How to Make a Repeat Pattern in Illustrator 10
Repeat patterns, also known as tiled patterns, are custom fills you can create and save as presets in Adobe Illustrator, a leading vector graphics program. You can then use the preset to fill rectangles, ovals and other shapes without having to re-create the pattern each time. To create a pattern preset, you draw the pattern, and then use Illustrator's Define Pattern option to save pattern.
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Instructions
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Start a new Adobe Illustrator drawing by clicking the "File" menu and choosing "New." This opens the New Document dialog box. Click "OK."
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Draw the pattern. You can create any type of pattern you want. For example, to create a red brick pattern, draw a small rectangle on the canvas. Click the "Window" menu and choose "Color Guide." This opens the Color Guide panel. Choose a red brick-colored swatch from the "Shades" palette. Select the "Line Segment Tool," the sixth tool in the Tools panel. Draw horizontal and vertical lines inside the rectangle, creating the appearance of small bricks stacked on top of each other.
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Select the "Selection Tool," the first tool in the Tools panel. Hold the mouse button and drag the mouse cursor around the pattern, making sure that the entire pattern is selected.
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Click the "Edit" menu and choose "Define Pattern." This opens the New Swatch dialog box.
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Type a name for the pattern in the "Swatch Name" dialog box. Illustrator saves the pattern in the Swatches panel. To use it, draw a shape on the canvas, and then click the swatch for the pattern in the Swatches panel. Illustrator fills the shape with the pattern.
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Tips & Warnings
You can tell Illustrator to fill your shapes as you draw them by selecting the pattern swatch in the Swatches panel before you draw the shape.
The new pattern swatch is available to all Illustrator drawings, not just the drawing in which you create the pattern.
References
Resources
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