Creating and managing patterns

Creating and managing patterns

A pattern is an image that is repeated or tiled, during application Photoshop and ImageReady come with a variety of preset patterns In Photoshop you can create new patterns and save them in libraries for use with different tools and commands In ImageReady you can define a single pattern called the User Defined Pattern which you can use to fill selections and layers.

Defining patterns

You use the Edit > Define Pattern command to create new patterns based on a selection.

To define a preset pattern:

Use the rectangle marquee tool on any open image to select an area to use as a pattern Feather must be set to 0 px Note that large images may become unwieldy.

Choose Edit > Define Pattern.

(Photoshop) Enter a name for the pattern in the Pattern Name dialog box.

Note: If you are using a pattern from one image and applying it to another Photoshop converts the color mode.

To use a preset pattern from the PostScript Patterns folder:

Choose File > Open Each preset file in the PostScript Patterns folder (which comes with Photoshop) contains a single pattern in the Adobe Illustrator format. You can scale and render these patterns at any resolution.

Select the pattern file you want to use and click Open.

Select any rasterizing options (See "Opening and importing images on section 73

Make a rectangular selection around the pattern or make no selection to use the whole image.

Choose Edit > Define Pattern.

(Photoshop) Enter a name for the pattern in the Pattern Name dialog box.

Managing patterns (Photoshop)

Preset patterns are displayed in pop-up palettes in the options bar for the paint bucket, pattern stamp healing brush and patch tools as well as in the Layer Style dialog box. You can load reset and save libraries of preset patterns and rename and delete individual preset patterns.

Note: You can also use the Preset Manager to load reset and save libraries of preset patterns and rename and delete individual preset patterns For more information see

"Managing libraries with the Preset Manager (Photoshop)" on section 54

To change how patterns are displayed:

Choose a display option from a Pattern pop-up palette menu.

To load a library of patterns:

Choose one of the following from a Pattern pop-up palette menu:

Load Patterns to add a library to the current list Select the library file you want to use, and click Load.

Replace Patterns to replace the current list with a different library Select the library file you want to use and click Load.

A library file (displayed at the bottom of the palette menu) Click OK to replace the current list or click Append to append the current list.

To rename a preset pattern:

Select the pattern you want to rename and choose Rename Pattern from the palette menu.

Enter a new name for the pattern and click OK.

To delete a preset pattern:

Do one of the following:

Select the pattern you want to delete and choose Delete Pattern from the palette menu.

Hold down Alt ( Windows) or Option (Mac OS) position the pointer over a pattern

(the pointer turns into scissors) and click.

To save a set of preset patterns as a library:

Choose Save Patterns from a Pattern pop-up palette menu.

Choose a location for the pattern library enter a filename and click Save.

You can save the library anywhere However if you place the library file in the Presets/ Patterns folder inside the Photoshop program folder the library name will appear at the bottom of the Pattern pop-up palette menus after you restart Photoshop.

To return to the default library of patterns:

Choose Reset Patterns from a Pattern pop-up palette menu. You can either replace the current list or append the default library to the current list.

If you receive a pattern stamp tool preset that uses an undefined pattern or if you erase the preset you re using by resetting or replacing the pattern library choose New

Pattern from the Pattern pop-up palette menu to redefine the pattern.