Create a simple seamless pattern in photoshop (or any layer able application)
Create a new document 600 pixels x 600 pixels 300 dpi transparent background
Open the item you want to use for your pattern, I’ve used my Dolly element here.
Hold down shift and drag the element to your pattern document, it will snap to the centre of the page
Now you might need to resize your element so it fits in the page, go ahead and do that if you need to
Duplicate your element 4 times and move one of each layer to the corners of the page,
The centre of the dolly needs to be exactly on the corner of the page so use the centre node as a guide to achieve this
Tip: if you hold down the shift key as you move your item it will snap to the edges when you get there.
Once you have them all placed, merge visible.
Now you can define your pattern by choosing edit>define pattern
Give your pattern a name and then try it out.
Now you have a pattern you can use for papers, or for in styles as patterns or textures.
This same process will work with shapes, brushes anything really.
Have fun with it!
Here’s a shot of my pattern:
Saving your presets by Kimberkatt
Select All>Define Pattern places your pattern into the preset manager, BUT! it does NOT save them. It will appear in your patterns menu by default until you open another .pat file, which then overwrites your pattern... when this happens, you get that prompt to save your patterns.
The only way to make sure that you always have your patterns is to SAVE them into a .pat file. So:
1. Create your seamless pattern
2. Select All>Define Pattern (this places it into the preset manager but does NOT save the pattern, it can be overwritten & lost forever!)
3. Go to Edit>Preset Manager>Patterns and click the "Save Set" option to save all the patterns into one .pat file.
Now, if you go through and delete patterns accidentally, you should be able to go back to Edit>Preset Manager>Patterns and click on the "Load" button to find the .pat file you just saved w/ all of your patterns.
Sharing your patterns with others
Okay once you have your patterns in your patterns palette you can delete any you don't want to share by holding down the alt button (little scissors will appear when you hover over a pattern thumb) now click on the ones you don't want in the set.
Once you've done that you can click on the fly out and choose save patterns
when the save dialog box comes up, browse to where you want to save them ideally a new folder named appropriately, then name it designername_patternname and click save.
Go to the folder you saved them to in Windows explorer and add a preview and tou then zip that folder up and upload to where you share from.
Saving your patterns to share