How Much Does Digitising Cost ?

How Much Does Pattern Digitising Cost ? 

Pattern digitising in the UK is not expensive, although if you also require  grading, costs can mount up without adequate preparation. A simple six piece pattern may cost around £20 to £60 to digitise, although a minimum rate may apply to a small job.

A tailored jacket, or complicated technical garment may cost £60 to £100 to digitise, so you may need to organise your pattern to minimise cost where possible.

Digitising may be priced according to the amount of pattern pieces in a style, or according to an hourly rate. Or your digitiser may simply give you a price per job. There may also be various supplements that you need to be aware of.

The problem with charging according  to how many pattern pieces there are is that not all pattern pieces are the same –  A trouser leg will take much more time to digitise than a belt loop for instance.

Some UK digitisers will charge different amounts for different types of pattern pieces. Some will price according to bands of different amounts of pattern pieces – Up to ten pieces could be one price. Ten to fifteen pieces could be another price.

Tailored Jacket.

Tailored jackets can have many more pieces than less structured garments, so can cost significantly more to digitise. When made correctly tailored jackets would  have maybe forty to fifty pattern pieces, including lining, fusing, canvas, etc.

Armholes and sleeves may have several layers of interfacing in order to ensure a professional finish. While big high street brands, making many thousands of garments can afford to pay  whatever it costs, smaller brands  need to find a more cost-effective solution.

Grading.

If you are intending to have your patterns digitally graded, this too could affect the price. Much of the time involved in digitally grading a pattern is the initial scanning and digitising.

If your digitiser is digitising and grading your pattern at the same time, then there is little extra work involved beyond the initial digitising and then figuring out the grading rules. The price for additional grades should be significantly less than for the initial digitising.

You may want to check how much it would cost if you were to return for the grading at a later date. Some digitisers have a minimum charge, which could cover say three sizes. So, if the price were £20 per size, they may charge £60 as a minimum.

Keep in mind that if you need alterations to your original pattern, this could require additional costs for re-digitising, or altering the original pattern. Sometimes it is better to have a manual pattern for sampling, then to have all the sizes digitised at the same time.

The Grading Rules.

For most styles, working out the grading rules is fairly straightforward for a professional. The grader may ask you to submit a grade chart, or may suggest a general approach so that you leave the fine details up to them.

Dont attempt to compile the size chart yourself, unless you know what you are doing. Always employ a professional, as this is a good investment.

Some new designers think that they can use a size chart taken from the website of a big brand, but usually these charts are meant for their customers, not factories or graders.

Childrenswear.

Digitising childrens patterns can become expensive if you do not prepare correctly. Childrens patterns tend to be compact and easy to manipulate. This makes it easier to digitise one pattern size, but not necessarily cheaper.

If you also want your pattern graded,  the grading rules are more complicated than for adults clothing. There are usually many more sizes than for adults clothing. Some digitisers will add a supplement to grade childrenswear.

Sometimes it is necessary to make a new pattern  for each size range, and to test each block  before continuing the grade. This would add to the price of your digital grade.

I normally suggest either having one grade rule for all the sizes, or splitting them into two, so that the smaller half are equally graded, and the larger half are also equally graded. The latter I believe is the most cost-effective  option, but doesn’t compromise fit.

As childrens shapes change so much between sizes it is even more important to check that the extreme  sizes are correct. When grading childrens wear we do not necessarily follow the formal size charts. There is a degree of interpretation to ensure that each size maintains the same  overall look.

Ensure Your Final Pattern Is correct.

One of the biggest mistakes many small brands  make is to constantly tinker with and change their designs. When you give your final pattern to the digitiser you need to be sure that it is totally correct.

Not only would it be expensive to have to alter the digital files, but you could end up with multiple files with different variations from  the original.

Provide All Necessary Information.

Your digitiser will expect you to provide  all the information he needs in order to provide you with a professional pattern file. This includes : Style number; Grain line; Piece name; Drill holes; Notches; Quantity; and Material.

Ideally you should provide a sample made from the patter, so that the digitiser has a fuller understanding of the design.

Drill Holes.

Drill holes are normally drilled 1/2″ above the end of a dart or 1/8″ inside a pocket position. This is because the factory will drill a hole into the fabric, which needs to be hidden by the dart or pocket. If in doubt, draw the darts and pockets, and mark the drill hole position.

Check The Sizes.

Before production you  need to double  check that all  the sizes are correct.  Normally if the biggest and smallest sizes are correct, then all the in-between sizes should also  be correct.

It is  expensive and time consuming  to have to alter all the sizes after the patterns have been cut. It is even more costly to have your production ruined by incorrect patterns.

Paper Or Card Copies.

When you have a pattern made or copied by a manual pattern cutter, or graded by a manual grader, you know that you are paying for a hard copy in either paper or card. When you have a digitised version, you are just paying for the digital file.

A hard copy will be an additional cost, along with any additional postage, printing and packing costs. Card in particular can be expensive to courier.

If you require a card copy for the factory,  it may be cheaper for you to receive a paper copy that you can transfer onto card yourself, or that you can pay the factory or a professional to do.

Our Services.

We are a small group of specialist fashion industry freelancers, providing a wide range of cost-effective services for startups and small brands. Each of our associates is able to offer help and advice over a wide variety of areas within their field of expertise.  We have several highly experienced colleagues offering digitising and digital grading for our clients.

EMAIL     [email protected]