Fashion flats or flat drawings are often confused with illustrations. Even people within the industry confuse flat sketches and photographs. But in reality, both are entirely different, and their use is also different. Technical Fashion Flats are more related to the practical expression of a style idea. Designers and manufacturers often use fashion design sketches for design and manufacturing processes. So, technical designers prepare fashion flat sketches for technical demonstration of the style. Unlike illustration, fashion flat sketches are more technical drawings. The purpose of a flat sketch is to give a visual idea and explain the style idea at a glance. So, the tech pack designer prepares tech packs and spec sheets based on the flat sketch. Flat Sketch has a front, side, and back view of the style.
What is a Fashion Flat Sketch?
Fashion flat sketch is a 2-D line drawing of a garment made to explain the detailing of a garment style. Apparel designer draw fashion flats to explain style detailing in a tech pack. A fashion flat consist of front view, back view and side view of a particular garment style. A fashion flat sketch helps pattern maker and clothing manufacturer understand the style. And gives a bird eye view of a style to people involved in garment manufacturing process.
Fashion Design Sketches and Fashion Illustration: How They Are Different
The purpose of illustration and fashion sketches are different depending on their usage. An illustration is drawn to showcase how the style will look on a model. Fashion designers use illustration to present their collection line sheets and marketing campaigns. In short, an illustration is more on the creative side of fashion design. Whereas a fashion design sketch is more of a technical drawing. So, how it will look on a model or a mannequin is unimportant in flat sketches. So, Flat sketches are drawn only in a two-dimensional form. The style detailing and stitching lines are more focused on the flat sketch. Flat drawings are part of technical design and documentation. The Fashion Flat Sketches are prepared to create tech packs.
When you lay a garment on the floor or a flat table, you can see only one side of the garment. Along with this, you can see the garment’s details on that particular side. Clothing tech pack designers prepare fashion flat sketches based on this theory. The primary purpose of the flat sketch is to give a clear vision of the garment style and its detailing. That is why, In a flat drawing, you will see three side views of the garment style. The front view, the back view, and the side view of the style. Fashion Design Sketches is a 2D drawing with solid lines drawn to explain the basic structure and detailing of the style. You can consider this a blueprint, like a building plan blueprint.
What are The Common Fashion Flats Mistakes & How to Avoid Them?
Fashion flat sketches are the base of a tech pack and give a first-eye impression of the style and its detailing. So, preparing the fashion flat sketch that explains the design intent and clarity of style details is essential. Brands and designers often lack showcasing those details in many ways. That affects misinterpretation of the tech pack details. Let’s discuss the common mistakes of flat sketching and how we can avoid them.
Inconsistent Line Weight
Try to give uniform line weight throughout the sketch. Using different line weights can make it look messy and unclear. Standardize your line weights for seams, edges, details, and stitching. Use various shades to represent patterns and dotted lines to showcase stitch lines.
Incorporate all elements of the garment design in the sketches. Omitting essential details like pockets, zippers, buttons, or pleats may cause misunderstanding. So, ensure those details are visible so the manufacturer understands the style. Make sure your sketch clearly shows all the elements of your garment design. The sketch should be adequately aligned and symmetrical. A crooked pocket or an uneven hem can translate to a production error. Excluding key measurements like garment length and sleeve width hinders accurate garment creation. So, include critical measurements on the sketch or in a separate measurement chart.
A flat sketch typically shows the garment’s front, back, and sometimes a side view. Missing views can leave important design details ambiguous. Include all necessary views to communicate the design entirely. The flat sketch should include the front view, back view, and side view of the garment. Missing views can leave important design details ambiguous. A cluttered or poorly presented sketch can hinder understanding of your design intent. To create a professional flat sketch, use clean lines and consistent formatting.
Using pre-made fashion design templates is a good practice to ensure consistency and proper design layout. You can use CAD software like Adobe Illustrator or Corel to prepare custom flat sketches, which offers greater flexibility and editing capabilities. Before finalizing, seek a second opinion to catch any errors or areas needing rectification. You can create clear, accurate, and professional flat sketches with the above tips.
Fashion Flats and Tech Pack Design Service – Fashion Studio Urban Purple
It is challenging to get a standard tech pack that is accepted in every factory in the world. That is why most factories send a lot of queries to apparel brands even after receiving tech packs. This is a common issue. Keeping this in mind, we have prepared a Tech Pack Template that helps new start-ups avail themselves of the bare minimum cost. You may visit our Tech Pack Template Store for tech packs of commonly used garments. Those tech packs are complete and pre-tested