How to make digital knit and custom fabrics for 3d garments

What if you could create any digital fabric in just a matter of minutes, including seamless repeat knit fabric and woven design? And the best part is you can even design your own custom print fabric using any pattern you can imagine.

To demonstrate, I created a unique custom print fabric by using these images of bananas and apples that I found in my kitchen. Of course, you will free to combine these images with any patterns you like. As for me, I combined these images with hummingbirds to create even more fascinating fabrics.

Hi, Designistas, I’m Rose Willey from Encoder Fashion. Today's tips are about how to make these beautiful seamless repeat fabrics step-by-step for this 3D dress. The dress has knit fabrics as well as custom prints including bananas, apples, and hummingbirds. 
I'm going to use this cool software is called APEXFiz Design Pro to create these fabrics

Last but not least, I will also share with you this cool website is called yarnbank where you can download yarn from around the world for free. Are you? Ready. Let's cut to it.

Design Jr Vs Design Pro

OK, guys before we begin creating fabrics, first, I want to point out the differences between Design Jr and Design Pro.

So many tools and functions are the same. However though, we have this work menu here in Design Pro, if I click on it to open and as you can see right here to my right we have more functions. That we can use it to create fabrics such as towel designs, Circular knit as well as embroidery designs, and so on.

However, though you don't have to worry about those menus and functions for now, we only need to focus on knit design where I'm going to use them to create cable knit as well as 1x1 rib knit fabric.

How to Make Digital Custom Print Fabric

OK, there we go, guys, to create custom print fabric, I will go to open and click on that. And then navigate to my folder, in this case on the desktop and I'm going to click on my folder here fixed apple, banana, and hummingbird to open. Then I'm going to come over here to the right and we want to select this Multiple selection box here, click on that.

This allows me to select multiple images at once. So I'm going to click on the hummingbird, apple, and banana. Next, I'm going to click on open here to open the images.

Now I'm going to create a page. To create the page, I'm going to come over here to new click on that and then I'm going to name here Rose custom print fabrics OK and after that user parameter, we want that 20 by 20 and be sure unit in centimeter.

After that portrait is checked be sure you uncheck these boxes before you can change the width and the height.

And be sure we have 200 DPI, which is a standard resolution. After that, I'm going to change the color to turquoise by clicking on this color chip here, and coming over here. I'm going to type in 16-5418 OK and then I'm going to click on OK.

Next, I'm going to click on OK once again to confirm OK, I'm going to zoom out just a little bit. I'm going to come over here to this top right corner and then click on the zoom bar here to the left to zoom out.

And I'm going to Scroll down by scrolling the mouse wheel forward to Scroll down and scroll it backward to scroll up so I can see right here. Now we just created, this page.

Next, I'm going to go to Repeatset here click on that and then we want to select this vertical step. Click on that to select leave everything as is and be sure the repeat frame box is checked, then click on ok.

Ok, so let me zoom out a little bit further. So I'm going to press on control here and scroll the mouse wheel backward to zoom out just like that. Now we are going to bring these images onto this page, OK.

To do so, first, I'm going to bring in this Hummingbird. Click on the twirling arrow here, and then click on that Hummingbird, then drag and drop her over here. Next, I'm going to scale her down by going to the scaling right there and then clicking on the scale box right there and I'm going to type in .25.

And then press on this enter icon here to enter. And next, let me move this over here a little bit so as you can see right here now the Hummingbird reduced size to much smaller than what it was after that be sure the smooth box is checked, and trim transparent layer box is checked. I'm going to click on OK here.

Next, we want to move the Hummingbird over here to this right corner. To do so, I'm going to press on control and then left click and then move her over here to roughly on the center right there, OK.

And after that, I'm going to make a copy. By the way, guys, based on the pattern we have, 3 Hummingbirds on this corner and two hummingbirds on this corner in the opposite direction. So we are going to make some copies and flip the Hummingbirds to meet our needs. To do so, I'm going to first make a copy.

To make a copy, so when it comes to making a copy, We have two options here, one I can press on control + letter C and control + letter V to make a copy.

So if I look it over here to this right under the layer tab, I see two hummingbirds. OK, next I'm going to press on control + left click on the Hummingbird to drag it either down here, or up here doesn't matter. I'm going to drag and then bring it up here.

And I'm going to scale it down as well. To scale it down, I'm going to come over here to this scaling once again, click on that. I'm going to type in this scale under height.

So by the way, guys be sure the same scale box is checked. OK, so I'm going to type in .35 and then click on this enter icon here to confirm. Let me move this over here so we can see it better, so right here this is a new hummingbird. I'm going to click on OK here to confirm, just like that, let's adjust it up a little bit, OK.

As you can see right here, so instead of adjusting the bird, I was adjusting the background. We don't want that. So be sure you are clicking on that bird, OK. So press on control + click on the bird and then adjust it up just like that. That looks pretty good.

Next, we want to create another Hummingbird down here to do so. I can come over here and then click on the Hummingbird and then drag onto this new layer. However though, before I'm going to do that. I'm going to change the name of this Hummingbird first.

So right here, if I look at this size here, 187 by 164, this is a small Hummingbird. So I'm going to type in a small top and press on the tab key to confirm. Next, I'm going to type in here big front and then press the tab key once again to confirm. Next, I'm going to make a copy with this big hummingbird. OK, to do that, I'm going to click on here. Click on that bird and then, drag to this new layer icon to make a copy just like.

So next, I'm going to press on control + left click and then drag it down just a little bit and before we go any further, I'm going to change the name as well.

I'm going to name it small bottom and then press on the tab key to confirm, so be sure this object is selected before we're going to go to Scaling, OK, so click on scale and then once again type in the scale height here to .45 and then I'm going to click on enter once again to enter. Now I'm going to click, OK. So let me adjust that over here a little bit and it's just this little bit. There you go, OK.

So next we want to make a copy of only these two hummingbirds, but not this top one. To do that first, I'm going to group these two. OK, so I'm going to click and then press on shift and then click the next one.

I'm going to come over here to the twirling arrow, click on that and we want to select Group. OK, so now we just grouped these two Hummingbirds.

So I'm going to change the name as well to two big and small and then press on the tab key. Now I'm going to click on that and then bring it up to this new icon layer to make a copy. OK, now I'm going to press on control and then left Click to drag that two down here.

OK, now I'm going to flip these two. To do so, I'm going to come over here to image and then come down here to transform and hover the mouse to the right we want to select a mirror click on that to select so by default guys my link layer box is checked.

If your is not, be sure to check that box because we want to flip both of the birds. OK, now I'm going to click on OK to confirm. Next, I'm going to kind of bring that bird a little bit up higher, just like that.

There you go, guys. Next, we want to bring a banana onto the page. OK, so to bring the banana, I'm going to come over here to the twirling arrow, click on it, and then click on that banana, then drag and drop it onto the page.

So next we want to reduce the size of the banana. To do so, I'm going to go to scaling here, click on it, and then type in this scale under height to .15.

And then I'm going to click on enter. Then we also want to change the angle of the banana. So click on this ankle box here and type in 45, then click on enter once again. After that, I'm going to click on OK.

Now I'm going to press on control + left click and then bring the banana up just a little bit like that. OK, after that we want to make a copy to make a copy. Simply press on control + letter C and control + letter V. Now I'm going to press on control left click and drag it down just a little bit.

Once again, we're going to scale it down a little bit, guys. So I'm going to go to scaling and then this time I'm going to type in .6 and then press enter here and click on, OK. There you go. Now the banana looks perfect. It fits the big banana. How cool is that?

So next I'm going to bring in an apple guys that is super cool. So click on this twirling arrow here and then click and then drag the apple onto the page and once again go to scaling and type in .12 and then press on enter here. And I'm going to click on OK and press on control + left click to drag the apple simply about right here.

After that, I'm going to make a copy once again press control + letter C control + letter V and then control + left Click to move the apple and scale it down. I'm going to go to scaling and then change it to .5, and then press enter. Next, I'm going to click on OK to confirm.

Let me adjust the Apple a little bit. So click and then adjust to about right there. OK, so there we go guys. We have created this perfect custom print fabric from the photo that I took in my kitchen.

So now we can actually, save that so you can use that to apply to your digital 3D garments. To do that, we want to not only save the JPEG image but also want to save the raw data.

So to save the raw data and the images, I'm going to go to Save and then name rose custom print fabric that is perfect, save-in, I'm going to click on preference, and then Scroll down, and I'm going to click on user here. Dell click on that plus sign one again and I'm going to select my desktop and then I want to create a new folder here.

Type in rose custom print fabric OK and I'm going to click on OK here and after that, I'm going to click on OK once again and file-type we want to change that to JPEG. Target, we want to select an image combined into a background, perfect medium. And make sure you check this ICC profile and next, I'm going to click on Save.

There you go, now we're going to save that into a raw data so we can edit later. To do that, come to Save once again and the same name is perfect and by default, my folder is selected. So next file type picture Directory is perfect and target is image. That's what we want and we want to select Save. There you go.

OK, so after we saved the files now we are safe to close these workspaces. To do so, I'm going to come over here to this delete basket and click on this twirling arrow and then come down here to close all.

How to Make Digital Cable Knit Fabric

And there you go to create a cable knit fabric. I can either go to tool then knit design and go to new, or I can come over here and then go to knit design new pattern. I will click on that and then go to new knit click on that to select. Then, I'm going to name this rose cable knit and texture 7G perfect and selects non shaping.

Then click on OK so under gauge input, we want to select centimeter which is perfect and by default mine have 15x15 centimeters, which is perfect if your is different simply click in that box right there, then type in 15 and then click on this enter icon here to confirm.

And be sure, you select this seamless repeat pattern box right there as well as come down here, we want to select user OK and then to the right once again by default, I have my color already however though I want to show you how to change the color by clicking on that color chip and then come over here type in 16- be sure you are on this Pantone tap before it works though.

So by the way, guys you can click on color or meter, custom color. However, for this example, I'm going to select Pantone here and I'm going to type in 16-5418 and then I'm going to click on OK, next come down here click on OK to confirm.

Then we want to come over here to loop edit, click on that, and by default we have 7G perfect. And be sure display set gauge before starting loop box is checked and I'm going to click on OK.

Next, I will come down here and click on this one Repeat here and let's zoom out just a little bit by clicking on this zoom scale right here to zoom out. And I'm going to come over here to this pattern click on that and once again go to cable1 and then click on 007 here to select. And I'm going to click on this plus sign right here, and then drag down until it reaches this corner ok, just like that.

Next, I'm going to size the background to fit the pattern. To do that, I'm going to come over here to the background layer, click on that, and then go to size and I'm going to just click on this edge here and then drag it in until it reaches this right there. Same with the top part here, drag it in until it reaches the top part, next I'm going to click on OK. And, I'm going to come over and click on the standard position to bring this pattern to the center.

Now I will come over here and click on this repeat box here, OK because we want to check the pattern, If they repeat correctly. For this example, the patterns repeat perfectly. So now I'm going to come over here and click on the loop simulation, ok.

Next, we want to do a few things here, so by default my Intarsias/Structure box is checked. That's exactly what I wanted, and the gauge is still 7G.

If you decided to have different gauges, you can select this arrow here to change to any gauges you would like. For this example, I'm going to select 7G and then come down here high-quality structural box is checked, random. We want a minimum 5%, quality medium, and Make shadow box is checked as well as create a new page. OK after that, I'm going to click on execute here.

OK, so this is pretty cool. We want to change the yawn to cotton yarn. I'm going to click on the yarn image here, then click on the slider and slide it down until I see TxtDefault3 right there.

Click on that to select and by default, I have cotton01 yarn selected. I'm going to click on OK to confirm and the Thickness unit and click on cotton count perfect. And leave everything as is and click on OK. After that, I'm going to click on exit here. As you can see we just created the perfect seamless repeat cable knit fabric for the dress.

Now I'm going to save both JPEG as well as raw data. To do so, while that image is selected, I'm going to go to Save and then click on image and then click on OK. And the name, I'm going to change a little bit here kind of click and hover the mouse over there and I'm going to delete that, and keep rose cable knit, perfect.

And then save-in I'm going to select my folder here, so click on it and then click on my folder. So if your is different and you can't find your folder, you can select this preference here and then navigate to your desktop and then click on the folder you want to save the fabric to.

So in this case let me expand this window a little bit Rose custom print fabrics where I want to save the fabric to and then I'm going to click on OK. And be sure the file type changes to JPEG and then target, we want it to be Image combined into a background, quality medium, be sure to check this ICC profile box and then click on Save.

OK, next we're going to save our raw data. To do that, once again while that image is selected, go to Save and then project. OK, and then click on OK. And once again, I'm going to remove that 7G and then navigate to my folder, and this time file type we want to select picture directory. This allows us to save every piece of information in there where we can come back and edit later, and Target is Loop.

Then I'm going to click on save, so after we saved both of the files, now we are safe to close these files. To do so, I'm going to go over here to the trashcan icon and click on the twirling arrow right here and then select close all. And this window pops up, I'm going to select no to all.

How to Make Digital 1x1 Rib Knit Fabric

I'm here in APEXFiz Design Pro to create 1x1 rib knit fabric, I have two options. For the first option, I can either go to tool and then come down here to knit design and click on new, then name and select gauge as well as select non shaping. Then click on OK to start or I can use the other option.

First, I'm going to click on cancel here to get out. My other option here come to the work menu and then go to knit design new pattern click on that, and scroll it up here and click on new knit.

Then I'm going to name this rose 1x1 rib knit just like that. Then we want the texture to be 7G and non-shaping is selected and I'm going to click on OK. Next, we want to select the size of the knit that we are going to create.

I want to create it 20 x 24 centimeters and if you are not, be sure to click on that box there and then change it to 20 centimeter which changes the unit to centimeters just like that. And this is important, so we are creating this fabric for my 3D garment, I want to select a seamless repeat pattern.

OK then come down here, we want to select 1x1 rib, and then the color. We will change the color later. So leave it as is for now. Then, I'm going to come down here and click on OK. Next, so before we go any further, I want to come down here and double-check on my mask.

Make sure masking is on. If your is not on click on it to turn it on, then I'm going to come over here to this work menu and then click on pattern tool, click on that and. Then I'm going to select stripe and by default I have stripes created earlier. However, I'm going to show you how to create stripes from scratch.

To do that, first I'm going to delete all these stripes. To delete the stripes, Come over here to this delete icon. Click on that twirling arrow and then click on delete all. Next, be sure this area box is selected, and keep proportion and change the same color are unchecked, and another thing, be sure your unit is centimeter and this preview box is checked.

Next, I'm going to come over here and click on this add stripe right there. And I'm going to change my stripe to 6 centimeters here. I'm going to make a copy of this stripe. Simply click on that stripe right there and then drag to this Add button right there to create another stripe.

Next, I can also create a stripe by clicking on this Add button right there to create another stripe. So so far we have 3. We want to create 4 stripes in total so click one more to create another stripe. Next, we want to change the color in order from black, white, grey, and turquoise. To do that first, I'm going to click on this color chip right here to bring this color Pantone window.

However, if you decided not to use Pantone color, simply click on this color icon right here to bring this meter or picker as well as a custom color. For me, I'm going to use Pantone color. Simply click on that Pantone right there and I'm going to type in the number. So first of all, guys Pantone color is super useful because if you are in another program that you're going to use, especially your 3D garment you can type in the Pantone number and it will work everywhere at the same as this Pantone number.

OK, so I'm going to type in my Pantone number here for black. OK, so my black color is: 19-4005 and I'm going to click on OK to confirm.

Next, I'm going to click on this color chip once again. Click on that and I'm going to type in white: 11-0601 and then I'm going to click on OK.

And next, we are going to type in Gray color which is, and by the way, guys always type in the dash if you don't type in the dash, it doesn't work so 18-3905 and I'm going to click on OK.

And lastly turquoise, so we want to type in 16-5418, turquoise, OK, now I'm going to click on OK. There you go. So as you can see right here, we have black, white, Gray, and turquoise.

Next, I'm going to click on this area box here and we want this stripe here horizontal. OK, if you are not horizontal, click on this arrow right here to switch to any stripes you want. In this example, I'm going to select horizontal and angle. We want that to be 0 perfect. Next, I'm going to click on OK.

Alright, so after we created the stripes, now we're going to simulate that stripes to simulate the stripes I'm going to come down here. Let's just scroll down until I see the loop simulation. I'm going to click on that. OK, so under the loop simulation window, we want to select Intarsia/Structure and gauge 7G perfect, and in the process mode, we want that high-quality structure and a random minimum of 5%, and quality medium.

And be sure the resolution is 200 DPI and make shadow box is checked as well as create new page box is checked. After that, I'm going to click on execute. OK, so this is pretty cool, guys. I can choose to change the color from here as well If I want to. However, I would not, because I already changed the color earlier.

Next, we want to change the yarn to cotton yarn and I have two options here. I can either click on that yarn image and then come over here to this TxtDefault3, so where my cotton yarn is, and then click on it to change. Click on OK just like that one by one. Or I can click on All Selection here and then come down here to TxtDefault3 and then select cotton01. And boom, I changed all yarns at once, how cool is that?

And next, we want to right here slickness unit, we want to change that to cotton count. However, I already have my cotton count, if your is not click on the box right there, and then you can see many options here from wool, cotton, and denier. I'm going to select the cotton count and leave everything here as is. I'm going to Scroll down a little bit further and I'm going to click on, OK. There you go.

OK, now, since I'm done with the simulation, I'm going to click on exit. However, though, if you're not done? Let's say I want to change the color of the fabric and so on. I can click on execute again. However, this one I'm happy with the result I'm going to click on exit here.

OK, there we go guys, we have this perfect 1x1 rib knit fabric for a neckband as well as a sleeve cuff. Now we're going to save the data not only the image data that you can use for your 3D garment, but also the raw data so we can edit later.

To do that, I'm going to come over here to Save and then click on the image and then click on OK. And this one, we're going to save that as a jpeg file, because we're going to apply that onto the 3D garment. So, I will remove the part that we don't want, and Save-in. I'm going to click right here to select my folder which is Rose custom print fabric.

That's my folder. And file type, I'm going to click on this box here and then select JPEG and target we want the image combined into a background, a quality medium that is perfect, and this ICC profile box is checked and I'm going to click on Save.

OK, next I'm going to save this loop data. To do that, I'm going to go to Save. And then project and then click on OK. Then, I'm going to remove this 7G, be sure no space at the end or it won't work.

OK and save-in, I'm going to select my folder once again right there rose custom print fabric and file type. OK, so this file type I'm going to select the picture directory where it is the raw data. I can edit later if I wanted to. And group attribute target, we want that to be loop perfect and then I'm going to click on Save, there you go.

So now we are safe to close this file. I'm going to go to the trash can here and click on that twirling arrow and then click on close all and next click on no to all, there you go.

Introducing to yarnbank

Last but not least, I'm here in my yarnbank account. If you guys not yet create one be sure to create it. It is super easy to use guys and this yarn is free for you guys to use you can find yarn from all around the globe.

I'm going to share with you how to download yarn from around the globe for free. So we have 3 options. First, we can either type in the keyword, Second, we can type in the supplier name for the yarn or third which is my favorite I can select criteria for what yarn I want.

For example, it is summer coming, I'm going to select cotton yarn so under material I want to select cotton right there and I'm going to Scroll down here until I see Characteristic. I'm going to select sustainable and recycle. Then I'm going to scroll up here under function, I want to select machine washable, and we want to select stay cool. After that, I'm going to scroll down here and then click on Search.

There you go, so by default I have this display menu under color book cover. However, you can change between simulation images where you get to see more texture and yarn color. And another option, here we have a reference image. So click on this button here, and you not only get to see yarn texture, but you can also see what you use the yarn for so it is really helpful.

So I'm going to scroll down and then click on page number 4 here. Where I see more image references on what yarn is used for. For example, let's say I like this cute top here. I'm going to click on that image to see more details about the yarn.

For example, I have more color in this yarn if I scroll down, I see the number of colors, price range, yarn types, gauge, and care instruction Let's say I like this yarn a lot. I'm going to scroll up here and then click on download yarn data OK. And if I click on this arrow right here. I see the yarn is downloading. OK, so next I'm going to click on that folder right there and there it is guys. So this is how you download yarn from yarnbank onto your computer.

There you have it. Designistas! We are not only explored yarnbank, but also created these three amazing digital fabrics for your 3D garments, I hope you found this video useful and remember to give a thumbs up and follow me on Encoder Fashion for more awesome videos like this, thanks for watching guys😍

Also, see the APEXFiz Design Jr video here