Best fit for a made-to-measure studio: CLO combines measurement- or sketch-based pattern drafting, graded-size setup, and 2D review across sizes, with 3D garment simulation in the same product.
- Choose TUKAcad when marker making and production handoff belong in the same workflow.
- Choose Modaris when a reusable graded-pattern library supports a move toward production.
- Choose Optitex when size-by-size grading review and 3D sample visualization are priorities.
- Choose Seamly2D when individual measurement files and configurable size-height tables match your drafting method.
A small studio should choose grading software by how it handles the studio’s own measurements, graded size chart, visual checks, and production handoff. For this made-to-measure decision, CLO is the clearest documented match when you want measurement- or sketch-based drafting, a graded size table, review of all sizes in 2D, and garment simulation in 3D.
Compare the workflow before comparing the feature lists
Start with three different inputs: the client’s body measurements, the studio’s graded body-measurement chart, and the finished garment measurements you want the pattern to produce. ISO 8559-1:2017 sets out anthropometric definitions for body measurement. ISO 8559-3:2018 describes how to establish body-measurement tables and intervals for clothing sizes.
Those inputs let you check what a tool actually does for your work, whether you draft directly from one client’s measures or develop a graded run. Use this comparison to identify candidates, then run the same style and specification through each finalist.
| Decision | What to compare in your workflow |
|---|---|
| Measurement input | Can you start from a client’s measurements, a standard size chart, a base pattern, or a flat sketch? |
| Grading | Can you set your own size names, measurement increments, or grade rules for the full run? |
| Review | Can you compare patterns by size in 2D, inspect a 3D garment, or both? |
| Handoff | Does the intended package create markers, export the required file type, or support production documentation? |
Five tools for five workflow priorities
TUKAcad: grading with marker making and cutting in view
TUKAcad suits a small apparel operation that wants patternmaking, grading, marker work, and cutting preparation connected. Tukatech describes custom grade rules, half-size grading for customers between sizes, and angle grading for curve control on its TUKAcad product page.
For a run of up to four graded sizes and 14 pattern pieces per file, TUKAcad CLE includes TUKAdesign patternmaking and grading. TUKAdesign CPE includes patternmaking and grading, unlimited pattern pieces and graded sizes per file, and an editable measurement chart. TUKAcad CPE includes patternmaking and grading, unlimited pattern pieces and graded sizes per file, an editable measurement chart, TUKAmark marker making with unlimited marker dimensions, data import and export, digitizing, cut-data optimization, and a yield report.
Choose TUKAcad CPE when marker making and cutting data belong in the handoff; choose TUKAdesign CPE when the studio needs unlimited pattern pieces and sizes plus an editable measurement chart.
Modaris: reusable patterns for a growing production workflow
Modaris fits designers who expect a base pattern to become a repeatable product-development asset. Lectra says Modaris Classic creates, modifies, grades, and industrializes patterns; designers can save graded base patterns in a library and reuse them for future models. That reuse matters when a studio develops new styles from established blocks and wants consistent pattern records.
Lectra offers Modaris Classic, Essential, Expert, and Modaris 3D as distinct options. Modaris Essential grades and industrializes patterns saved in native Modaris files. Modaris 3D syncs 2D production patterns with 3D prototypes, applies changes in both views, and provides pattern-fit review tools. The broader Modaris workflow also includes pattern finishing, such as notches, seam values, axes, and production information.
Choose the Classic workflow when pattern libraries and production development are central. Add the Modaris 3D workflow when designers need to revise and inspect a digital prototype alongside its production pattern. The named editions matter, so match the exact Modaris option in a proposal to the functions your small team will use.
Optitex: size-range checks alongside 3D samples
Optitex suits a designer who wants to grade a base or sample pattern and view how the garment looks in 3D. Its 2D/3D CAD description describes grading patterns into additional sizes, comparing lengths across a size range, and creating virtual samples in several sizes with a draped 3D view.
Optitex’s PDS workflow article lists initial construction, grading across size runs, library management, annotations, and technical-specification output. It also describes 2D patternmaking and 3D visualization as connected from construction through validation. For a small range, that combination offers a path to inspect both the pattern dimensions and the visual garment before choosing which physical sample to sew.
Optitex’s grading webinar is intended for new and basic 2D users. Technical Services Specialist Emanuel Sepulveda introduces the grading tools and teaches attendees how to check grading and fit.
CLO: measurement-based drafting and review across sizes
CLO is the clearest fit when one independent designer wants measurement-driven pattern creation and graded-size visual review within an apparel design workflow. CLO’s Pattern Drafter documentation says patterns can be created from measurement points or flat sketches. The user can add grading and set up a size table for graded patterns, which gives a designer a direct place to enter the studio’s size run.
CLO’s feature page lists 2D Grading Review in version 2026.1. It lets users compare 2D pattern shape and graphic placement across grading sizes in one window. CLO also supports 2D pattern creation and editing alongside 3D garment simulation, giving a designer both a flat-pattern view and a simulated garment view during development.
The Pattern Drafter offers location choices for some measurements, including total length from the high-point shoulder or center front/back. Match to Avatar Size adjusts measurements to match an avatar’s size and is available only for CLO avatars. Only defined measurements generate 2D points of measure in the POM Object Browser, and the Edit POM tool checks their lengths.
Choose CLO when the decisive need is the combination of measurement- or sketch-based pattern drafting, a graded size table, all-size 2D review, and 3D garment simulation. That is a better match for a designer deciding both how a pattern changes by size and how the resulting garment appears before sewing.
Seamly2D: individual measurements plus explicit size-height tables
Seamly2D is worth evaluating when client-specific measurement files and a configurable size chart are part of the studio’s method. The Seamly measurement manual provides separate commands to load individual measurements or a standard multi-size table into a pattern file. The individual-measurement route gives a made-to-measure designer a documented way to connect one client’s measurements to a pattern.
For a graded standard chart, Seamly’s manual describes a base size and height, a base value for each measurement, and size and height increases for every measure. The software adds or subtracts those increments as it moves through the size-height combinations. Its guide says measurements in a standard table must grow proportionately and calls for separate tables for different age and gender groups, so the studio’s grading assumptions need to be encoded in those per-measurement increments.
Seamly’s API documentation lists AutoCAD DXF 2013 AAMA and tiled PDF exports. Choose Seamly2D when individual measurement files or a studio-defined size-height table are the starting point, and when those documented output formats match the receiving workflow.
Run one pattern through the same validation test
A controlled trial makes the software comparison practical. Use one style, one base pattern, one size chart, and one finished-garment specification in each candidate you are considering.
- Record the body measurements for the client or base size, then list each target garment measurement and the allowed ease for that style. Keep body dimensions and finished-garment dimensions as separate columns in the specification.
- Enter the same base pattern and size progression in each tool. Include the studio’s actual size names, measurement increments, and any special rules for curves or between-size clients.
- Compare the resulting pattern measurements with the garment specification at the smallest size, base size, largest size, and any middle size where the body proportions change. Check paired seam lengths, notches, and curve transitions along with the measurements that drive fit.
- Open the size range in 2D review and, where available, 3D simulation. Check whether the visual differences match the intended changes in the spec, then choose the workflow that lets the studio revise and hand off the pattern cleanly.
A digital grading tool applies the inputs and rules that the designer provides. The trial therefore tests the studio’s complete method: the chart, the rules, the review steps, and the file that reaches a sample maker or production partner.
FAQ
Can CLO start a pattern from an individual client's measurements?
The Pattern Drafter supports creating patterns from measurement points or flat sketches, followed by entry of pattern measurement values. Match to Avatar Size adjusts measurements to a CLO avatar’s size and is available only for CLO avatars.
How do I check points of measure created in CLO?
Use the Edit POM tool to check their lengths. CLO’s documentation says that only defined measurements become generated 2D points of measure, so include the specification’s important measurements when creating the pattern.
How many sizes fit in TUKAcad CLE?
TUKAcad CLE supports four graded sizes and up to 14 pattern pieces per file.
Can Seamly2D export files for a pattern handoff?
Yes. Its API documentation lists AutoCAD DXF 2013 AAMA and tiled PDF output. Match the exact DXF version or print layout to the receiving factory or sample room’s requirements before choosing that handoff route.