How to use Tartan Pattern Generator

Design a tartan thread by thread and export it as cloth, files for a mill, or a seamless tile.

A short guide to getting good results, plus answers to the questions people ask most.

Black Watch as flat bands, then woven as 2/2 twill. Drag the handle.
BeforeAfter
Black Watch as flat bands, then woven as 2/2 twill. Drag the handle.

Open the tool

How to use it

  1. 1

    Open File and pick a tartan

    Classic setts like Black Watch and Royal Stewart sit in the menu. Or press Randomize for a new one. Each opens ready to edit.

  2. 2

    Edit the bands in Pattern

    Each row is one color band and its thread count; the sett mirrors itself around the pivots. + Add color band for more, or Import SRT threadcount… and paste notation like B24 K4 R6.

  3. 3

    Choose the Weave

    2/2 twill is the standard tartan cloth. Plain weave suits gingham; Herringbone and Basketweave make the structure part of the pattern. Each crossing blends two colors, so the weave changes the shades.

  4. 2/2 Twill2/2 Twill
    Plain weavePlain weave
    HerringboneHerringbone
    BasketweaveBasketweave
    One sett in each weave.
  5. 4

    Build Colorways

    Press + Duplicate active, then pick Ancient, Weathered or Muted, or move the Hue, Saturation and Lightness sliders. Every colorway keeps the same sett and goes into the tech pack.

  6. OriginalOriginal
    AncientAncient
    WeatheredWeathered
    MutedMuted
    One sett, four colorways.
  7. 5

    Fill Production, then Export

    Ends and picks per inch, fabric width and shrinkage set the physical size of every file. Then export the tile, the SVG, or the Tech pack and Loom file for the mill.

About this tool

Tartan Pattern Generator builds a tartan as a weaver would: a thread count, mirrored around its pivots, woven in a real draft. The cloth on screen shows the diagonal of a 2/2 twill at your ends per inch. Start from a classic sett or paste one in.

You get a seamless PNG, JPEG or TIFF at true size for print and screen, plus a per-thread SVG and swatches for Illustrator. For a mill there is a tech pack, a loom file and the threadcount. Colorways and production numbers are saved with the project.

Features

Real weave drafts

Twill, plain weave, herringbone and basketweave drawn as cloth, and the loom file follows the same draft.

Threadcount in and out

Paste a Scottish Register threadcount to import any tartan; export yours in the same notation with a color legend.

Colorways side by side

Several colorways of one sett, each matched to its nearest Pantone TCX, adjusted on three sliders.

Files for the mill

A tech pack PDF, a WIF loom file, a jacquard grid and color separations, all from your production numbers.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes. Every feature and every export is free, with no account and no watermark. An account is optional and only keeps your projects so you can reopen them on another device.

Are my files uploaded?

No. Everything runs in your browser and your files stay on your device. The only thing that leaves it is a project you choose to save to your account.

What is the sett?

The thread count of one repeat: the order of the color bands and how many threads each holds. A tartan mirrors it around pivots, so the pattern reads the same in both directions.

Can a mill weave what I design?

Yes. The tech pack carries the spec, the WIF loom file carries threading, tie-up and treadling, and the threadcount is the recipe any tartan weaver reads.

Can I register my tartan with the Scottish Register of Tartans?

The Register asks for a threadcount and an image, and this tool exports both. Registration is the Register’s own process, with its own fee and rules.

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