Exporting

Unfolder offers three ways out, depending on what you're going to do with the pattern next.

Export pattern → tiled, print-ready PDF

The main Export pattern action hands your flattened pattern to Poster Maker, which tiles it across however many printer pages it needs and keeps it at true 1:1 scale. This is the right choice for paper or cardstock builds you're printing at home or at a copy shop.

Export SVG

A direct, vector download of the exact same pattern — no tiling, no server round-trip. Use this if you want to lay the pattern out yourself, edit it further in Pattern Editor or another vector tool, or send it to a print shop that wants a single vector file.

Export DXF

A laser-cutter/CNC-oriented export (file format R12). Cut lines, fold lines, glue tabs, and edge-number labels each get their own DXF layer, with fold lines further split by mountain/valley direction. DXF export emits straight lines, with one exception: a piece's own outer silhouette (and any holes) is checked for runs of tessellation edges that trace a true circle, and those export as a single DXF arc instead of many tiny straight segments — useful for a tessellated cylindrical or conical surface's circular rim. This only catches genuine circular curvature at the mesh's own tessellation resolution; coarse tessellation, or a curved surface that isn't actually circular (an ellipse, a free-form curve), still exports as straight segments — use Export SVG for full curve fidelity on those.

Turn on Fit cuts to page before exporting if you haven't already (see Getting started) — it splits any piece too large for your chosen page size, which otherwise only shows up as a surprise once you're looking at the exported file.

Texture & color

If your source model has a texture, Unfolder can carry its colors over onto the exported pattern pieces — look for the texture/color transfer option before exporting. It's opt-in, since not every build wants the pattern pieces printed in color.