Surface pattern design is not just for the professionals! If you’ve ever browsed our Marketplace for llamas, rainbows or even motorcycle fabric, there’s a good chance you’ve been curious to know how designers have created their seamless repeats. From traditional tools like a pen and paper to design programs like Adobe® Photoshop® and Adobe® Illustrator®, we’re showing you eight seamless repeat tutorials to help you find your tried and true resource for creating seamless repeats. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be ready to enter one of our upcoming design challenges!
1. Create a Seamless Repeat from a Drawing
We’re putting the tools into your own hands (professional, aspiring or otherwise) with a simple step-by-step tutorial that shows one way to create your very own seamless repeat design, no fancy editing software required!
2. Create a Seamless Repeat on Your iPad with Pixelmator
This design tool will be your one-stop-shop for creating, editing and enhancing your images. You can choose to create your repeat elements directly in Pixelmator or use an app like Procreate or Adobe Sketch and then use Pixelmator to build the repeat pattern. Spoonflower designer thinlinetextiles shows you how easy it is!
3. Design a Seamless Repeat with Procreate
Does mastering the art of seamless repeats feel like the pinnacle of your surface design journey? We’ve got a not-so-secret truth to tell you—they’re easier than you might think! Spoonflower designer Anda Corrie is demystifying seamless repeats using the budget-friendly (just $9.99!) design tool, Procreate®, and her trusty iPad.
4. Turn a Drawing into a Seamless Repeat in Photoshop
Have you ever wondered what your doodle might look like as a repeating pattern? Spoonflower’s graphic designer, Alexis, is sharing just how easy it is to take your drawing off the paper and onto the screen in this Photoshop tutorial.
5. Design a Seamless Repeat with Photoshop Elements
Feeling a little out of your element? Allie’s custom geometric design tutorial using Photoshop Elements, the budget and beginner-friendly version of Photoshop, will be just what the design doctor ordered!
6. Create a Seamless Repeat in Photoshop
Watch the step-by-step tutorial
7. Create a Seamless Repeat in Illustrator
8. Spoonflower Repeats
If you’ve designed a single element and want to upload it directly to Spoonflower, you can still create a repeating design! Using one of the five different types of repeats featured on your design page, you can transform your simple element to create a fabulous design.
Once you’ve designed your first (or next!) seamless repeat, upload it to your Spoonflower shop, set up your designs for success and get ready to start earning money doing what you love!
Bonus!
Design + DIY tutorials
1. Turn your calligraphy into fabric 2. Design a paper snowflake table runner 3. Personalize baby’s first blanket with Photoshop
There are folks out here using Corel Draw, too! More than I actually thought. And I’m pretty sure I even converted someone! 🙂
Hi Julee,
Thanks for adding this tool! We’ll have to look into this program for a future tutorial.
-Meredith from Spoonflower
Agreed! Corel draw lover here too! Would be great if it was covered for some tutorials too. Great job for the tutorials on the other programs.
should be pretty much the same as Illustrator.
Would love tutorials using open source software like Inkscape and GIMP as well!
Hi Caitlin,
Thanks so much for the suggestion! We’re looking into offering tutorials that include these types of programs so please keep an eye out.
-Meredith from Spoonflower
Would love this tutorial using Illustrator. It would be such a gift to know how to do this!!! Thanks!!!
oops, my bad the Illustrator tutorial is there!!! Thanks so much!!!
Don’t forget the tutorial for Adobe’s Project Paras for making repeats on the Spoonflower blog at https://blog.spoonflower.com/2018/11/how-to-make-a-seamless-repeat-with-project-paras/
Mike Scrutton, Team Project Paras
what about affinity designer?
I’d be interested in a repeat pattern tutorial in Affinity Designer.
Hi Kathy,
Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Affinity Designer is growing in popularity – I’ve just bought it but I’m learning from scratch as someone who aspires to becoming a surface designer. I’d also be really interested in any tutorials you have to offer.
A new Affinity Designer here, and would like to have a tutorial in Affinity. Using Adobe products now but would like to get away from depending on that company.
Hi Graham! Thanks for your interest in Spoonflower and for your suggestion. Liz Kohler Brown has a great tutorial on Skillshare on using Affinity Designer here. We also have some popular tutorials using Procreate here if you are interested in trying another tool. Procreate is definitely a Spoonflower community favorite!
Best,
Amy
Spoonflower