How to Make a Repeat Pattern Swatch in Illustrator

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17 comments on “How to Make a Repeat Pattern Swatch in Illustrator”

1. Claudine Hellmuth on May 18, 2011 at 6:53 pm said:

   Love your tutorials! Because of you I turned my first bitmap into vector today!

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   • Barbra Ignatiev on May 19, 2011 at 7:55 am said:

     oh yay! I hope it worked OK for you :) Thanks, Claudine!

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2. Linda Tieu on May 25, 2011 at 9:30 am said:

   Thanks so much for sharing! I’m always wondering how others approach the pattern making process. I do the same in Illustrator, except instead of making a copy and moving it permanently…I go to Effects > Transform…and tell it to make a copy and move it whatever x or y direction. The items are then grouped and perfectly spaced apart so it will repeat properly…but then you can still move it around and adjust along with all the other imagery. Does that make sense?! I always wonder if I’m doing it the “right” way or if I’m just a weirdo…LOL!

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   • Barbra Ignatiev on May 25, 2011 at 11:14 am said:

     Ooo! I’ll have to try that. It seems there’s lots of different ways to do one thing, which is good, right? 

     That sounds like a good way to do it too. I use Effects > Transform all the time, but for different things. Doy oy! Thanks, Linda!

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     • Linda Tieu on May 25, 2011 at 2:17 pm said:

       Great point – there’s always more than one way to do something!

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3. Anonymous on May 25, 2011 at 10:39 am said:

   Thank you!!  I can’t wait to try it!

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   • Barbra Ignatiev on May 25, 2011 at 11:15 am said:

     Most welcome! Thanks for stopping by.

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4. Bbifl on May 25, 2011 at 12:57 pm said:

   There’s a FREE online software tool that also creates great seamless repeats at http://www.thedigitalstylist.com/fl/SR/i~REPEAT.html It is limited to JPG, BMP & GIF and 4000 x 4000 pixels, but works really well. I believe a version supporting Tif files and 16000 x 16000 pixels is in the works :D

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   • Barbra Ignatiev on May 25, 2011 at 8:39 pm said:

     Neat! I’ll look into it! There’s also this downloadable app called Repper: http://repperpatterns.com/ Only thing about it is that it seems to make geometrics really well… but other more flowy patterns like florals don’t seem to work so well, I think. At least, thats what I can tell from the videos I’ve seen of it in action.

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6. Brandy Miller on May 25, 2011 at 4:08 pm said:

   I’ve been using the Sims3 create-a-pattern tool, taking a screen shot, and then reworking the design in Illustrator but I’m grateful for the tips on how to skip the middle steps when creating designs. Thanks for this :)

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   • Barbra Ignatiev on May 25, 2011 at 8:41 pm said:

     Oh weird! I had no idea about that! http://www.simprograms.com/16427/the-sims-3-create-a-pattern-tool-now-available-to-download/ Thanks for sharing. I used to play Sims when I was younger ~ it’s sure gotten more advanced! 

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7. gentlemonkey on May 25, 2011 at 6:13 pm said:

   Thanks for this tutorial :D I have always been curious about how to do this :P 
   I followed the link from spoonflower on FB

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   • Barbra Ignatiev on May 25, 2011 at 8:42 pm said:

     Thanks for letting me know re: Spoonflower. I had no idea ~ was wondering why I was getting all this action on my blog :) Cheers!

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8. Deanna Johnson Mullican on May 26, 2011 at 12:42 pm said:

   Hi Barbra! I too found you via Spoonflower. I loved the video, thank you. I’m always playing in Illustrator trying to figure out the best way to make a repeat. I’m going to explore your site more! I love what I’m seeing.

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