FAQ

Bower is free weaving design software that runs in the web browser. Bower helps you create, edit, and export weaving drafts in a modern, easy-to-use application. Bower is developed by Asunder LLC, a small design studio located in Massachusetts.

No. Bower runs directly in your web browser such as Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Therefore you can open it online and start working immediately.

Bower is for handweavers, textile artists, weaving students, educators, and makers who want a simple way to build and test weaving drafts digitally.

Yes. Bower supports WIF import and export, along with its native .bower project format for saving and reloading drafts. Legacy .loom project files still import correctly.

Yes. Bower supports both tieup and liftplan workflows, and can convert between those representations inside the editor. Perfect for your table loom and dobby loom needs!

Yes. Profile drafting lets you work with block substitution using built-in unit weave structures including Summer and Winter, Atwater-Bronson lace, Huck lace, Halvdräll, turned twill blocks, and multishaft overshot variants. This feature requires a license.

Yes. Bower can export PNG, PDF, and WIF. PDF export also includes a print-at-actual-size mode using EPI and PPI settings.

Bower uses its own .bower project format for saving and loading drafts. It also imports and exports WIF (Weaving Information File) for interoperability with other weaving software. Legacy .loom project files from earlier versions still import correctly.

The core editor -- threading, tieup, treadling, liftplan, WIF import/export, pattern presets, and all export formats -- is free. Direct Edit, profile drafting (block substitution), loom optimization, and 3D yarn simulation require a license. Local, offline versions that run on your Mac, iPad, and other devices also require a license to run. Nevertheless, the browser version is forever free.

Yes. Direct Edit lets you paint on the drawdown itself, run a feasibility check, and accept a decomposition back into loom structure. This feature requires a license.

Yes. Bower can optimize a draft into a more compact loom setup, reducing the number of shafts or treadles needed. Loom optimization is part of the Direct Edit workflow and requires a license.

Yes. Import from Image lets you upload a photo or scan of a drawdown, correct the perspective, and extract a grid into a Bower draft. This feature requires a license.