You can design a repeating pattern in Photoshop to use as a border of an image, to fill a shape, or simply use it on its own. With a few basic filter options and the right canvas size, you can create a seamless pattern in just a few minutes!
Using these steps will create a basic pattern, but it will not have a seamless transition as the pattern repeats. For that to happen, you need to use a specific canvas size and some basic filters. Let me show you exactly what you need to do!
Video Tutorial
How To Create A Repeating Pattern In Photoshop
Step 1: Create A New Document
To set the correct document dimensions, click Create New after opening Photoshop, head to File > New, or press Control + N (Win) or Command + N (Mac).
In the window that appears, you can edit the size and resolution of your document in the panel on the right. Enter the dimensions you need, as long as the width and height are the same and the canvas size allows you enough room to make your pattern. You can also adjust the resolution here if need be.
Note: I recommend either a 400x400px or 500x500px size canvas with a resolution that is high enough for your needs (if you’re printing, you’ll want a higher resolution than if you’ll be displaying the final result digitally). I would suggest 300PPI (Pixels Per Inch) if you aren’t sure which resolution to choose.
Step 2: Add The Shapes For The Pattern To The Canvas
Next, you need to create the shapes and elements you want your pattern to be made up of. This is the area that will be repeated to form the full pattern. To do this, you can use a variety of elements, including different shapes, brush strokes, and colors. Below, you’ll see the pattern I’ve created.
You can make anything you want, but ensure each element has its own layer so that you can easily go back and edit the different elements of your pattern if need be.
Step 3: Duplicate And Merge The Elements Of The Pattern
Now, once you’ve double-checked that the design is as you want it, you must duplicate and merge the layers. The original layers will remain in case you need to edit them, but you will add another layer consisting of all the merged elements. This is the layer that you will repeat to make up the overall pattern.
To merge the layers, go to the Layers Panel and Shift + click all the layers until they are selected. When selected, they will turn a lighter gray.
Now, right-click (Win) or Control + click (Mac) the selected layers and click Duplicate Layers from the available options. Click OK in the window that appears. The layer copies will appear in your Layers Panel, and they will automatically be selected. Without clicking off to deselect them, right-click (Win) or Control + click (Mac) the selected layer copies and select Merge Layers.
Once you’ve merged the layers, you’ll notice a new layer appears in your Layers Panel containing all the elements and layers of your project.
Another way to merge the layers is to use the keyboard shortcut Control + Alt + Shift + E (Win) or Command + Option + Shift + E (Mac) after you have selected all your layers.
It is very important to duplicate all the layers before merging them, as this will allow you to go back and make any adjustments to individual elements of your project.
Step 4: Create The Repeating Pattern By Applying The Offset Filter
Now it’s time to make the repeating pattern. With this merged layer selected, head to Filter > Other > Offset.
The offset amount should be half of the canvas dimensions. For example, as my canvas dimensions are 400×400, my offset amount will be +200 for both the Horizontal and Vertical settings.
Then, in the Undefined Areas section, make sure to select Wrap Around. Once the settings are selected, click OK.
You’ll notice that doing this will shift around the different elements in the pattern. This ensures that, once the base of your pattern is repeated, the different elements will fit together in a way that looks seamless.
Keep in mind that this process can leave some open spaces in your pattern (often in the center of the square) that may look strange when repeated. You can add elements to those areas so that the pattern looks better once it is put together.
How To Create A New Pattern Preset In Photoshop
Once you’re happy with how your pattern looks, you can save it so that you can access the pattern as a design element. To do this, make sure the pattern is selected by heading to Select > All.
Then, go to Edit > Define Pattern.
When the window opens, name your pattern and click OK.
You’ll now have a full pattern you can access whenever you’d like to use it to fill an element of a project.
Putting Your Custom Repeating Pattern To Use
First, I’ve created a new document and added a new shape by heading to the Shape Tool (U).
To fill this shape with the pattern you’ve made, head to the Options bar, click the Fill area, and in the panel that appears, click the Patterns icon on the right.
Here, you will see the pattern you’ve made below the default shape categories.
Click on your pattern to fill your shape with it.
At first, your pattern might not appear the way you thought it would. You can alter the way your pattern appears on the shape using the Scale and Angle settings at the bottom of the panel.
The scale option determines how many times the pattern is repeated within the shape. Changing the scale of the pattern from 100% to 23% will repeat it more often.
You can also adjust the Angle setting to rotate your pattern. Play with these settings until you’re happy with how your pattern looks.
Happy Editing!