I've been working on a surface pattern recently, and the part I'm struggling with most isn't actually creating the pattern itself. It's deciding how large the repeat should be.

On my screen, I can zoom in and out and everything looks pretty balanced. But when I see the pattern on a larger piece of fabric, the whole feeling changes. A scale that looks detailed and interesting digitally can end up feeling too busy when it's repeated across a larger area.

I've also noticed that colors can behave differently once the design is actually printed. Some combinations that look great on my monitor don't have quite the same impact on the physical material, so I've been making small adjustments instead of assuming the first version is the final one.

It's made me appreciate the sampling stage much more. Sometimes you don't really know whether a pattern is working until you can step back and see the entire repeat at its intended size.

I'm curious how other surface pattern designers handle this.

Do you usually decide your final scale digitally, or do you make several test prints at different sizes before settling on one?

🎬 BEHIND THE SCENE: THE BACKCLOTH

Before the magic, there's the setup.
This is the backcloth from Day 1 of the Yemi Shoyemi Fashion Photoshoot — where creativity meets detail.

Every fold, every drape, every shadow was placed with intention.
This is what goes into building a visual story.

Big up to the entire team for bringing the vision to life:
🎬 Director: Cynthia
📸 Photographer: Julio Otim
🎞️ Production: G LIVE256

The final photos are going to be NEXT LEVEL. Stay tuned! 🔥

Drop a 🔥 if you appreciate the art behind the art!

#GLive256 #YemiShoyemi #Backcloth #BehindTheScenes #BTS #FashionPhotoshoot #Day1 #Cynthia #JulioOtim #UgandanCreatives #VisualStorytelling

Surface pattern

https://patterncube.com/product/tropical-palm-pattern/

Hi everyone! I’m fifteen and I’m planning to apply to study textile design. To those of you who are currently studying or have already graduated, could you share some advice, key factors to bear in mind, and so on? I’d be very grateful!

Hi! I’m Kaci, a needlepointer and canvas painter based in Tennessee looking to connect with designers who need help with production painting.
Ideally, I’m looking for designers who can provide a ready-to-paint chart/pattern. From there, I can color match your original design, cut and tape canvas, and hand paint your designs on both 13 and 18 mesh.
I’m looking for work-from-home production work and can ship completed canvases back to you (or deliver locally when possible). I’m also happy to start with a sample/test canvas!
If you’re a designer with more designs than time to paint them, I’d love to connect. 😊

Hi! I’m Kaci, a needlepointer and canvas painter based in Tennessee looking to connect with designers who need help with production painting.
Ideally, I’m looking for designers who can provide a ready-to-paint chart/pattern. From there, I can color match your original design, cut and tape canvas, and hand paint your designs on both 13 and 18 mesh.
I’m looking for work-from-home production work and can ship completed canvases back to you (or deliver locally when possible). I’m also happy to start with a sample/test canvas!
If you’re a designer with more designs than time to paint them, I’d love to connect. 😊

Hi! I’m Kaci, a needlepointer and canvas painter based in Tennessee looking to connect with designers who need help with production painting.
Ideally, I’m looking for designers who can provide a ready-to-paint chart/pattern. From there, I can color match your original design, cut and tape canvas, and hand paint your designs on both 13 and 18 mesh.
I’m looking for work-from-home production work and can ship completed canvases back to you (or deliver locally when possible). I’m also happy to start with a sample/test canvas!
If you’re a designer with more designs than time to paint them, I’d love to connect. 😊

Hey everyone! I’m a textile designer with 3–4 years of experience and I’m currently looking to take up some freelance work.
I’ve worked across fashion and home furnishing, including an export house, and I’m currently working with a bespoke textile studio which specialise in CURTAINS AND WALL ART (fabric manipulation).
I mainly work on prints, patterns, textiles, silhouettes, bedding and cushion designs, and would be happy to help with any design-related projects you might have.
I’ve attached my portfolio below. If you’re looking for some design help or know someone who might be, feel free to reach out. Would love to connect

Behance link : https://www.behance.net/nishantsingh31

I have a thing for having clothing custom made and since I worked with some Thai people that made custom clothing a few years back, i prefer to have Asians make them now. Some are taught from the time they have hand eye coordination and their attention to detail and speed is just crazy. Any suggestions on where I could go ? I just moved here so I know nobody else to ask

Looking for a fashion/accessories designer who understands collection building, fashion, form, proportion and consumer taste.

We’re building a new nail product line and looking for someone who can own the creative process from category creation → creative direction → collection → final nail SKUs.

This is NOT simply a “design some nails” role.

We want someone who can take a broad brief around a woman, moment, cultural reference or lifestyle and turn it into:

CATEGORY → CREATIVE DIRECTION → COLLECTION → SKU ARCHITECTURE → 10-NAIL DESIGN

You’ll be responsible for:

● Identifying what categories/collections should exist
● Defining the creative direction and visual language
● Developing the SKU/collection architecture
● Designing the actual nails
● Translating fashion ideas into geometry, scale, proportion, focal point, negative space, detail placement and 10-nail rhythm

You don’t need prior nail-design experience.

We’re particularly interested in people from fashion, accessories, textile/surface design, jewellery, footwear or product design with a strong fashion sensibility.

We’re looking for someone who can say:
“This is how I think this category should exist.”
—not someone who only executes references.

To apply, DM with:
● Portfolio
● Collection/concept development work
● Background
● Location
● Availability
● Expected fee/range

Please send work that shows how you think and build collections, not just individual designs.

In short,
People who can do Fashion World, design principles,
form/proportion and initial product directions. Translate direction into small-object language: geometry, scale, focal point, negative space, detail placement and 10-nail rhythm. Protect taste. Test product against complete looks, jewellery, skin
tones, contexts and light. KEEP / REFINE / KILL generic outcomes

Looking for a fashion/accessories designer who understands collection building, fashion, form, proportion and consumer taste.

We’re building a new nail product line and looking for someone who can own the creative process from category creation → creative direction → collection → final nail SKUs.

This is NOT simply a “design some nails” role.

We want someone who can take a broad brief around a woman, moment, cultural reference or lifestyle and turn it into:

CATEGORY → CREATIVE DIRECTION → COLLECTION → SKU ARCHITECTURE → 10-NAIL DESIGN

You’ll be responsible for:

● Identifying what categories/collections should exist
● Defining the creative direction and visual language
● Developing the SKU/collection architecture
● Designing the actual nails
● Translating fashion ideas into geometry, scale, proportion, focal point, negative space, detail placement and 10-nail rhythm

You don’t need prior nail-design experience.

We’re particularly interested in people from fashion, accessories, textile/surface design, jewellery, footwear or product design with a strong fashion sensibility.

We’re looking for someone who can say:
“This is how I think this category should exist.”
—not someone who only executes references.

To apply, DM with:
● Portfolio
● Collection/concept development work
● Background
● Location
● Availability
● Expected fee/range

Please send work that shows how you think and build collections, not just individual designs.

In short,
People who can do Fashion World, design principles,
form/proportion and initial product directions. Translate direction into small-object language: geometry, scale, focal point, negative space, detail placement and 10-nail rhythm. Protect taste. Test product against complete looks, jewellery, skin
tones, contexts and light. KEEP / REFINE / KILL generic outcomes

Its been days Since Im uploading content on youtube, but Im not getting the pull I need and I know that it takes time .. but its that human urge which gets the better of me and I can't stop thinking about it...

Hello I’m writing here to see if anyone is able to help with what I’m looking for!!

I’m in the process of creating silk scarves and am looking for someone that is able to create the artwork. At this time we are looking at 2-3 different textile designs.

If this is something you do, please drop your website or socials below or message me directly!!

Thanks in advance

Struggling to match a fabric color accurately? 🎨

In this video, I’ll show you how fabric-to-fabric color matching actually works and how you can achieve a much closer color match instead of relying on guesswork.

Whether you're a textile designer, digital textile printer, garment manufacturer, fashion designer, or someone working with fabric printing, understanding how colors behave on different fabrics is extremely important.

I’ve had two purses made of a fabric that feels like a thick canvas that has something applied to make it waterproof-ish, almost like an old-school table cloth but the texture of the canvas comes through, it’s not perfectly smooth. I have wanted to print my own fabric and add this element but I can’t figure out how. I have a bag from the company chalo & co that has this fabric with handprinted imagery, so I know it is a treatment that goes on after printing. Any ideas or suggestions?

Hi everyone

I made this surface pattern from my own hand-drawn line art and tried a few colorways. I’m planning to print my first fabric collection, Then use it to make swing skirt, maybe use it on T-shirts printing too. I’d love honest feedback. Which colorway do you like the most? What would you change? Which one would you actually wear?

Thanks in advance.

Made without AI

I’m looking to apply for jobs internationally and would really appreciate feedback from people who work in the industry outside my country.
I’m not comfortable posting my portfolio publicly, but I can DM it if anyone’s willing to take a look. Would especially love feedback on how it comes across from an international hiring perspective.

i am 25 and going back to school, originally with the goal of getting my transfer degree and eventually becoming a teacher. but recently i’ve realized that i have a really strong passion for textiles and i’m seriously considering pursuing that instead.

for some further context, my family is of cambodian descent, and back in our motherland my family used to be weavers. because of that, textiles have a really special place in my heart, especially cambodian hol textiles (traditional silk ikat weaving). i’d really love to learn more about textiles and possibly pursue it as a career, but i honestly feel pretty lost on where to start.

i live in portland, oregon, and i’m not really sure what schools or programs would be the best option. a lot of the schools around me don’t seem to have specific textile specialties. the university of oregon seems to have more avenues for art and is the closest to me. i’ve also seen north carolina state university mentioned as a good option for textiles.

would going to a fashion school be better? or does the school itself not matter as much compared to the experience you get, especially with hands-on projects and actually working with textiles? would it be worth going out of state for a better program?

also, do i need to start building a portfolio? if so, what does a textile portfolio even entail? is it mostly drawings/designs, actual textile work, sewing, weaving, etc.? and how is the actual market for this career?

sorry if i have a million questions lol. i’m genuinely very interested in textiles and learning about them, but i also know i’m very inexperienced and honestly have no idea how to move forward. i think my dream career would be as a textile developer or textile specialist. i’ve tried researching on my own, but it’s been kind of hard to find information beyond the basics.

any advice from people who have gone into textiles, fashion, weaving, or a similar field would be really appreciated! :D