Adobe Illustrator Seamless Backgrounds

To create a seamless pattern first create a square document for stock images I tend to go for 350x350mm to allow for it being downloaded at the highest resolution. The obvious idea behind a seamless pattern is to make it seamless! The solution I have used here is to create an image that will vary in colour, shape and angle thus not giving the eye any straight lines to hone in on.



Ok so first off create a circle of about 60mm in diameter (I have used black), now under the "edit" menu "copy" and "paste in front", this will give you a circle of the same dimension sitting on top of the first. Select this circle with the "solid arrow" tool and reduce it in size to about 90%, then move it off centre. Select both of the circles and under the "window" menu select the "pathfinder" option and then the "subtract from shape area" This should leave you with a hole punched in your circle as below.



That is the hard bit out of the way!  Ok with the "solid arrow" tool selected again click and drag the element you have just created whilst holding the "alt" key down. This will duplicate the element, grab one of the corner nodes reduce the element down enough to fit inside the first one we created (if you hold the shift key as you are reducing it the proportions will stay the same). Change the colour (I have gone for a nice green here) and repeat the above procedures for the 3rd element and change it to orange.



Now group ("object" menu "group") the element together and duplicate it a couple of times, I have then changed the order of colours giving me three variations. Drag them to the side to use as originals. Pick one of the edges of your document, duplicate your elements arranging them in a random fashion along it making sure that the elements straddle the document area.



Draw a square to the same size as the document (350x350mm) in white with no stroke. Select all of the elements (including the square) with the "solid arrow" tool holding down the "alt" key drag everything down so that the top of the square lines up with the bottom of the document. Delete the 2nd white square but we will need the 1st one so either "object" menu "arange" and "send to back" or copy it to another layer to get it out of the way. You should have two identical rows of circles.



Do the same with the left hand side of the document and copy it to the right. You should now have all of your edges covered and perfectly duplicated. Now for the fun bit, randomly duplicate the elements in the centre until you fill the space being careful not to align any of the elements too closely creating straight lines. Take the white square we previously created and "object" menu "arrange" and "bring to the front", select everything and "object" menu "clipping mask" and "make" this should tidy everything up neatly.