Creating Patterns and Swatches in Illustrator CS6

In the last brief I had to create a spec drawing for my design, which you can see if you look at my previous blog post. while creating my spec drawing I learnt how to create a fabric swatch. This allows me to convey the fabric I use in my designs.

This is what I used to help me. It is from the "Creative Bloq" website, which has loads of useful step by step guides for CS6.

Step 1

 

First open the objects that are used for the base of the pattern, then go to Object>Pattern>Make. This puts Illustrator into a new Pattern Creation mode and opens up the Pattern Options panel. The original object is still there, but with copies that give a preview of the pattern.

Step 2

Dim copies to see the original artwork more clearly, and get ready to add some elements to the pattern. You still have access to all the transformation tools in this mode, so you can copy objects and change the colours until you are happy. You’ll notice that the parts of the object that extend outside of the tile automatically wrap back in on the other side.

Step 3

When you are happy with the pattern, turn off Dimmed Copies to get a quick preview of how the pattern will look. When you are happy, you just need to click Save a Copy and name the swatch to see it added to the Swatches panel.

Step 4

Try out the pattern on some blank product examples to see if you are happy with the way it looks. If at any time you want to make any changes, just double click on the swatch in the Swatches panel and this will bring you back into the Pattern Editing mode.

Step 5

Everything in the pattern can still be edited. You can add objects, change their colours, size and position or create new objects. To apply the changes click Done, and this will automatically change the swatch and bring you back to your page and out of Pattern Editing mode.