How to Add Prints & Graphics to Knitwear in CLO3D

How do you add prints and graphics to knitwear in CLO3D?

Adding artwork to knitwear needs a slightly different approach from simply dropping a graphic onto a garment. Repeat patterns, placement designs and intarsia-style artwork all need to sit correctly across the garment while still working with the underlying knit material.

In this tutorial, I show how I set up knit fabric in CLO3D and apply both repeat and placement graphics, including how to control the visual finish, correct positioning problems and apply different artwork to individual pattern pieces.

The workflow is particularly useful when you want to visualise knitwear concepts before developing the final knitted construction.

What I cover in the tutorial

• Applying a knit fabric type to the garment
• What not to do when applying graphics to knitwear
• Adding repeat graphics and pattern designs
• Adjusting sheen and reflection
• Preparing placement artwork
• Positioning graphics using the Texture Editor
• Applying different graphics to different pattern pieces
• Adding the base colour to the knit fabric

A note on intarsia: In this tutorial, I use graphics to visually represent repeat and placement knit designs, including intarsia-style artwork. This is useful for design development and presentation, but it should not be confused with building the actual knitted stitch structure or production-ready intarsia information.

Version note: This tutorial was recorded in December 2024. CLO’s knitwear tools have developed since then, including newer options within the Knit Swatch Editor. The graphics, texture placement and material principles shown here are still useful, but the current software offers additional ways to develop and visualise knitted structures.

Want to explore more ways to develop colour and print digitally? My guide to the CLO3D Colourway Editor looks at how colour, materials, prints and trims can be tested across different product options.