Patterns

Add Depth To Your Work

In this section, I have pattern files (.pat) for Photoshop presets, but I also include the individual image files for those of you that want to use the images for the background of your web site.

How To
Install Photoshop Pattern Files
Using Photoshop Pattern Files
Using Tiled Images on Web Pages

Pattern Files
Patmos
Sargaso

Installing Photoshop Pattern Files

These instructions should work for Photoshop CS and later. Save the downloaded pattern file ( .pat ) to your Photoshop presets folder. This folder is generally located at this path:

/Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS2/Presets/Patterns/

You may have to adjust the name of the Photoshop folder to reflect the version of Photoshop you’re using.

Using Photoshop Pattern Files

Load the Pattern File
To use a pattern file, you first have to load it into the patterns preset browser. There are a few ways to do that. We’ll start with the Preset Manager.

  1. Select Edit, Preset Manager… from the Photoshop menu. The Preset Manager will appear.
  2. Select Patterns from the Preset Type dropdown menu. If any patterns are currently loaded, they’ll appear in the window.
  3. To load your new 11Mystics patterns, click the Load… button on the right side of the screen. A Finder window will appear.
  4. Navigate to your Photoshop patterns folder and select the .pat file you wish to load.
  5. Click the Load button. The patters will appear in your Preset Manager window.
  6. Close the Preset Manager

Apply Patterns To Layers
To apply patterns to your Photoshop designs, you have to know a bit about styles, fills and fill layers. I can’t get into all of that, but here are some brief notes to get you in the ballpark.

Using Pattern Overlays in Styles
This is a quick and dirty explanation of how to apply a pattern overly to text or any other layer using the styles manager.

  1. Create some text or a shape on a new layer.
  2. Double click the layer to open the Layer Style window. Be careful not to click the name of the layer though, or you’ll only get the option to rename the layer.
  3. Click on Pattern Overlay making sure that the check box is checked.
  4. To the right, click on the Pattern selection control.
  5. Select any one of the patterns you have loaded to apply it to the text or shape you created in your new layer.

patternoverlay

This is the easiest way to play with patterns, but you can also create a mask and create a new pattern fill layer from the mask too. That’s a more direct way to apply patterns to your work.

Using Tile Images on Web Pages

TBW