Guide
Plaid types: gingham, tattersall, madras and glen plaid
A plaid brief works better when it specifies both the pattern family and the construction. Color count alone does not define the plaid type.
Gingham
An evenly spaced check commonly developed with equal-width bands and a plain weave. Traditional versions often use white and one colored yarn; the crossing creates another visual tone. A four-yarn-color gingham direction needs four distinct yarn colors in the recipe, rather than counting blended crossing tones as separate yarns.
Brief example: “An even gingham-style check using four distinct yarn colors. Match warp and weft band widths. Show all four yarn references.”
Madras
A multicolor plaid direction associated with lightweight cotton shirting. Unequal band widths and intersecting colors create a relaxed, varied rhythm. A digital madras-inspired repeat does not establish fabric origin, fiber, or finish.
Brief example: “A small-scale madras-inspired shirting plaid with an ivory ground, blue and green bands, and a restrained rust accent. Use varied band widths.”
Tattersall
A light ground crossed by fine, regularly spaced lines, often alternating between two line colors. Keep the line weight restrained so the open ground remains the main field.
Brief example: “An ivory-ground tattersall with alternating navy and olive fine lines. Keep the grid spacing regular.”
Glen plaid
A compound check combining areas of small broken checks with larger checked groupings, sometimes with an overcheck. Its character depends on the small-scale weave detail as well as the larger band arrangement. A generic broad stripe grid is not enough.
Brief example: “A charcoal-and-ivory glen plaid with clearly visible broken-check detail and a fine blue overcheck. Show a close-up and the full repeat.”
Review the recipe, not just the preview
Count distinct yarn colors, inspect the weave, compare the band spacing, and check physical scale. AI directions are starting points: verify every generated option against your brief before saving or sampling.