From an Original Aperture to a Printable Iris-Folding Pattern

Step 1

Confirm the rights before the geometry

Start only with an aperture that is your original work, is in the public domain, or is covered by a license that permits your intended use. If the pattern will be sold, the license must also allow that commercial use.

Do not import another seller's PDF, SVG, product photograph, or pattern artwork merely because it can be traced. IrisFold processes the file you provide; it cannot determine ownership or extend a third party's license.

Step 2

Prepare a simple polygonal aperture

Use a clean, simple polygonal silhouette with an unambiguous boundary. Arbitrary curves and unlimited point complexity are outside this workflow. Simplifying the outline before pattern generation is safer than accepting a crowded shape that looks plausible on screen but becomes difficult to fold on paper.

Inspect the aperture itself before choosing a fold structure. The outline should represent the opening you intend to cut, and its scale should suit the finished card or teaching sample.

Step 3

Choose triangle, square, or pentagon geometry

The geometry controls the rotational rhythm inside the same aperture:

• Triangle creates a three-sided progression.
• Square creates a familiar four-sided progression.
• Pentagon creates a denser five-sided cadence.

None is universally best. Compare the numbered previews and select the structure that fits the artwork, paper plan, and skill level of the person who will follow the pattern.

Step 4

Check the numbered sequence

A colored preview can communicate the look, but the numbers make the pattern buildable. Review the sequence before export rather than treating the first preview as a finished file.

• Numbers are readable and progress in a consistent order.
• The center closes in the way you expect.
• Fold lines do not become confusingly crowded.
• Color assignments are easy for another maker to follow.
• The aperture and sequence still work at the intended size.

Step 5

Export PDF and SVG for different jobs

Use the calibrated PDF when the next step is physical printing. In the print dialog, select 100% or actual size and make sure the printer has not silently applied “fit to page” or shrink settings. Print and inspect a test copy before teaching, distributing, or selling the pattern.

Use SVG when the pattern needs to continue through a compatible vector or digital craft workflow. Open the exported SVG in the destination tool and inspect its scale, lines, and numbering. Export compatibility is a checkpoint, not a reason to skip a physical test.

Step 6

Name each meaningful revision

A change to the aperture, geometry, scale, or teaching purpose can produce a materially different output. Preserve those revisions instead of repeatedly overwriting a file called “final.”

• heart-square-v1
• heart-pentagon-v2
• heart-square-classroom-v3

A descriptive filename records your production decisions. It does not establish copyright ownership or expand the license attached to the source artwork.

Before release

Pattern handoff checklist

1. Record why you have the right to use the aperture.
2. Confirm the outline is a supported simple polygon.
3. Include the chosen geometry in the filename or notes.
4. Read the complete numbered sequence at the intended size.
5. Print the PDF at 100% and inspect the physical result.
6. Open and inspect the SVG in its intended next application.
7. Keep revisions separate and identify the approved version.
8. Build one test piece before publishing, teaching, or selling.