Why Our Patterns Come in One Scalable Size

Our patterns don’t come in S/M/L sizes, and that’s deliberate. Each pattern ships at a single default size, designed as “one size fits most,” and scales to literally any size from your print dialog. Prince chose this over cookie-cutter sizes so the same pattern can fit everyone: adults, children, and everything in between. Academy Fellows have used the same patterns to make armor for dolls, kids, and even a glass bottle.

Watch: How scalable are our armor patterns?

Why one scalable size instead of S/M/L

In Prince’s words from the fantasy series: the designs are highly adjustable and will fit most people out of the box, and while some builders will need to scale for best fit, that beats a fixed size chart that simply won’t fit everyone. One adjustable pattern serves every body, of all sizes, even children.

Watch: why the patterns are sized this way, in Important Tips For Crafting Leather Armor (1:52)

Getting your fit, step by step

1. Print at 100% first

   The default size targets “one size fits most,” and the tutorials show default-size fit on real examples, like the sabatons demonstrated on real shoes at 100% scale.

2. Make a quick paper mockup

   Print, tape, try it on. You don’t need precision at this stage; the rough outline is enough to judge proportions. This is the moment you learn whether to scale, long before any material is at risk.

3. Adjust the print scale and reprint

   If the mockup runs large or small, reprint at a different percentage. A tip straight from the tutorials: if a paper mockup fits snugly, bump the scale up a percent or two, because your final material is much thicker than paper.

   Watch: paper mockups and the thickness bump, in Do This BEFORE You Craft Your Leather Armor (2:39)

4. Fine-tune on the pattern, not just the percentage

   Scale gets you close; the last bit of fit comes from the pattern itself, by adding or removing material, typically at the side panels or the pattern’s adjustment areas. The breastplate tutorials demonstrate this directly: scale for a close fit, then perfect it at the side panels.

   Watch: scale close, then perfect at the side panels, in the Imperial Breastplate tutorial (1:16)

Built for movement, at any size

There’s a second reason the patterns are built this way: mobility. Armor fights the body when the pattern isn’t designed for movement, so articulation is designed in from the start: how pieces overlap, where they connect, and how they move together. Scaling the whole pattern preserves those relationships.

Watch: Achieving mobility in leather armor using our patterns

Common questions

Where to go next

The mockup is the heart of this workflow: Test the fit in paper or foam before you cut. Printing mechanics live in How to print your armor patterns. Custom sizing tips also come with the patterns themselves and their accompanying lessons.