Tech Editor or Tester? Why You Need Both for a Successful Pattern
If you are a designer planning to publish a pattern, understanding the distinct roles of tech editing and testing is essential for success. Skipping or conflating these steps can lead to confusion, errors, and frustrated makers. Both are crucial to ensure your final pattern is clear, coherent, and free of mistakes.
Tech Editing: The Heavy Lifting
Tech editors (TEs) are the professionals who perform the detailed review of a pattern before it reaches testers. Their job is to examine every technical and structural aspect, catching errors and inconsistencies that the designer may have missed.
A skilled TE possesses a deep understanding of the craft, including all the mathematical components involved in pattern construction. Many can visualize the finished item without knitting or crocheting a sample, though some may create small swatches if necessary to verify complex instructions. Some TEs are designers themselves, giving them insight into balancing accuracy with readability.
What a TE Checks:
Tech editors review patterns for a wide range of issues, including grammatical, mathematical, consistency, continuity, and clerical errors. Specifically, they verify:
Accuracy: Stitch counts, row counts, shaping rate, gauge, sizing, and yarn amounts. Math verification is crucial, especially for multi-sized patterns and patterns using both imperial and metric measurements.
Consistency: Terms, symbols, and instructions must be consistent throughout the pattern and across a designer's catalog. Even small issues, like a misplaced comma, can change meaning.
Clarity and Visual Appeal: TEs ensure instructions are easy to follow, and review document layout, fonts, spacing, margins, and formatting to match the designer’s style sheet and overall brand voice.
Testing: The Voice of the Customer
Once tech editing is complete, the pattern moves to the testing phase. Testers are everyday makers who represent your target audience—they experience the pattern as your customers will.
The Tester's Role:
Testers make the item according to the pattern instructions to confirm that the finished product matches the intended design and fit. Their feedback focuses on usability, clarity, and overall experience rather than technical errors. This includes:
Whether instructions were easy to follow.
Whether the finished item matches the pattern’s description.
Questions, confusion, or issues encountered while making the item.
A Critical Distinction:
Testers are not primarily looking for errors. Minor issues may occasionally be discovered, which is normal. Testers approach the pattern as they would any personal project, providing insight into how a maker experiences the instructions and overall process.
Why Both Roles Must Be Separate
Some designers wonder if a tester can double as a tech editor to save money. In practice, this is rarely effective.
Different Focus: Tech editors catch even the smallest errors and inconsistencies. Testers provide feedback on usability, clarity, and overall enjoyment.
Sequence Matters: Tech editing should always come first. By the time the pattern reaches testers, it should be polished enough to be nearly publish-ready.
Real-World Analogies:
The Movie Industry: Editors refine raw footage for coherence. Preview audiences then provide feedback on story clarity and enjoyment, not editing errors.
The Tech Industry: Developers polish code, internal testers find technical bugs, and beta users provide usability feedback before release.
Key Takeaway:
Investing in both tech editing and testing ensures your pattern is polished, publish-ready, and well-received by makers. Proper sequencing and clear role distinctions make the design process smoother and elevate the professionalism of your final product.
