Why CLO deserves a place on a small studio’s grading shortlist
- Test every option against the same approved base pattern and finished-garment size chart.
- CLO brings measurement- or sketch-based drafting together with 2D pattern editing, size-table grading, and 3D garment simulation.
- CLO’s Grading Review in version 2026.1 compares patterns and graphic placement across grading sizes in one window.
- Compare the full workflow—including size-run review, production handoff, and licence cost—to choose what fits your studio’s next step.
For an independent designer, CLO’s appeal is the way it connects pattern work with visual review: you can draft from measurements or a sketch, edit in 2D, and assess the garment in 3D. The right grading workflow still depends on your base pattern, size chart, size-by-size checks, and production handoff. Start with one pattern and a finished-garment chart, then compare the results against the measurements and files your business needs.
ASTM’s D5585-21 body-measurement tables can help manufacturers develop patterns and garments consistent with the current anthropometric characteristics of their target population. Use a body-size chart to define the people you intend to serve, then set finished-garment measurements for the style you plan to make.
Compare the workflows before you compare the price
Build your shortlist around five questions: how the tool starts from a pattern, how it creates the size run, how you inspect sizes, what files it hands off, and what licence cost fits your business. CLO stands out for designers who value a linked 2D-and-3D review, but a fair comparison means using one representative pattern and the same base size, measurement chart, grade increments, and target sizes in each tool.
Comparison table Scroll to view every column ↔
| Tool | Documented workflow | Best fit for a small studio |
|---|---|---|
| TUKAcad | Pattern making, grading, and marker making, with edition-specific piece and size limits | A pilot run or a production workflow that uses its pattern and marker tools |
| Modaris | Graded base-pattern libraries, pattern industrialization, and optional 3D prototype review | Reusing blocks and preparing production pattern pieces |
| Optitex | 2D grading and verification alongside 3D garment visualization | Reviewing graded patterns and virtual samples in one workflow |
| CLO | Measurement- or sketch-based drafting and a size table for graded patterns, with a grading review feature | Drafting and reviewing a small size run alongside 3D garment simulation |
1. TUKAcad: a transparent entry price with limits by edition
TUKAcad is worth considering when a designer wants patternmaking and grading connected to marker work and production data. Tukatech describes TUKAcad as a CAD room for patternmaking, grading, and marker making, and its current package information lists three starting points for a small business.
Tukatech’s Learning Edition (CLE) includes the TUKAdesign pattern-making and grading module, with 14 pattern pieces and four graded sizes per file. It also includes TUKAmark marker making, with marker dimensions up to 59 by 120 inches. That makes the Learning Edition a defined pilot option when one style fits within those piece and size limits.
TUKAdesign CPE, the Professional Edition, includes unlimited pattern pieces and graded sizes per file plus an editable measurement chart. TUKAcad CPE, also a Professional Edition, adds the TUKAmark marker-making module, unlimited marker dimensions, data import and export, digitizing, cut-data optimization, and a yield report. Choose TUKAdesign CPE when unlimited pattern and size capacity plus an editable chart meet the need; choose TUKAcad CPE when marker and cutting-room functions also belong in the workflow.
Tukatech advertises TUKAcad pattern making, grading, and marker making starting at $19 per month. Tukatech describes a workflow that starts with a designer’s own pattern or a fitted block, develops and validates the style, then carries the engineered pattern into production. Its product information also describes preparing markers without rebuilding data between systems.
2. Modaris: reusable graded bases and production preparation
Modaris is an option for a designer who expects to reuse graded blocks, prepare production-ready pattern information, or add 3D prototype review to the process. Lectra describes Modaris Classic as creating, modifying, grading, and industrializing patterns, with the option to save graded base patterns in a library for future styles.
That reuse can matter more than a low monthly entry price when a small label develops related styles. Modaris Essential grades and industrializes patterns saved in native Modaris files, while Modaris 3D syncs 2D production patterns with 3D prototypes so a change can be applied in both views. The product range also covers pattern details such as notches, seam values, axes, and production information.
Lectra describes Modaris 3D as a way to create virtual prototypes using patterns, materials, colors, and configurable or imported mannequins. For a label focused on reusing graded blocks and preparing production pieces, its pattern library and production workflow offer a relevant alternative to CLO’s more visually connected drafting, editing, and simulation process.
3. Optitex: grading and 3D review in one pattern workflow
Optitex is another option for a designer who wants to develop a graded size run and inspect virtual samples without separating pattern work from 3D review. Its 2D/3D CAD materials describe converting a base or sample-size pattern into additional sizes and checking adjustments, lengths, and results across a range of sizes.
Optitex also describes 2D design and 3D visualization in one platform. Its PDS workflow connects 2D patternmaking and 3D visualization from construction through validation, with 2D changes updating in 3D for fit analysis during development. For a small label, that connection can help a patternmaker and designer review the same proposed change before ordering a sewn sample.
Optitex describes library management, annotation, and technical specification output within its PDS pattern-development workflow. Its “Let’s Grade” webinar is aimed at new and basic 2D users and covers grading tools and checks for grading and fit. These features may suit designers looking for a learning path alongside 2D/3D capability; CLO offers a particularly cohesive route for studios that want to relate graded 2D patterns to a simulated garment.
Optitex’s 2D/3D CAD materials also describe its Marker Making Suite, which covers marker-file creation, automated nesting, cut/plot generation, and costing reports that include marker data. That makes Optitex relevant to a studio planning to extend grading and virtual review into marker and cutting work.
4. CLO: a connected measurement, grading, and visual-review workflow
CLO is a compelling option for an independent designer who wants measurement- or sketch-based drafting and size-table grading alongside 2D pattern editing and 3D garment simulation. CLO’s Pattern Drafter guide explains how to create patterns from measurement points or flat sketches and set up a size table for graded patterns. That combination gives a small studio a direct way to connect its measurement definitions and pattern decisions with visual garment review.
Pattern Drafter lets the user choose measurement references for some points, such as total length from the high point shoulder or center front/back, and across-bust measurement points from armhole to armhole or one inch from the armhole. That flexibility is useful when a house measurement chart needs consistent definitions, because a shoulder-to-hem length and a center-front length describe different points on a garment. CLO also documents matching measurements to an avatar, a function currently available for CLO avatars.
For reviewing the size run, CLO’s 2026.1 feature page describes Grading Review, which compares 2D patterns and graphic placement across all grading sizes in one window. Combined with CLO’s 2D pattern creation and editing and 3D garment simulation, this gives a designer a clear way to move between size-by-size pattern inspection and a visual view of the garment. It is a strong reason to put CLO on the shortlist when visual review is part of the grading decision, not a separate downstream task.
CLO’s Pattern Drafter creates points of measure (POMs) only for defined measurements; the Edit POM tool lets users check their lengths. Define the measurements you need in advance, then compare those points with your finished-garment chart. This keeps the workflow grounded in the studio’s own specifications while making CLO’s measurement-led approach useful for a deliberate, repeatable review.
Run one controlled grading test before you buy
A repeatable test separates convenient interface features from the quality of your own working pattern. CLO is especially worth testing if you want to assess how drafting, size review, and 3D visualization work together in your process. Keep the test small enough to repeat, but large enough to show how the pattern behaves at both ends of the range.
- Set the target chart. Choose the body-size population and size range your business intends to serve, then define finished-garment measurements for one style.
- Use one base pattern and one grade plan. Keep the base size, point names, grade increments, and smallest, middle, and largest sizes the same in each shortlisted tool. This keeps the comparison focused on how each workflow handles the same starting specification.
- Measure the outputs against the garment chart. Compare each point of measure with the intended finished dimensions. Inspect seam lengths, notches, and curves as well as width and length, because matching circumferences alone cannot show whether adjoining pieces will sew together cleanly.
- Review 2D and 3D where available. Check how pattern shapes and graphic placement change across sizes, then inspect the 3D view for visible shifts in strain, balance, or proportion. CLO’s Grading Review and 3D simulation make this combined review a natural part of the evaluation. Use the 3D view for design review, then confirm production fit with the physical sample and the fit process your business uses.
- Test the handoff and licence. Open the exported file in the next workflow, confirm units and pattern information, and compare the licence cost for the edition, modules, user access, term, and file formats your business needs.
For studios that want drafting, graded 2D review, and 3D garment simulation in a connected workflow, CLO is a strong choice to evaluate first. The best decision still comes from confirming that the tool delivers your defined size set, supports the review your team needs, and hands off usable production files within your real budget.
FAQ
Does automatic grading guarantee a good fit?
No. Grade generation applies the rules and measurements you supply, while the fit target depends on your customer measurements, garment ease, fabric, and design. Compare the resulting pattern measurements with your finished-garment specification, then confirm the style through the fit process you use for production.
Can a 3D review replace a sewn sample?
No. A 3D view helps you inspect the digital garment and compare revisions before sampling. A physical sample lets you assess the actual material, construction, and fit on the intended wearer or fit model.
What should I compare when a vendor quote arrives?
Compare the exact edition, modules, subscription term, user access, and exported file formats your workflow requires. The quoted package should cover the same pattern-to-handoff test you ran with your base pattern. If CLO’s connected 2D and 3D review is central to your process, confirm that the quoted licence includes the capabilities and access your studio needs.