How to Create Basic Patterns in Photoshop

Juan Díaz-Faes explains how to create repeating patterns in Photoshop in four easy steps

A pattern is an image or a graphic element that is infinitely repeated, or tiled, and can be applied to any surface. The image that is repeated to create the pattern can be referred to as a tile. The easiest tile to create is in the shape of a square, although you can make tiles that have different shapes.

To understand how patterns work, you’ll need to get to grips with the basic rules of repetition through digital exercises. That’s where Juan Díaz-Faes steps in. An illustrator whose work is very detailed, both graphically and narratively, he has created patterns for clients such as Nickelodeon, Pepsi, El País–one of Spain’s national newspapers, and Harvard University. Here he explains how to create a basic pattern using Photoshop.