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Making a repeating pattern


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mariamurr

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Dear gurus,

I have to prepare a file where a pattern repeats seamlessly. The pattern I'm using is already fixed so that I just need to place the repeating "tiles" next to each other. What I should do is to make a file where the pattern is repeated three times (horizontally aligned). The width of the final work should be 150 cm, and there should be a white margin of 1 cm on one side and another of 2 cm on the other side (so that the width of one "tile" in the pattern is 49 cm). There are two layers in the document I have, one colour on each of them, and I should have it the same way in the final file. How should I proceed? I've been looking for tutorials on this matter, but haven't found anything really helpful...

Thank you in advance for your kind help!
 
I don't quite understand your need but okey.

First if you need precise margin then first make image without it, do your stuff and then add white margins by canvas size - Image/Canvas size. Choose Relative and first add 1cm white (there is option at bottom) to one side then 2cm to other (experiment with those block to get right adding diretion or tutor on canvas size).

But before that make new image with your pattern alone then go Edit/Define Pattern and define it.
Go to your project. Then take Paint Bucket Tool from tools (under Gradient tool). In option replace Foreground to Pattern and in pattern preview choose your maded patern. Click on layer which you want to fill. Done.

And now you can add your white margins as i described before.
 
i'm not sure what your final use is, but if you're looking for something like a website background then try this method:
put your pattern on a new layer. duplicate it. on the new layer run filter>other>offset. the numbers you type in should be half of your total pixels, so if your image is 100px by 100px then the numbers should be 50 horizontal and 50 vertical. this will place 1/4 of your pattern in each corner making it a tileable pattern.

if you're looking to use the pattern in photoshop then use seniors method.
 
Hi mariamurr

- Create the document size 150 wide by let's say 20 cm. but make sure you got the measurement units set to cm. no px

- place 2 guide lines one in each side of the document, as it's specified, one of them must be placed 2 cm in one side, and 1 cm on the other. So you will end it up whit a 147 cm wide to work whit, right. "150-3=147"

- Now we already know that size each pattern of the is gonna measure 49 cm wide by "147/3=49"

- Now for the easy part. using your ruler tool "I" we are going to measure those 49 cm needed for the first pattern, whit the ruler tool selected position the cursor on one of the guidelines that we've settled before "those 1 or 2cm margins, remember "

- Holding the "SHIFT", click and drag the mouse across until you see that you have the 49 cm required, "take a look in the ruler palette tools on top right below the main menu, any time you drag one of the ends of the ruler measurement line you will see the values changing, on the different axis XYZ, WH,A,L1,L2" the one we are interested in is the L1 axis, that value will show you the length of the space being measured using the ruler, when you see that you got the 49 cm or a pretty close approximation just let go on the mouse button, and you got your first pattern length.

- Now like we did before click and drag a guide line to that position.

- Do the same thing for the last guideline "once you got the ruler set to 49 cm for the first position, you can just click and drag your ruler to the next one holding "SHIFT" and draw your last guideline"

- Finally just create the pattern and position it over the guidelines along the document.

I've added the PSD file as reference

Hope this helps

 

Attachments

$1r_M4x1mu$ why not make all your "paterning" and then add margins by canvas size? I think it is lot easier and precise. To get exactly 1cm guide by hand is tricky, sometimes guide just don't want to be 1.00 but 0.99 or 1.01 :)
 
Thank you all!

I'm making an image that I can use for making printing screens. The measurements of what I'm printing are 68x150 cm. (There's going to be text in the margins.) In this area, the pattern (68x49 cm) is repeated three times. I have to make two screens, because there are two colours I'm printing.

The pattern I'm going to use is already in psd format and it has two layers. I have to have the same layer structure in the final file - one layer for each colour I'll print. "Define pattern" thing would work fine if i could get an exact pattern size by using it.
 
It isn't easy for my brain either...:P

Can I just copy-paste each layer separately and then paste them onto a document with guides? Like, colour 1 three times on layer 1 and colour 2 three times on layer 2?
 
I think you can.
But that copy will be tricky too, you'll need align precise but it can be done of course.
Or copy/paste each layer from pattern to new separate images and define 2 pattern. And then use those patterns to layer where it's needed.
Many ways to shave the cat, LoL.
 
mariamurr said:
Thank you all!

I'm making an image that I can use for making printing screens. The measurements of what I'm printing are 68x150 cm. (There's going to be text in the margins.) In this area, the pattern (68x49 cm) is repeated three times. I have to make two screens, because there are two colours I'm printing.
Click to expand...

When you say the pattern is repeated 3 times, do you mean there is space between each tile -- ? -- because it sounded like you just wanted to print the tile over a 3X wider surface.

mariamurr said:
The pattern I'm going to use is already in psd format and it has two layers. I have to have the same layer structure in the final file - one layer for each colour I'll print. "Define pattern" thing would work fine if i could get an exact pattern size by using it.
Click to expand...

What do you mean exact pattern size? You will get a seamless repeat of the pattern across the width of the file on one layer and you do the same on the other layer. If what you want is white space for a "tile" effect, then you will need to measure the distances between, setting up guides as has already been said.

I think my brain is getting frost on it too. Can you draw up a quick img to demo what ur getting at?
 
The image provided by $1r_M4x1mu$ is quite close to truth. No white spaces I mean. Printing the tile over a 3x wider surface is exactly what I want to do; I need a file of 68x150 cm because my printing screen is that size.

I know that I get a seamless repeat with define pattern thing, but at least according to this tutorial How to Tile a Photo in Photoshop | eHow.com I only can adjust the pattern size approximately with the slider...
http://www.photoshopgurus.com/forum/members/$1r_m4x1mu$.html
 
Well, good luck with that. I'm afraid I still don't know what you're trying to do, LOL. My brain can't wrap around some words I guess. But you've got the best, Sir M and Senior S, offering you advice. Cheers, IB
 
Hi!

Sorry everyone, my bad... I had wrong image size when I first tried to create the pattern, and I couldn't fix that with the image size slider, of course.
The method SeniorS first suggested seems to work well here. Just one more question: the two layers I created are completely opaque, that is, I just see one colour of the pattern at a time. Is it possible to make the repeat file so that both colours would be visible at the same time? This isn't necessary for the printing but I'd like to check that the patterns are positioned right in relation to each other.
 
Checked. It worked for me.
1. Open your 2layer patern file.
2. make sure they transparent and no white background.
3. make invisible 1 layer.
4. go Edit/Define Pattern. lets say my pattern1.
5. make invisible 2 layer and visible 1.
6. Edit/Define Pattern - my pattern 2.

Beware that your pattern have transporancy.

Now make your project file at your size with transparent layer 1 and layer 2 (or whatever names)
Fill it with my pattern 1 one of them and my pattern 2 other.

Must work.
 
Thanks again. I had a white layer underneath that was visible - that's why the layers of the final pattern also had a white background.
 
You can. Only thing is that each time you will copy PS will make a new layer. So if you want 2 layers to be there then:
Copy one "pattern" 3 times, align them how you need then merge down them to 1 layer. Same with other "pattern".
But if each are is his own color (1 cmyk chanell?) then there isn't actual need to making only 2 chanells of course.
Final pdf's or postcript's separation still be what you need (but that just only if those colors contains separete chanell colors).
Any way at end defenitly check it by looking on each color chanell.
 
Update...you can leave those copied layer not merged together. Just align it.


Hmmm....why i'm writing it? :) ... wasn't there some post (deleted or edited) on which i answered or i'm going insane? :D
 


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