CADCUT
Bespoke clothing and graphics printing
Design and manufacturing tool for bespoke clothing and graphics printing, providing an integrated and automated process to translate digital designs to reality. WHAT IT DOES
Cadcut addresses limitations in bespoke garment making by bringing an efficient, automated manufacturing pipeline for creating custom-fit clothing. Cadcut’s capabilities also extends to printing detailed colourful, and minimally wasteful one-off generative graphics on garments.
Cadcut addresses limitations in bespoke garment making by bringing an efficient, automated manufacturing pipeline for creating custom-fit clothing. Cadcut’s capabilities also extends to printing detailed colourful, and minimally wasteful one-off generative graphics on garments.
MOTIVATIONS
During my experience working as an assistant for luxury fashion designer Philippe Vidalenc in Paris, I observed inefficiencies associated with hand-made custom clothing, particularly in pattern making, screen printing, fabric cutting, and waste management. The limitations and time-consuming nature of manual processes inspired me to explore laser diode cutting as a cost-effective solution that could retain the versatility of a handmade approach. This led me to envision an automated manufacturing pipeline for made-to-measure garments, and custom graphics printing.
During my experience working as an assistant for luxury fashion designer Philippe Vidalenc in Paris, I observed inefficiencies associated with hand-made custom clothing, particularly in pattern making, screen printing, fabric cutting, and waste management. The limitations and time-consuming nature of manual processes inspired me to explore laser diode cutting as a cost-effective solution that could retain the versatility of a handmade approach. This led me to envision an automated manufacturing pipeline for made-to-measure garments, and custom graphics printing.
HOW IT WORKS
Cadcut functions as a service for fashion houses and designers to create and manufacture custom-fit clothing and bespoke graphics on fabric.
The garment is made by laser cutting parametrically generated patterns based on user’s body measurements scanned using their phone, while the graphics printing works by using a special dye that bonds the colour to the fabric using the light from the laser. This approach combines and graphics printing into one seamless process.
Cadcut functions as a service for fashion houses and designers to create and manufacture custom-fit clothing and bespoke graphics on fabric.
The garment is made by laser cutting parametrically generated patterns based on user’s body measurements scanned using their phone, while the graphics printing works by using a special dye that bonds the colour to the fabric using the light from the laser. This approach combines and graphics printing into one seamless process.
TECHNOLODY DEVELOPMENT
Cadcut’s development process focused on two main areas: pattern making and graphics printing.
In pattern making, the goal was to build an interface that could dynamically adjust patterns based on a user’s body measurements. This involved building on top of open-source software and incorporating traditional pattern drafting techniques to allow real-time changes to pattern geometries.
For graphics printing, early experiments included engraving pre-processed materials such as devoré or pre-dyed fabrics. Post-processing techniques were also explored, such as laser-cutting vinyl sheets in a separate step and then screen printing onto the garment. While functional, these methods posed limitations in fabric compatibility and manufacturing complexity.
Further exploration led to experimenting with cyanotype dyes, initially promising but ultimately impractical due to fading and washing limitations. Eventually, UV-setting chemical dyes emerged as the optimal solution, providing durable, vibrant graphics unaffected by washing.
Cadcut’s development process focused on two main areas: pattern making and graphics printing.
In pattern making, the goal was to build an interface that could dynamically adjust patterns based on a user’s body measurements. This involved building on top of open-source software and incorporating traditional pattern drafting techniques to allow real-time changes to pattern geometries.
For graphics printing, early experiments included engraving pre-processed materials such as devoré or pre-dyed fabrics. Post-processing techniques were also explored, such as laser-cutting vinyl sheets in a separate step and then screen printing onto the garment. While functional, these methods posed limitations in fabric compatibility and manufacturing complexity.
Further exploration led to experimenting with cyanotype dyes, initially promising but ultimately impractical due to fading and washing limitations. Eventually, UV-setting chemical dyes emerged as the optimal solution, providing durable, vibrant graphics unaffected by washing.
VISUAL EXPLORATION
Visual experimentation for graphics printing included open-source generative art algorithms producing raster images requiring inefficient line-by-line laser tracing. Transitioning to vector-based solutions, such as using P5.js scripts, enabled faster processing but limited artistic diversity. Ultimately, integrating AI-driven image vectorization and text-to-image technologies like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion allowed for diverse, aesthetically customisable visuals that could be efficiently laser printed onto fabric.
Visual experimentation for graphics printing included open-source generative art algorithms producing raster images requiring inefficient line-by-line laser tracing. Transitioning to vector-based solutions, such as using P5.js scripts, enabled faster processing but limited artistic diversity. Ultimately, integrating AI-driven image vectorization and text-to-image technologies like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion allowed for diverse, aesthetically customisable visuals that could be efficiently laser printed onto fabric.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT
Cadcut uniquely combines smartphone-based body scanning, parametric pattern generation, pattern cutting and dye-based graphics printing into a single automated workflow. Unlike conventional methods like mass manufacturing in fast fashion, or manual processes for bespoke clothing, Cadcut finds a happy medium, keeping the versatility of a handmade approach while also meeting manufacturing efficiency expectations of the modern world by significantly reducing production complexity and costs.
Cadcut uniquely combines smartphone-based body scanning, parametric pattern generation, pattern cutting and dye-based graphics printing into a single automated workflow. Unlike conventional methods like mass manufacturing in fast fashion, or manual processes for bespoke clothing, Cadcut finds a happy medium, keeping the versatility of a handmade approach while also meeting manufacturing efficiency expectations of the modern world by significantly reducing production complexity and costs.
FUTURE PLANS
Future developments include exploring methods to bond fabrics using thermal adhesive spray directly during laser cutting, removing the need for sewing altogether.
Future developments include exploring methods to bond fabrics using thermal adhesive spray directly during laser cutting, removing the need for sewing altogether.