wrong?
Because you know that more confidence in Illustrator would make you
more confident in YOURSELF.

Sound good? Let’s dive into the tutorials now.

CHAPTER 7:
FREE ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

TUTORIALS FOR FASHION DESIGN
Hand picked and logically organized based on
what YOU need to learn RIGHT now.
IMPORTANT, READ THIS
How to use the tutorials section of this guide:
Videos are *LINKED* to YouTube or the Successful Fashion Designer site.

When you click “play”, the tutorial will open in your internet browser.
This guide is BEST used on a computer or tablet (not phone).
You must be connected to the internet to view tutorials.
You’ve gotten through A LOT of this guide. You are CRUSHING it.
Actually, I’m kind of lying. Reading those first few chapters was the EASY
part.

What comes next? The REAL work begins.
But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
Up next are 37 40 (just updated with new videos!) tutorials I HAND
PICKED for you.
I know it sounds like a lot. But considering I have 100+ free ones out
there? 40 is a TINY fraction!
And the best part?
You don’t have to go through ALL of them.
Don’t get overwhelmed trying to watch EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
Instead? Choose to learn based on your unique situation RIGHT NOW.
Save the rest for when you need to learn that SPECIFIC skill.
And you can ALWAYS come back for a refresher.
Because I’ll remind you:
You don’t have to know how to do EVERYTHING.
And you don’t have to MEMORIZE it all.
I’ve even been known to go back and watch my OWN tutorials. #truestory
Got it? Good.

Click the section below that makes the most sense for you to get started
and hit play.
TUTORIAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1: THE ILLUSTRATOR BEGINNER SERIES
PART 2: FASHION SKETCHES (AKA FLATS)
How to Draw a Fashion Sketch (or Flat) with the Pen Tool in Illustrator
Free Pen Tool Mini Course: Sketch Fashion Flats in Illustrator
How to Fill Your Fashion Sketches with Color (or Patterns) in Illustrator
How to Trace a Photo of a Garment or a Hand Drawn Sketch in
Illustrator
How to Add Shading and Shadows to Make Your Fashion Flats more 3D
How to Draw Fashion Flats in Illustrator If You’re a Hand Sketcher
How to Draw a Shoe (and Other Asymmetrical Designs) in Illustrator
PART 3: INTUITIVELY DRAW CURVED LINES

How to Turn a Straight Line Into a Curved Line in
Illustrator...intuitively
How to Control Curves While Drawing in Illustrator
How to Avoid “v” or “butt” Shapes in the Middle of Your Curves
PART 4: RECOLOR YOUR DESIGNS

How to Change, Replace, Merge, or Recolor ANY Type of Artwork in
Illustrator (including pattern swatches and brushes)
How to Use Pantone Swatches in Illustrator to Color Your Designs
PART 5: SEAMLESS REPEATING PATTERNS

Basic Repeating Patterns
Tossed Repeating Patterns in CS6 and Newer
How to Create Repeating Patterns in Illustrator CS5 and Earlier
How to Create a Pattern from an Image / Photo / Scan in Illustrator
How to Make a Plaid Pattern in Illustrator

How to Create Twill Plaids in Illustrator (and a little Photoshop)
How to Add a Background Color to a Pattern in Illustrator
Mockup Fabric Textures
How to Create a Realistic Denim Texture from a Photo
How to Create a Mesh Texture in Illustrator
How to Create a Chunky Knit Texture in Illustrator
How to Create Heather / Melange / Space Dye Fabric Textures in
Illustrator
How to Create Lace Patterns From a Photo
Edit (resize / rotate) Patterns and other Technical Extras
How to Change the Size / Scale or Direction of a Repeating Pattern
Swatch in Illustrator
How to Move / Reposition (and Scale) a Pattern inside your Fashion
Sketch
How to Figure Out What Size Your Repeating Pattern Should Be
How to Release / Expand / Break Apart a Pattern in Illustrator
PART 6: TECHNICAL DESIGN

How to Change a Color Fashion Flat Drawing to Black and White (in a
few clicks)
How to Mockup and Spec Full Scale Measurements for Your Fashion
Designs in Illustrator
How to Create Tech Sketches with Text Callouts in Illustrator (for tech
packs)
How to Put Illustrator Sketches in Excel (for tech packs)
PART 7: FASHION BRUSHES

How to Draw Movement Lines for Ruching or Gathering in Illustrator
(using a Brush)
How to Draw a Zipper in Illustrator (with a Brush)
How to Draw A METALLIC Zipper (with the pull, stop AND stitching in
ONE brush!)
How to Draw Stitching in Illustrator (Coverstitching, Flat Lock, etc)
Create a Lace Brush from a Photo (or any other realistic trim like
sequins, pearls, etc)
Where to Save Brushes in Illustrator (so they automatically load in
EVERY file EVERY time)

PART 1:
THE ILLUSTRATOR BEGINNER

SERIES FOR FASHION DESIGN
Absolute beginner? I designed these three video tutorials with YOU in
mind. They’re like a mini-course.
They transition SEAMLESSLY (no pun intended) from one to another to get
you comfy in the workspace in with the fundamental tools.
Each skill is an essential feature you’ll use FOR EVERY FASHION SKETCH
YOU EVER DRAW. I would NOT skip any of these vids.
Even if you’re not a TOTAL beginner? I’d still hit that play button.
I’ve seen HUNDREDS of “intermediate” or “advanced” users pick up a few

LIFE changing tricks.

PART 2:
DRAW FASHION SKETCHES (AKA

FLATS) IN ILLUSTRATOR
As a fashion designer, you will spend A LOT of time drawing fashion flats
in Illustrator.
What are fashion flats?

Fashion flats are drawings of what garments would look like if they were
laying flat on table, like this:

And whether you’re entry level, mid career, or even a senior designer,
you need to know how to draw them in Illustrator...quickly and
efficiently.
Flats are a BIG topic, which is why this section of the guide has quite a
few tutorials.
How to Draw a Fashion Sketch (or Flat) with

the Pen Tool in Illustrator
Maybe you’ve heard the rumor: the Pen Tool is REQUIRED knowledge.
It’s also one of the most FRUSTRATING tools to learn.
Because it DOESN’T work like a pen in real life. BIZARRO, I know.
Which is why I created a free mini course. In just 20 minutes, you’ll know
how to draw a fashion flat in Illustrator. Best part? You’ll understand
exactly HOW the Pen Tool works so you can PREDICT its behavior.
#SERIOUSGAMECHANGER

Take the Free Pen Tool Mini Course: Sketch Fashion Flats
in Illustrator
How to Fill Your Fashion Sketches with Color

(or Patterns) in Illustrator
Are you old enough (like me) to remember MICROSOFT PAINT? The way
you “color” your designs in Illustrator is TOTALLY different.
Without getting too technical, your fashion flats have to be CLOSED

SHAPES to be filled with color (or repeating patterns → think stripes,
plaids, prints, etc).
Depending on your final design, there are DIFFERENT ways to draw that
may work better than others.
Which is why I created this tutorial series: to show you 4 ways to

CONCEPTUALIZE sketching flats in Illustrator (+ pros and cons of each)
that are EASY to fill with color.

If this is something you FIGHT with? Watch all 4 videos. And don’t panic -
each one is less than 2 mins long ;).

How to Trace a Photo of a Garment or a Hand
Drawn Sketch in Illustrator
People ask me ALL the time if it’s CHEATING to trace something (a photo
or hand drawing) in Illustrator. #WHAAAT?
NO. It’s not cheating.
If you can’t draw freeform in Illustrator? NO PROBLEM!
I CAN’T EITHER.

So I use this workaround ALL. THE. TIME. It works great.
What do you need? A photo of a garment or a hand drawn sketch.
Google something you like.

Take a photo of the jacket you bought to use as (cough, cough)
“inspiration”.
Scan a page from your notebook.
I don’t care what you do, just bring that bad boy into Illustrator and start
tracing RIGHT ON TOP using this tutorial:
How to Add Shading and Shadows to Make Your

Fashion Flats more 3D
It's easy to feel like your fashion flats in Illustrator are, well, flat! But
they don't have to be.
With a few quick tricks, you can add shading, shadows, folds and more to
your sketches to bring them to life!

And bonus? You can even save your shadow and shading settings as
libraries so you can load them into EVERY Illustrator file (instead of
creating them from scratch every. damn. time. BOOM!)
This tutorial will show you exactly how to do ALL of that:
How to Draw Fashion Flats in Illustrator If

You’re a Hand Sketcher
If you love the way a real life pen (or pencil) draws on paper, I have
GOOD news.
There’s a MAGIC tool in Illustrator. And who would have guessed...it’s

called the PENCIL TOOL.
Unlike the Pen Tool? It ACTUALLY works like a pencil in real life. BOOM.
It’s quick to sketch with. It’s easy to edit your drawings. And it gives a
much more organic hand drawn feel than the Pen Tool does.
All my hand sketchers out there? You’re going to LOVE this tutorial.

Not a hand sketcher? I think you’ll love it (almost) as much...especially if
you find yourself screaming at the Pen Tool ON THE REGULAR ;)
How to Draw a Shoe (and Other Asymmetrical

Designs) in Illustrator
I have a tutorial similar to this one in my flagship paid program,
Illustrator Masterclass for Fashion Designers.
And I created a FREE version to share with everyone on YouTube after a

student told me:
“This was one of the most eye opening tutorials I’ve ever watched. I now
understand how to conceptualize drawing my designs.”
And if you think it’s WEIRD that I took one of my best tutorials and shared
it for free? That’s just how I roll. Why? I’ll tell you more about that later.

One last thing about sketching fashion flats in Illustrator? You don’t
always have to draw EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH.
Starting with a template can save you HOURS or time and HUNDREDS of
grey hairs from frustration.

PART 3:
DRAW A CURVED LINE IN

ILLUSTRATOR
It may sound fundamental. But it’s those SIMPLE things that can really
trip you up.
Which is why this is something that gets googled. A LOT:
Now, the tutorials here go WAY beyond drawing basic curves. And I’ve got
some pretty NIFTY TRICKS up my sleeve.
So even if you feel like you’re (somewhat) in #curvecontrol, DON’T SKIP

THIS CHAPTER SO FAST.
Deal?

How to Turn a Straight Line Into a Curved Line
in Illustrator...intuitively
If you’ve used other vector based software like Inkscape or

FreeHand...chances are you feel like they draw more intuitive than
Illustrator.
I haven’t spent time in those programs. So I’m not going to debate about
it.
But you’re here to learn ILLUSTRATOR. (Because that’s what fashion jobs
require). So, let me show you the easiest way to make AI JUST DO WHAT
YOU WANT.
We’ll start with this video tutorial: Turn a straight line into a curved line
with ONE CLICK.

How to Control Curves While Drawing in
Illustrator
This is one of those tricks that “only those who’ve been using AI for a long
time” know.
Even then? A LOT of those people don’t know it.
These keyboard shortcuts will let you easily control curves as you draw,
so you don’t have to GO BACK make edits.
If the Pen Tool isn’t your friend yet? May be best to skip this one for you.
But if the two of you are becoming closer pals, you’re ready for this
tutorial.
How to Avoid “v” or “butt” Shapes in the

Middle of Your Curves
You know the one. It looks like a V or like a butt or like the peach emoji.

And when you’re drawing smooth curves for necklines or hems? This pesky
shape keeps getting RIGHT in the middle of things.
If you use the flat drawing technique I teach of creating half your
garment and then reflecting it along the center front? You probably fight
with this “V-butt” problem a lot.
This video tutorial will show you how to draw smooth curves on your
fashion sketches and avoids the “V-butt” all together. #NOmoreVbutt

PART 4:
CHANGE COLORS OR RECOLOR

YOUR ARTWORK IN ILLUSTRATOR
As fashion designers, we work with colors. A LOT of colors.
Sometimes, you need to mockup LOADS of colorway options for garments

or textile patterns.
Sometimes you need to replace Pantone Coral with Pantone Lobster

throughout an ENTIRE LINE SHEET. Even though the shade is BARELY
different. #loveyourboss
The “recolor artwork” section of this guide is SHORT. But two of the
three video tutorials are REQUIRED for all fashion or textile (surface
pattern) designers.
If you work with color at all, these videos are MANDATORY.
How to Change, Replace, Merge, or Recolor

ANY Type of Artwork in Illustrator (including
pattern swatches and brushes)
Of all the tutorials I’ve ever shared, this IS one of the best kept secrets in
Illustrator.

I’ve seen advanced designers (who’ve been using the software for 10
years) #jawdrop when they watched this video. (Don’t worry, it’s easy
enough that anyone can do it.)
I’ve seen designers who’ve come from other design software packages
(like NedGraphics or Kaledo) complain that Illustrator doesn’t have a
quick way to recolor your artwork. #yesitdoes
Here we go - in less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn how to easily:
● Swap color positions

● Replace one color with another
● Merge colors
● Cycle through endless colorway options
IN A FEW CLICKS.
Your recoloring situation will go from HOURS to MINUTES.
And yes, it works for solid blocks of color, repeating pattern swatches,
brushes, and pretty much every other kind of artwork you can create in
Illustrator.
If you work with color, HIT PLAY ON THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL NOW! →

How to Use Pantone Swatches in Illustrator to
Color Your Designs
Work in fashion? You’ll be using Pantone colors to design.
And chances are? You’ll want to use those EXACT Pantone color values in
Illustrator.
Which is why I made a video tutorial to show you exactly how to do that.
Before you scroll down so fast, make sure you’re using the right Pantone
book.
Chances are, you’ll be working with the TPX / TCX books...but not
always.
This video will help you figure that out:

Next, make sure you have the correct Pantone libraries loaded in
Illustrator.
Got your workspace setup now?
Here’s a tutorial on how to color your fashion designs using ACTUAL

Pantone colors in Illustrator:

PART 5:
SEAMLESS REPEATING PATTERNS

FOR TEXTILE (OR SURFACE)
DESIGN IN ILLUSTRATOR
A while ago, I surveyed my email list of 10k+ fashion designers to ask
them what skill they most wanted to learn in Illustrator.
Drawing fashion flats won. Close second? Repeating patterns.
See? Like the BIG nerd that I am, I even made a chart.
Which is why this section on repeating pattern tutorials is pretty big. So

big that I broke it into 3 sub sections:
1. Basic repeats

2. Fabric and texture repeats
3. Editing, managing and technical details for repeats
FIRST: there are a few things you’ll want to know.
Depending on your version of Illustrator, creating and editing repeats can

work PRETTY different.
In CS6, Adobe introduced a new feature to create patterns. It was LIFE

CHANGING.
Since 2000 (the year I started using AI), this has been the most EXCITING
feature release I’ve ever seen.
So, CS6 or newer? You’ll use the Pattern Tool...most of the time. Simple
stripes and plaids? Are easier to do manually. And yes, we’ll cover that.
And CS5 or earlier? You have to make EVERYTHING manually. #sorry
And YES, I have tutorials for both versions.
Later in this section, we’ll also cover essentials like filling your design
with a pattern (think: putting a stripe into your t-shirt sketch) and editing
the size or direction (ie on the bias).
How to Create Basic Repeating Patterns in

Illustrator for Fabric Design
Depending on the pattern, you’ll approach making it differently. Which is
why I have multiple tutorials on DIFFERENT repeat types.
Tossed layouts vs plaids? Apples and oranges.

Pick the ones most relevant for you and hit play.
Tossed Repeating Patterns in CS6 and Newer

One of the most common type of repeats? TOSSED.
Just like it sounds, the motifs (objects or illustrations that make up the
pattern) are organically “tossed” throughout the repeat.
Here are some examples:
This 6 minute video tutorial will show you how to use the Pattern Tool in
Illustrator (CS6 and newer) to create a tossed seamless repeating pattern
using any motifs.

How to Create Repeating Patterns in Illustrator CS5 and
Earlier
On an older version of Illustrator? Repeats are still possible. They’re just
more MANUAL labor. And a pain to edit.
But you’ve still got to make them. So here’s the best way how, in a quick
5 minute tutorial:
How to Create a Pattern from an Image / Photo / Scan in

Illustrator
Working with raster artwork (pixel based) that you need to turn into a
repeat?
It could be an IMAGE of an actual fabric design you want to mockup as a

pattern. It could be ARTWORK you scanned and want to repeat.
Either way, the process is the SAME.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

● identify one repeat tile

● crop it in Photoshop (yes I just slipped that in, even though I said
you don’t need to know PS…)
● turn it into a pattern you can use in Illustrator to fill your fashion
sketches
NEW FEATURE! How to Crop in Illustrator: In the October 2017

Illustrator CC release, Adobe added a cropping feature right inside AI! It
works great and is super simple. Learn how to crop images in Illustrator
here. #nomorePhotoshop
The video below is older and shows how to crop in PS. If I were you? I’d
do it right in Illustrator.
How to Make a Plaid Pattern in Illustrator

Making a plaid? It’s like creating two stripe patterns (vertical and
horizontal) and stacking them.
Hint hint: need to make a stripe pattern? Use this tutorial and just make
ONE set of stripes ;). FANCY.
Here’s how to make a simple plaid pattern AND how to troubleshoot if
you find breaks or white gaps in your layout. Because those are
ANNOYING.
How to Create Twill Plaids in Illustrator (and a little

Photoshop)
Yep, I snuck that Photoshop in here again. Hate to do it to you, but the
truth is? Illustrator isn’t that great at mocking up REALISTIC plaids.
Need to add a twill weave (or any other weave structure) to your plaid?
You need Photoshop.
(Want to debate? YES, there are ways to emulate twill in Illustrator. Do

you know the method I’m referencing? Personally, I’d NEVER use it. It’s a
TOTAL hack and IMPOSSIBLE to edit.)
Don’t worry though, the Photoshop trick is pretty easy. And in this video
tutorial, I’ll even show you how to take the plaid back into Illustrator so
you can use it to fill all your fashion flat sketches. #bonuspoints

How to Add a Background Color to a Pattern in Illustrator
Seems like a pretty simple request. But there are TRICKS to do it right.
And they’re NOT totally obvious.
(Side Note: This tutorial is for CS6 and newer. If you’re on an older
version, here’s what to do: Create a rectangle that has a solid color fill
(and no stroke) that’s the exact size of your repeat box and put that in
your repeat. Make sure the “no stroke / no fill” bounding box is ALL the
way in the back, even behind the solid color shape, and boom - there’s
your background color.)

How to Mockup Fabric Textures and Turn Them
Into Repeating Patterns in Illustrator
Not everything you design in Illustrator - including repeating patterns -
has to be created from scratch.
There are a lot of simple tricks you can use to create realistic looking
textures from a photo or scan.
And this section will show you a few different ways to do that.
How to Create a Realistic Denim Texture from a Photo

It’s SUPER easy to take a photo or scan of an actual fabric texture and
AUTOMAGICALLY turn it into a repeat that you can fill your fashion
sketches with in Illustrator.
It helps your designs look more realistic and lifelike, which helps when
you’re trying to ACCURATELY communicate your vision.
This video tutorial shows step by step how to create a denim texture
using Illustrator and Photoshop (just for cropping).

NEW FEATURE! How to Crop in Illustrator: In the October 2017
Illustrator CC release, Adobe added a cropping feature right inside AI! It
works great and is super simple. Learn how to crop images in Illustrator
here and skip Photoshop all together.
How to Create a Mesh Texture in Illustrator

What if you want a realistic mesh texture with holes that you can see
through? You know, like mesh in REAL life?
This tutorial will show you how to mock that up in Illustrator and fill your
fashion flats with it.

How to Create a Chunky Knit Texture in
Illustrator
Mocking up knit textures by hand can be a BIG PAIN! Which is why this
tutorial is awesome sauce! Learn how to create your knit texture from a
photo in just a few minutes. Sort of like this!

This tutorial will show you how to quickly create a realistic knit texture,
fill your fashion flat with it, and change the colors.
How to Create Heather / Melange / Space Dye Fabric

Textures in Illustrator
There are multiple ways to do this, but this one is my FAVORITE.
Why? It creates the most realistic looking texture AND allows you to
infinitely change the colors. Like MAGIC.
This way, you can easily create custom space dye blends, or quickly mock
up any heather / melange color in the WHOLE rainbow. (Bonus tutorial:
here’s the fastest way to do that.)
What do you need? A photo of a texture (Google works wonders for this
kind of thing or just pull something from your closet and take a pic).

How to Create Lace Patterns From a Photo
Drawing realistic lace in Illustrator can be a major PITA. Which is why I
always use a photo or image of lace.
If you have a lace swatch you’re working with, snap a pic or scan that bad
boy in.
If not? Google holds the answers to all life’s problems.

#notreallybutyoucanfindalacepattern
Here’s a tutorial on how to mockup a (realistic) repeating lace pattern

using Illustrator and (don’t kill me) a teensy bit of Photoshop.
And yes, PS is required for this one IF you want your lace to actually be
transparent.
Bonus Tip to Avoid Photoshop: If your lace doesn’t HAVE to be

transparent and rather just LOOK transparent, there’s a workaround you
can use. Simply change the opacity of your lace fabric to “Multiply”
before turning it into a pattern.

You can find this setting under Window > Transparency. It looks like this:
How to Edit (resize / scale) Repeating Patterns

and other Technical Extras
In addition to creating the actual repeating pattern for your fabric or
surface designs, you also need to know how to manage them.
These tutorials will show you the quickest ways to resize, rotate or
position them on your fashion designs.
You’ll also learn how to spec one repeat tile for production, or break
patterns apart to use the motifs in other parts of your work.
Pretty cool stuff.

How to Change the Size / Scale or Direction of a
Repeating Pattern Swatch in Illustrator
I was at an onsite corporate training once. The senior designer told me
how she was changing the size of her patterns, and I almost died.
#notreallybutitwaspainful
In all seriousness, I couldn’t believe how much time she was WASTING.
Why? She was MANUALLY creating a NEW pattern everytime she needed to
show it at a different size. #facepalm
Seriously guys, if you’re doing this - or if there’s a chance your staff is

doing this (do you wonder why your edit requests take SO long?), we need
to have a SERIOUS chat.
Or, just watch this video tutorial. Problem solved.
You DON’T have to create a new pattern.
Instead? You check ONE box to resize, reposition, or change the direction
of a pattern swatch (like if you need to show fabric on the bias).
ONE BOX!!!!
Sorry about all the time you’ve wasted.

How to Move / Reposition (and Scale) a Pattern inside
your Fashion Sketch
Sometimes your pattern isn’t an allover print (AOP). Sometimes, it just
fills a section or panel on your design.
And you may want to make sure it’s positioned correctly so the artwork
falls in the RIGHT spot (sometimes referred to as a placed print).
This way, you can accurately mock up (and communicate with your
factory) how the artwork should look on the garment in REAL life.
Here’s a tutorial on exactly how to control the position of your pattern

(even if it’s inside a flat sketch) and resize it so it fits JUST like you need
it to.

How to Figure Out What Size Your Repeating Pattern
Should Be
Spoiler Alert: There’s no magic answer.
But there are ways you can figure it out.
Bottom line? Depends on what you’re using the pattern for.
To design and print fabric at Spoonflower?

To send to the factory that’s producing your collection?
Each situation has a different answer.
This video tutorial will help you figure out what answer is best for YOUR
situation, and how to spec the size of your repeat so you make sure it
comes out right on your fabric (or whatever it’s going on).

How to Release / Expand / Break Apart a Pattern in
Illustrator
Whatever you want to call it, there are times when you need to pull those
awesome motifs OUT of your pattern and use them as artwork.
Maybe it’s for a placed print. Maybe it’s for labels and hangtags. Maybe
it’s for something else.
Whatever it’s for, I know that you need to break that darn pattern apart
and use all the bits individually.
And this video tutorial will show you exactly how.

PART 6:
TECHNICAL (FASHION) DESIGN

WITH ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
Not a “designer” working on the creative stuff? “Technical” designers still
have to use Illustrator.
As a technical designer (AKA TD), your responsibility will most likely

include:
● Turning color fashion flats into black and white tech sketches
● Creating full scale (life size) mockups with measurements
● Adding text callouts to spec the garment for a tech pack
And yes, a lot of the other tutorials in this guide will be helpful for you
TD’s too. (Specifically the stuff on drawing since you’ll need to edit flats
and create detail sketches to communicate with factories.)
And yes, depending on the size of your company, your job role may
include both creative design and TD.
So depending on what position you’re in, you may find the next few
tutorials helpful (or not). No hard feelings if you skip right past these.

How to Change a Color Fashion Flat Drawing to
Black and White (in a few clicks)
Please. Please. Please. DO NOT manually change color fashion flats to
black and white...one piece at a time. I’ve seen TOO many of you do this.
If your design is complex and has a lot of different shapes (zippers,

buttons, etc), repeating pattern fills, or brushes (zippers, coverstitching,
etc)? This is INSANELY TEDIOUS.
Even if your design is somewhat simple (like the legging example in the
next video)? You still shouldn’t waste time by MANUALLY changing it to
black and white.
Here’s a tutorial on how (in a few clicks) you can quickly take a color
sketch and make it black and white in Illustrator:

How to Mockup and Spec Full Scale
Measurements for Your Fashion Designs in
Illustrator
You know what I like most about this tutorial? It includes some real life
fun (AKA me being a nerd on screen)!
But no, really, you can step away from your screen for a minute and use
your body (or a fit model or a friend’s body) to look at measurements in
real life.
After you’ve done that (because there’s nothing like seeing something on
an actual body), I’ll show you how to mockup your design (or artwork) in
full scale and add measurements in Illustrator.
Here’s exactly how you do all of this:

How to Create Tech Sketches with Text
Callouts in Illustrator (for tech packs)
At the beginning of this guide, I told you why it’s a TERRIBLE idea to
create tech packs in Illustrator. #pleasedontdoit #usemicrosoftexcel
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t PIECES and PARTS of your tech pack
that you can create in Illustrator and then bring into Excel.
And yes, I’ll show you the best way to do that next.
First, you need to CREATE the tech sketches.
I like to do this right in Illustrator, and I’ll show you the most efficient
(and organized) way to do it in ONE Illustrator file.
Why the emphasis on ONE?
Because I knew a designer who would make MULTIPLE AI files for each
design.
One file for the tech sketch.

One file for the colorways.
One file for the fabric map.
One file for the measurement specs.
And so on.
It was OUT OF CONTROL.

Because if ANYTHING on the sketch had to be updated? You had like a
KAJILLION files to edit.
Which is why you should do it in ONE file.
And in this video tutorial, I’ll show you not only HOW to do that, but WHY
it’s the best way:
How to Put Illustrator Sketches in Excel (for

tech packs)
This may seem like a really RANDOM thing to make a tutorial on...so let
me tell you why I did it.
For years, I fought with two problems when it came to getting Illustrator
and Excel to “play nice with each other”.
1. I could save my AI sketches as JPGs and place them in Excel. BUT it

was a lot of steps. And if I made one TINY change to my sketch? I
had to do the steps ALL OVER again. It was a PITA.

2. I also fought A LOT with getting the sketches clear enough and not
all blurry (on screen or when printed) so the factory (and I!) could
read them...while not creating an Excel file that was GINORMOUS.
And then one brilliant day, I figured out THE SOLUTION.
The BEST solution.

The EASIEST solution.
The MAGICAL solution.
I NEVER looked back.
Here’s a tutorial that shows you the quickest way to drop your AI tech
sketches (or any other artwork) into Excel with sufficient resolution and a
not too big file size. Yes, it’s the HOLY GRAIL you never thought existed.
Eat it up right here →

PART 7:
FASHION BRUSHES FOR

ILLUSTRATOR
There are a lot of really cool and powerful features in Illustrator.
But sometimes, how we can use them as fashion designers isn’t always
SUPER obvious.
Brushes are one of these features.
Way too often I see designers doing things manually that they could do
with a brush…
And I bet you’re guilty of AT LEAST one.
It’s those squiggly little lines we use to emulate things like gathers,
ruffles or ruching.
Yeah, you know the ones. They look like this:

Guilty of drawing Every. Single. One. Manually like the image above?
Raise your hand.
Is your hand in the air? #yes
I had a feeling.
The great thing about brushes is very complex artwork can be controlled
by moving or adjusting just one line (path as it’s called in AI).
So if the curve of your garment changes, you don’t have to manually

move all those little squiggly lines. You just adjust the curve of the brush
path and MAGIC! Everything adjusts.
Before we dive into tutorials, here’s an overview on how brushes work -

and why to use them. If you’re just getting started, this should get you up
to speed.
Pattern brushes are a very powerful feature in Illustrator and offer many
benefits:
● Improve file organization

● Speed up workflow
● Decrease time for editing/changing details
Simply put, Pattern Brushes are repeating pattern tiles along a path –
think of them like a repeating pattern of any linear based design/feature
such as zippers, stitching or strapping.
When thinking about using pattern brushes, train your mind to think
about how they can be used in the most simple ways, like for basic
double needle topstitching (DNTS) to more complex and perhaps less
obvious ways such as placing a border along the hem of a garment.

While you may think that it's easier on simple brushes like DNTS to use
two rows of dashed paths, this is inefficient. If you need to manipulate
the line (path), you now have 2 lines (paths) to control. You’ve just
DOUBLED your work. Pattern brushes allow you to manipulate just ONE
path and control BOTH rows of stitching.

Pattern brushes are also great since you can save them as libraries to use
over and over again ← BOOM, the power of Illustrator (and brushes)!
Got it? Ok, let’s dive into the first tutorial.
How to Draw Movement Lines for Ruching or

Gathering in Illustrator (using a Brush)
In Illustrator, it's easy to emulate ruffles, ruching, elastic and gathering

with brushes. (Read: DO NOT draw these squiggly lines manually one by

one!)
Draw some zig zag paths with the Pen Tool and let Illustrator do the work
for you. Selected all corner anchor points (all anchor points except the
start and end points) with the Direct Selection Tool (white arrow).
Then, along your Control Bar at the top of your workspace, you’ll see
options to “convert to corner” and “convert to smooth”. For this
example, choose “convert to smooth”
(Control Bar missing? Turn it on via Window > Control).

To make your paths look more organic, change the stroke profile in the
Stroke panel (Window > Stroke) like this:
And if the stroke profile is going the wrong direction? Just flip it:

Now, just drag the squiggly lines into the Brushes panel, choose Pattern
Brush, leave all other settings as default and click OK.
Draw a line (or path), then click the brush icon from the Brushes Panel to
apply it.
It probably looks great, BUT notice the path runs along the center of the
ruffles. Intuitively, you may want it to be along the BOTTOM of the
ruffles. Easy to change!
Go back to your original squiggly lines and draw a rectangle along the
bottom edge of the ruffles. Wherever the middle of the rectangle hits
(shown with a red dotted line) will define where the path runs along the
brush. Before turning this into a brush, you have to make sure the
rectangle has two attributes:
1. The rectangle must have NO STROKE & NO FILL

2. The rectangle must be in the very back of the artwork (Object >
Arrange > Send to Back)

Then, drag the squiggle lines AND the “invisible” rectangle into the
Brushes panel (to overwrite the first brush, hold opt/alt while you drop it
on top of the old brush) and create the Pattern Brush.
Now, draw the path again with the new brush and the alignment is on the
bottom of the ruffle – PERFECT!
Now, this was a pretty simple example.
And arguably, the situation wouldn’t have been THAT bad had you drawn
all of those squiggly lines manually for this kind of design.

So let’s look at an example where you would be in DEEP TROUBLE if you
tried to draw all those lines one by one.
How to Draw Quilted Lines with Puckers (ie for a down jacket) in
Illustrator (using a Brush OR Repeating Pattern)
You may have a garment that has TONS of puckers that you need to
emulate with squiggly lines.
Like a down jacket.
This video tutorial will show you two ways to think about how to create
them, both with a brush and a repeating pattern.
You’ll learn when you should use one vs the other, and why this method is
SUPERIOR to doing it manually.
After you watch? Vow that you’ll never again draw a big row of squiggly
lines again unless you’re creating a brush. #dowehaveadeal?

How to Draw a Zipper in Illustrator (with a
Brush)
I’ve seen a lot of designer’s who just use a plain path (line) in place of an
actual mock up zipper teeth.
It looks something like this:
It’s a fine placeholder. But it doesn’t really show what’s going on with
the design.
If you were to send that to a factory? They’d interpret it as a reverse coil

zipper (where the teeth are on the inside). Because that’s what a plain
line emulates. See?

But to draw accurate fashion flats, you have to draw accurate details.
And that means you need to draw zipper teeth how they look in real life.
And pro tip? Not all zipper teeth look the same. Here are a few different
kinds from just one zipper supplier:
Now that you’re caught up on zippers….#iamanerd

Let me show you how to draw one...as a brush. More specifically, as a
pattern brush.
Click play on the zipper tutorial below:
How to Draw A METALLIC Zipper (with the pull,

stop AND stitching in ONE brush!)
If you're looking for a little more HARDCORE zipper tutorial...this is The
One!
It'll walk you through step by step how to create the zipper brush, add a
metallic effect (even though Illustrator doesn't allow gradients!), and
make it complete with the pull, stop and stitching...ALL IN ONE BRUSH!
Oh, and bonus? You'll even learn how to change the color of your zipper
with ONE click.
Here's a quick preview:

And here's the full tutorial! Check it out now:
How to Draw Stitching in Illustrator

(Coverstitching, Flat Lock, etc)
Drawing one single row of BASIC stitching? Just draw a path and check
ONE box in the Stroke Panel.

Like this:
Want to draw anything more complex? DO IT AS A BRUSH.
Because just like with zippers, you need to draw ACCURATE stitching in
your fashion flats and tech sketches.
Otherwise? Your factory will interpret what they SEE. Not what you
WRITE.
So even if your tech sketch looks like this:

Your samples will come out WRONG. Because what you’ve drawn is
SINGLE NEEDLE TOP STITCH. But what you’ve WRITTEN is ¼”
COVERSTITCH.
A picture is worth a THOUSAND words, so your drawing needs to be

CORRECT.
And a lot of factories? English is a second language. So they make what

they SEE. Fair enough.
It’s YOUR job to take the time to learn how to draw it right with the
video tutorial below.
(Or just buy a pack of fashion brushes for a few bucks and be on your
merry way.)
Create a Lace Brush from a Photo (or any other

realistic trim like sequins, pearls, etc)
Introduced in Illustrator CC, we have the option to turn a photo (or any
raster / pixel based image) into a brush.
Now, if that terminology doesn’t mean anything to you...let me put it in
other words.
This was a GAME CHANGER.
Before, you could only create brushes from artwork that you drew in
Illustrator.
Now, you can turn pretty much ANYTHING into a brush.
AND? Even if you’re creating a brush from an image (like in the lace
example below), you can CHANGE THE COLOR. In ILLUSTRATOR.
That’s right. I’m going to show you how to change the color of a photo in
Illustrator...so you can mock up any shade of the rainbow lace you
want...all from one image. #PhotoshopNOTrequired
Enough of my excitement already. Watch the dang tutorial!

Where to Save Brushes in Illustrator (so they
automatically load in EVERY file EVERY time)
My guess is that your workflow goes something like this:
● Create a new document or open an existing one to “frankenstein”

from.
● Dig through 8 Illustrator files to find that zipper brush you used last
season.
● Copy the zipper from the old file into the new file.
That sounds HORRIBLE.
And now I understand why you and Illustrator have a LOVE HATE
relationship.
This video will show you how and where to save all your assets (not just
brushes, but things like custom swatch libraries or symbol libraries) so
that the AUTOMATICALLY load in EVERY Illustrator document you create
or open.
No more digging through old files trying to find that heather texture or
ruching brush you KNOW you already made...argh.
Watch this tutorial to FINALLY get your workspace set up right...and have
access to ALL your brushes, ALL the time.

THE END. WHAT’S NEXT?
You’ve made it to the end of the Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion
Design.
Congratulations!
My advice? Practice. PRACTICE. PRACTICE.
I told you at the beginning of this guide that there’s no magic pill to
learning Illustrator. You didn’t magically learn to sew, sketch by hand, or
draft a pattern overnight.
And the same is true with Illustrator.
I wrote this guide to give you the framework you need to succeed and the
best tutorials in a logical order.
You have to put in the work.
If you’ve gotten through it all and still want more? I like you :) #gogetter
There are 70+ additional free Illustrator tutorials, other free books (on
freelancing, portfolios, and fashion industry terminology), plus free
fashion design templates on the Successful Fashion Designer site.
I also host the Successful Fashion Designer podcast, with over 100+ five
star reviews on iTunes. Listen for a new episode most Mondays.

Dive in.
If you’re really serious about learning Illustrator? My flagship Illustrator

course, The Masterclass, may be right for you.
And yes, I know you’re probably wondering:
“Why would I pay for your courses when I can use all (100+) of your free
Illustrator tutorials? (And when you created this AWESOME step-by-step
guide?)”
You know what?
You’re RIGHT!
(Secret: it’s entirely possible that I *MAY HAVE* done this on purpose.
GASP.)
I WANT you to USE my free content.

Squeeze every last DROP out of it. Watch every last second of every last
video.
Which is why I compiled the best of the best for you right here in this
guide. It’s why I carved out a nice clean path for you to walk down, one
step at a time, to watch each free tutorial, in the order that makes most
sense.
Because if my FREE content helps you sketch better in Illustrator...
Then what magical wonders do you think the PAID content could do???
My paid content is several steps ABOVE the free stuff. Here’s what you
get with PAID content:
● In-depth tutorials that flow seamlessly from one to another to take

you start to finish (like how to go from a blank page to a finished
line sheet complete with multiple colorways)
● Brand spankin’ new stuff that I’ve NEVER published on the blog (and
never will!)
● Flats templates, brush libraries and premium video content (that
blows my YouTube channel out of the water)…and it’s waiting for
you to binge on demand #netflixstyle
● Exercises that will help you get out of that RUT where you feel like
there’s TOO much on your plate and you have no idea where to
start.
● Access to ME. (woot!) Because sometimes you have questions unique
to YOU and your situation. And while I don’t answer questions for
free via email (I get them a lot), I do answer all my students’
Illustrator questions. ( ← I’ve even been known to make extra
videos just to help one student with a unique problem.)

So if you’re just in this to learn a few tricks here and there, by ALL
means, stick to the free stuff. It’s ready and waiting for you all the time.
But if you want the real MEAT…those things that make the difference
between:
● Getting the job or NOT getting the job

● Spending 20 minutes or 2 HOURS drawing a flat
● Falling in love with Illustrator (yes, I’ve been known to cast magic
spells on people that makes this happen) or throwing your computer
OUT THE WINDOW
(oh, and you’re ready to finally feel confident in Illustrator)…
Then get yourself on the Masterclass waitlist to find out first when it
opens (just a few times a year).
Here’s what I’d love for you to do next (if you didn’t already).
Send me an email (illustrator@sewheidi.com) and show me some of your

designs. I love seeing your work! Bonus points if you include before and
afters :)
Cheers to nerding out in Illustrator and your fashion career success.
xx Heidi

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If you asked me today, I’d tell you I’m an expert at Adobe Illustrator for

But if I’m honest?

I wasn’t always this good. And the beginning of my fashion designer

What’s Included in the Ultimate Guide to

CHAPTER 1: What Software Do Fashion Designers Use to

Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 2

CHAPTER 3: What Do Fashion Designers Use Illustrator

CHAPTER 4: How Do I Know So Much About Illustrator for

CHAPTER 5: 5 Myths You Believe About Illustrator...and

CHAPTER 6: What’s the Best Way to Learn Illustrator fast

CHAPTER 7: Free Adobe Illustrator Tutorials for Fashion

Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 3

Who is this Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for?

● A total beginner trying to break into fashion...and don’t know

You’ll have to practice. You’ll make mistakes. And you’ll learn.

Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 4

In the meantime, I’m really excited to have you here.

Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 5

WHAT SOFTWARE DO FASHION

Why? ​Because hand sketching is glamorous. It’s sexy!

Visually, it “looks” really good.

But hand sketching in the fashion industry is

But in reality? Digital (read: computer) drawing skills are MANDATORY.

So, what software do fashion designers use?

Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 6

But NONE of this fashion design software

Simply put: Adobe JUST WORKS.

Contrast that against fashion software (NedGraphics, Kaledo and Colour

You’re looking at VERY different things.

Fashion software is EXPENSIVE.

Like tens thousands of dollars JUST to get set up ($10-25k).

Then? Yearly subscriptions are $$$ ($2-4k PER user).

Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 7

(​I know because I’ve used some of them.)​

This screenshot of Colour Matters from late 2018? A photo is worth a

I actually heard a rumor they’re going out of business...which is another

They just can’t maintain their programs.

And it’s not going anywhere.

If you want to work in fashion design? Adobe Illustrator is mandatory.

What about Photoshop? Don’t you need to

Photoshop should be used for photos (cough, ​Photo​shop, cough).

Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 9

Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 10

WHAT VERSION OF ILLUSTRATOR

What version do you need?

CS5 and CS6? Still work fairly well.

Illustrator CS2, 3 or 4? That stuff is VINTAGE in digital years.

That way, it’s always up to date like MAGIC.

And yes, it requires a monthly (or yearly) payment.

If you’re still on CS, do you need to upgrade?

Why? Because Adobe supports forward compatibility, but not backwards.

That means if you’re on CS6 (older version) and your client is on CC

Also, artwork can become a jumbled mess when transferring between

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Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion • ​SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com​ by Sew Heidi​ 13

WHAT DO FASHION DESIGNERS USE

CAD work like Fashion Flats & Tech Sketches

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Why? Because hand sketching is glamorous. It’s sexy!

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(I know because I’ve used some of them.)

Photoshop should be used for photos (cough, Photoshop, cough).

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I say them because if I didn’t? I’d be doing you a HUGE disservice.

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Not next month or next year. NOW.

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