QUILT PLANNING NOTES · UPDATED OCTOBER 26, 2026

A pretty plan still needs to measure correctly.

The most important print setting is often the least exciting one: scale. Before cutting fabric, check that the paper plan is the size it says it is.

The checklist applies to quilt PDFs and printed templates generally. Named controls describe Cloth & Colour’s development preview. Physical printer and sewing validation remain part of release testing.

Know what you are printing

A placement diagram shows where pieces or blocks go. A cutting template describes a shape to cut. A finished dimension describes the size after assembly. These are different things. Do not trace a placement picture as though it were a cutting template, and do not add a second seam allowance to a template that already includes one.

Read the plan before choosing pages

In the preview, open Make this quilt. Resolve any plan issues before printing. Review the construction instructions, material assumptions, finished size and cutting dimensions. Start with a supported size suggestion if your current block cannot produce a reliable automatic plan.

Choose A4 or Letter, then decide whether you need the whole making book, the placement atlas or selected recipes and templates. The print-page picker can include the sheets required for selected recipes. Reprints should come from the same packet and settings as the original pages.

Print at 100%, then measure

1. Open Print / Save PDF to use the operating system’s print dialog.
2. Confirm that the selected paper size matches the document.
3. Choose actual size or 100%. Disable settings such as Fit, Shrink to printable area or automatic scaling.
4. Print one page containing calibration marks first.
5. Measure the calibration squares and the 50 mm bar with a reliable ruler. Check both horizontal and vertical dimensions where provided.
6. If they do not match, correct the print settings or printer behaviour before cutting anything.

Saving a PDF does not establish that a later print will be correctly scaled. Measure again after changing printer, paper size or print software.

Assemble tiled templates carefully

Large templates may span several pages. In our preview, tiled pages have 10 mm overlap and registration crosses. Keep the packet order, match the registration marks and secure the pages flat. Do not align only the outside paper edges: a printer’s margins may differ.

Inspect seams and labels across each join before tracing. If a sheet needs replacing, reprint that tile from the same packet. Mixing exports made at different sizes can create a template that looks plausible but does not fit.

Use a test block as the final check

Cut and assemble one sample in spare fabric. Use the seam allowance and pressing method specified by your plan. Compare the resulting block with the expected unfinished and finished measurements. Paper calibration catches printing errors; a sample block also reveals construction and pressing issues.

Yardage is not a guarantee

Fabric width, direction, shrinkage, motif matching, cutting preferences and mistakes can change your needs. Review the plan’s assumptions and allow appropriate extra fabric. A template that measures correctly does not prove the yardage estimate covers every way you might cut it.

For an editable starting point, see design your own quilt block. To judge software output before buying, use our quilt design software checklist and actual app preview.