Patterns and Symbols

Patterns and Symbols

Learn how to create seamless patterns in Illustrator.

When to use

Certain patterns can be created using symbols, and others can be made using the Repeat > Grid option.

Instructions

Creating a Pattern with Symbols

• Begin by opening the Breakfast Symbols Illustrator file.
• Open the Symbols Panel as well as the Swatches Panel.
• Begin dragging each of the vector illustrations into the Symbols Panel one by one.
• Change the 'Export Type' from 'Movie Clip' to 'Graphic' and give each one a name.
• Repeat this for all of the shapes.
• Go to the Window Menu and open up the Artboards Panel.
• Add a new artboard and then double click on the icon to the right of the artboard name to change the dimensions of the new artboard to 8" x 8".
• Grab the Rectangle Tool (M) and double click on the artboard to create a new square that matches the size of the artboard and position it so that it's centered vertically and horizontally inside of the new artboard.
• Begin placing a few of the symbols over the left edge of your new artboard so that part of the illustration is inside of the artboard and part of the illustration spills out. 
• Continue to do this by dragging out one or two more symbols over the left edge.
• Select all the symbols placed on the left edge with the Selection Tool (V).
• Control + Click on the symbols and choose Transform > Move to open the move options.
• Enter a value of '0' for the vertical field, and for the horizontal field enter a value of '576px' which is the equivalent of 8" and then click 'Copy' to paste an instance of your symbols on the opposite edge.
• Repeat this by placing a few symbols over the top edge that spill outside of the artboard, and then select them with your Selection Tool (V).
• Hold the Control Key and click before choosing Transform > Move once again.
• This time enter a value of '0' for the horizontal field and a value of '576px' for the vertical field before clicking 'Copy' to paste an instance of your symbols along the bottom edge. Now your left and right edges and top and bottom edges will match up perfectly.
• Place a few of the remaining symbols in the center of your design, and once you're happy with how they look, hold the Control Key and click on them before choosing 'Break Link to Symbol' to convert these back to regular shapes.
• Next, select your 8" x 8" background color and copy it by pressing Command/Ctrl + C.
• Paste a Copy In Back by pressing Command/Ctrl + B on the keyboard, and then remove both the stroke and the fill color.
• Use your Selection Tool (V) to click and drag around the entire pattern and drag it into the Swatches Panel to add your new pattern.
• You can now use your Rectangle Tool (M) to create a new shape, and then select your pattern in the Swatches Panel to fill your entire shape with your new seamless pattern.

Creating a Pattern without Symbols

In this example we will select our main breakfast illustrations and make a copy of them, placing them all below the originals.

• Use your Selection Tool (V) to click and drag around all of the shapes including the background, and then go to the Object Menu and choose Repeat > Grid.
• On the top and the left of the grid is a symbol with small arrows inside of it. When you click and drag these it will move the objects closer together or farther apart.
• The handles on the bottom and the right are used to extend the pattern to make it as large or as small as you want it to be.
• You can further customize the appearance of this pattern by selecting it, and then going to the Object Menu and choosing Repeat > Options from the dropdown menu.
• Toggle the Grid Type to either 'Brick by Row' or 'Brick by Column' to change the pattern.
• You can also try flipping the rows or flipping the columns to create more randomness in the pattern.

Hints & tips

• When creating seamless patterns with symbols, it's important to place an empty square behind your entire pattern before dragging it to the Swatches Panel so that Illustrator can identify the bounding box of the pattern.
• It's important to convert the shapes in the center of your pattern from symbols back into vector graphics.
• It's easiest to create a seamless pattern inside of a square so that you can easily figure out how far to move the symbols from the left edge to the right edge, or from the top edge to the bottom edge so that everything lines up. 
• Using the Repeat > Grid approach works with shapes, objects, and even text patterns.