

Entries for 2023 are now closed, thank you.
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The fifth edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide, will be published inside UPPERCASE issue #57 (April-May-June 2023) and will feature the best in up-and-coming and seasoned surface pattern designers. Being part of the guide will expose your work to an engaged and active readership of art and design buyers, potential clients, collaborators and consumers.
Entrants will also be considered for many professional licensing and learning opportunities—including a Fabric Collection with Windham Fabrics.
All submitters will be considered for the these exciting opportunities:
COVER
COMMISSION

UPPERCASE Publishing
Selected entrants will receive commissions from UPPERCASE for the Surface Pattern Design Guide cover and other projects.
FABRIC
COLLECTION
Windham Fabrics
One entrant will receive a fabric licensing arrangement with Windham Fabrics (value based on future sales)
BONNIE CHRISTINE
Surface Design Immersion
Bonnie Christine is offering free tuition to her Surface Design Immersion Course + one free year of Flourish.
($2,561 value)
SARAH
WATTS
Learn Photoshop
for Textured Artwork
Free tuition to From Paint to Pattern with Sarah Watts—in-depth Photoshop training for pattern and illustration.
($997 value)
ELIZABETH
SILVER
Start Your Surface Pattern Business
Elizabeth Silver is offering one entrant a full scholarship to Start Your Surface Pattern Business, a course that helps designers find focus and pitch their portfolio. ($749 value)
INDUSTRY
INSIGHT
Surface Design News
A year’s subscription to Surface Design News and the Fabric, Wallpaper & Licensing Agent Directory. (value $245)
GLOBAL
MARKETPLACE
Patternbank
One entrant will receive a portfolio review and new designer advice from Patternbank, the global marketplace for textile design.
PORTFOLIO
REVIEW
Chronicle Books
Two winners will be selected for one-on-one portfolio reviews with the Chronicle Books Design Studio and receive $50 in Chronicle products.
These partners are not paying UPPERCASE to be involved in the guide. Any resulting licensing and contract details are between the artist and the opportunity company.
Get noticed by clients and customers!
The fifth edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide will feature the best in up-and-coming and seasoned surface pattern designers. By being part of the guide, your work will be exposed to an engaged and active readership of art and design buyers, potential clients, collaborators and consumers. The Surface Pattern Design Guides are kept as reference for years!
UPPERCASE has partnered with some great companies who are offering some excellent opportunities for licensing, learning and consultation. It's a great way to get your foot in the door—art buyers and art directors of the companies listed will be reviewing the top 100 submissions as well as your portfolio and instagram links and will have access to all submissions should they wish.
The entry fee is $30 (USD).
All entrants will receive a discount code for 20% off in the UPPERCASE shop (expires March 1, 2023). The code can be used on subscriptions, back issues and books.
Please read the details and submission form in its entirety so that you understand what is required. Take your time in gathering your submission, uploading and submitting. You can save it as a draft on your computer before paying.
Thank you for your submissions!
Winners will be contacted in March.
Entry Details
- 100 artists will be included in the Guide.
- Please submit new and/or recent work from your portfolio. If you were published in a previous edition of the Guide, you are welcome to submit new work.
- The entry fee is to cover the hosting and administration costs of this submission system and will also be pooled as payments to artists selected for UPPERCASE projects. No refunds.
- Read the submission form in its entirety so that you understand what is required. Then take your time in gathering your submission, uploading and submitting. You can save it as a draft before paying.
- Once you've submitted, you cannot edit your submission or change the work submitted.
- The form closes on January 18. Do not wait until the last minute to upload.
- Please note that if you are selected or contacted by one of the participating opportunity companies, you are under no obligation to pursue a contract. All negotiations, contracts and licensing details are between the companies listed and the artist—UPPERCASE is simply the method of making the match!
- To be eligible for the fabric licensing opportunity, you must not currently have—or have had—a fabric licensing deal. It's ok if you sell your designs on Spoonflower or other print-on-demand platforms. Licensing and contract details are between the artist and the company. The scope, size and release date of this arrangement are to be determined by the fabric company.
- Include 6-9 images of your recent best pattern designs or pattern illustrations (the designs themselves—no product mockups). They should be jpgs cropped square, 4 inches wide at 300dpi. RGB or CMYK is fine, but note that the magazine is printed in CMYK and there may be a colour shift when converting from RBG. No names, logos or watermarks on the image files, please. Three patterns will be chosen for publication so consider how everything will look together. Please submit colourways or patterns that work well with one another but show the breadth of your style and abilities. Select up to 9 files to include in your submission.
- By submitting to the entry form, you acknowledge that the work submitted is your own and you are not infringing on the rights of any other artist or company. You allow UPPERCASE to publish your work in print in issue #57 and in various digital promotions of the Guide. Your email will also be added to the UPPERCASE general email list. You can opt-out at any time. thank you.
Previous Guides
Nina Cvijović
UPPERCASE #49
(April-May-June 2021)

Julz Nally
UPPERCASE #41
(April-May-June 2019)

Sarah Golden
UPPERCASE #32
(Jan/Feb/March 2017)

Jan Avellana
UPPERCASE #21
(April-May-June 2014)
See the Surface Pattern Design Guide (fourth edition) at the 41 second mark in the video above.
Issue #49 (April-May-June 2021) front cover art by Madison Rae Holler @rubinskiworks
UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide interior cover by Nina Cvijović @diujdi
Creative Encouragement
Be unique! We're not looking for trendiness, we're looking for originality and expression.
Our partners are looking for new talent!
Submissions are open to everyone, you do not have to be a "professional."
Surface pattern design does not always have to include repeat patterns, it is about surface decoration, too.
Designs don't have to be created digitally. If you're an artist who makes work suitable for surface design licensing, take good quality images of your work, following the guidelines in the submission form.