Welcome to Q2!

April is the beginning of the second quarter of the year. How are you going with your 2026 goals and dreams? Do you feel you're moving in the right direction? It's easy to have plans go awry, especially when free courses, or competitions pop up. I've had several things take my attention recently - all worthy things, but I found getting back on track really hard. But every time I consciously chose to value the goals I'd set myself for this quarter, and knuckle down and work on what was important to me, I felt satisfied and uplifted at the end of my day. So time to take stock again and revisit those goals. I always love the start of a new quarter - time for reflection and a new beginning!

Here's the link to my quarterly calendars for 2026 in case you missed it.

I've also included a link to an A4 template that I use to plan my weeks. I find it very helpful so I thought you might find it helpful too.

Here's to a super Q2!

Pantone Colour Systems

Established in 1963, Pantone is a universal colour language that assigns a unique code to thousands of colours making it easy for designers and manufacturers to match and reproduce colours consistently. It began with a palette of 500 colours but has expanded to include over 15000 individual colour chips.

Because the appearance of a colour can change dramatically based on the material it is printed on there are two Pantone systems :

1. PMS for print, packaging, digital and screen printing
2. FHI for fashion, home and interior. The FHI system uses unique coding - TCX for textiles and TPG for pigments and coatings.

Pantones are available both in a physical book or guide and digitally. I use both when designing, and many companies require the colours you've used in a design to be referenced with their Pantone code. Phoebe Fabrics require I present my colours in Pantone so it's become second nature to work that way.

The Digital and Physical Versions

I’ve been using Pantone Connect since completing Immersion in 2022, after struggling to create and maintain a limited colour palette across my collections. As I worked through each design, my palette would gradually expand, and I found myself spending far too much time trying to keep colours consistent. Pantone Connect has made that process much more manageable. It also allows me to easily transfer colours between other Adobe programs like InDesign and Photoshop, helping keep everything cohesive.

The plug-in was simple to install into Illustrator, although I do find the process of logging back in periodically a little clunky and frustrating. That said, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Pantone Connect has become a key part of my design process. It costs around $140 AUD per year, and there is a free trial available.

I purchased my TCX fan decks as soon as I became licensed and they are a staple in my designing workflow. Being able to confirm a colour or a colour combination with my own eyes is very reassuring. And besides, they are a fun way to play with colour! The only drawback is being able to see a whole colour palette together. I suppose I could remove the pin to separate all the pages but then using the index at the back to navigate your way to a page will be all the more tricky. A pack of fan decks costs around $470 AUD. There are other options to the fan decks but the prices are eye watering - A cotton chip set is over $5000 AUD! And Pantone suggest you replace your decks every 12 months. I keep mine away from light by making sure I store them in their box when not in use.

sRGB (Standard Red, Green, Blue)

I always start my Illustrator files in CMYK and only export files as RGB when I know they will be viewed on a screen. But I recently became aware that there is an sRGB system too and it's the preferred colour mode for uploading files to Spoonflower.

I purchased a 147-page eBook written by Telva of Truffle Art last month called the 'Spoonflower Playbook'. While reading the book I discovered that Spoonflower works on the sRGB system of colour. Telva, and the Spoonflower website, suggest uploading your files to Spoonflower using this colour mode. Using sRGB ensures that the colours you see on your monitor are as close as possible to the final printed fabric or wallpaper. Changing your Illustrator file to sRGB is easy:

1. FILE > DOCUMENT COLOUR MODE > RGB
2. EDIT > ASSIGN PROFILE and check that sRGB is selected

If you're interested in purchasing Telva's Spoonflower eBook you can access it here. A fellow surface designer and Instagram friend recommended it to me and I found it really informative:

Nix

A few years ago, I treated myself to a Nix Color Sensor Mini 3 for my birthday. I was finding it difficult to accurately identify colours I found around me and turn them into usable palettes for my designs. It's a small, portable, rechargeable handheld device used to identify, match, save and share the colour of any physical surface. And it works with RGB, HEX, CMYK and Pantone! I've been known to collect paint chip samples at the hardware store or open a book and find colour inspiration. The Nix is perfect for that sort of thing. There are other Nix devices so if you're interested in this type of technology you might want to do a bit of research before committing to purchasing one. I chose the Mini 3 as it was on sale and I didn't need anything fancy. It costs around $200 AUD.

Mel Armstrong

The more I delve into New Zealander Mel Armstrong's world the more I learn. Her work is immediately recognisable, but she offers so much more than that. Her vast knowledge, understanding and insights into successfully navigating the world of surface design and illustration is something she is willing to share, and I am so glad she is.

Her Skillshare and YouTube videos have helped broaden my knowledge into the reality of managing a creative business as well as helping me develop new artistic skills. Her lessons include topics such as painting in gouache, using Procreate, Spoonflower, creating mockups, creating illustrations, using Notion, and art licensing. She also has a 6-week course called 'The Art and Joy of Surface Pattern Design' that covers all the fundamentals of creating patterns (I haven't taken the course yet but it looks like something I will in the future). Her Instagram posts are always full of thought provoking ideas, suggestions and down to earth insights into the surface design industry.

As I am currently in the middle of learning all things Spoonflower and POD, Mel's suggestion of working in mini collections really makes sense. I always find learning about how other surface designers work inspires me to think of my own processes. Hopefully just tweaking my own ideas on what a finished collection looks like may help me create work better suited to Spoonflower and POD sites.

I highly suggest checking out her website to discover more about this talented surface designer, and consider joining her free resource hub.

Fabric Company Lookbooks

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned that I sell patchwork fabric and a few haberdashery items through my Etsy store, along with any products I create with my designs. Even though my inventory is quite small, I stock many of the larger fabric brands such as Moda, Windham, Figo and Marcus Fabrics. The small profit I realise allows me to offset some of the costs of running a surface design business. We all know how expensive being a surface designer can be!

One of the perks of being registered to buy fabric direct from the distributors is that I sometimes receive a printed copy of the Moda Publication 'Piece'. I find lookbooks to be a treasure trove of all things colour and design and many are available to everyone online for free. Try searching for them on Issuu or directly through a brand's website. They are full of fabric collections, designer interviews and inspirational sewing projects. They can also provide you with ideas on how to set out your own portfolio or lookbook!

Here are a few links you might find helpful:

Happy reading!

'Riverview' Release

I'm so excited that my second fabric collection is due to be released soon. The anticipation of receiving that box full of fabric with your designs is so sweet. I cried opening the first. I'd dreamed about opening it for so long that I made sure to savour every moment. And the thought of getting to do it all over again is just as exciting. And a much unexpected added bonus was receiving an email from Phoebe Fabrics reporting that the collection has done quite well and they would like me to create a similar collection. So I'm soon to start working on to the seventh collection! I think more camping dates are definitely needed for me to get inspired!

Creating the 'Considered' Lookbook

After receiving the good news that Phoebe Fabrics had accepted my new collection 'Considered', I decided to create a portfolio, or lookbook, for pitching to other industries. I think creating an individual book for each of my collections might become the norm for me from now on.

I usually design my portfolios in InDesign but I did something a little different this time. I designed it in Illustrator and then transferred it into InDesign to add the links to my website and email with the view of publishing it solely through there. But when I went to upload the finished portfolio into Issuu I found I had exceeded the number of pages allowed with my free account. But a little Googling to find a solution led me to FlowPaper. A free FlowPaper account allowed me to create a flippable eBook, embed links in the text and images, and share it easily with others through Instagram, on my website, or in an email. And you can use Google Analytics if you like.

The platform was really easy to use and I love how the pages look as I flip through. You can also add your links, or interactivity directly in FlowPaper, so I can see that InDesign may not be necessary for creating a interactive portfolio in the future, although I do find the ability to create master or parent page templates in InDesign very handy. Next time I want to create a portfolio, I will export the PDF file directly from Illustrator, then add hyperlinks and turn it into a flip book in FlowPaper. I will see if that will works for me.

Now to actually bite the bullet and pitch!

The Pokolbin Artisan Meet-Up

In early March I was contacted by the lovely Lou, owner of Wally and Eva, a local boutique store selling handcrafted homewares, jewelry and accessories. Lou found me through Spoonflower when she sourced some of my fabric to create lampshades. She had recently started an artisan meet-up at a local cafe and thought I might be interested to join them for morning tea. It was a wonderful morning and I really enjoyed spending time with other creatives who share a passion for creativity. Although they all have product-based businesses they were eager to learn about surface design. I often forget that it's not something others know about. I had fun explaining what I do all day. Lou asked for me to bring something along to share and luckily I chose a folder containing printouts of all my collections - including pattern swatches, logos, the colour palettes and the story behind each collection. It's much easier to explain surface design with examples!

Are you part of an online community that you regularly communicate with? If you've taken part in an online course you may know what a wonderful experience that can be. But meeting up with others in person can be wonderful too. We know that surface design is very niche so finding a local surface design group may not be possible - especially where I am! But there may be a broader creative community near you, offering support and friendship. Or maybe consider starting your own group.

Check Your Direction

I came across this quote while I was scrolling through Instagram recently. I thought it really summed up every surface designer's path.

Reminding myself of where I'm wanting to go, and questioning whether my actions support my journey to realising this vision, has become a daily habit for me. It's a reality check I think I need!

Until next time,