What stays the same
Either way, the factory receives a PDF with flats, measurements, materials and construction. Neither way makes the decisions for you: a pack is as good as what is decided in it.
| Part of the work | Illustrator and spreadsheets | Texhub Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing the flat | Drawn by hand, in any style, with control of every line | Starts from a catalogue garment or is drawn from photos; edited by hand or by asking the assistant |
| Changing a measurement | Change the spreadsheet, then redraw or relabel the flat to match | Change it once; the flat, the table and the PDF follow |
| Codes on the flat and in the table | Kept in step by hand | The same code on the dimension line and in the table |
| Grading | Formulas you build and maintain | A grade rule per point; the graded tables print in the pack |
| Colour | Codes typed from a swatch book | Each colour matched to its nearest TCX code, or flagged for a lab dip |
| Versions | File names and dates | One document; every page carries the style number and date |
| Output | A PDF assembled from several files | A vector PDF, and SVG flats that open in Illustrator |
| Sending to factories | Email, one factory at a time | A request for quotation to matched factories, from the same pack |
Where Illustrator and a spreadsheet are the better choice
- A garment far from any catalogue shape, where every line is a design decision you want to draw yourself.
- Detailed artwork for prints and embroidery, which is drawing work first.
- A team with its own templates and a product lifecycle (PLM) system, and factories that already work from them.
The Studio does not replace the skill of drawing a garment. What it removes is the copying of the same facts between files.
Where the Studio saves the rework
- Ranges built from a few core garments in many variations, where one change has to reach the flat, the table and the PDF together.
- Small teams without a technical designer: the Studio gives the pack its structure and lists what is still open.
- Packs that go out to new factories for quotes, where a complete first brief saves a round of questions.
Using both
The Studio exports its flats as SVG with named layers and plain colour values, which Illustrator opens for artwork or final touches, and the PDF stays vector. A team can draw its prints in Illustrator and keep the pack in the Studio.
To put numbers on the time each way takes for your own range, use the savings calculator. See a page of a finished pack in the tech pack examples.
