A repeating pattern lets you cover fabric with a continuous design. Its building block is the repeat tile, a section of artwork whose copies form the full pattern. A tile can be square or rectangular and contain one motif or several elements.
Prepare a single repeat tile
You do not need to manually repeat the pattern in a file covering the full length of your order. Upload the tile and set its repeat layout in the configurator.
If an element extends beyond a tile’s edge, it must continue correctly in the neighbouring copy. For a standard repeat, check that opposite edges match — left with right and top with bottom.
Check the joins and pattern rhythm
View several copies of the tile side by side and above and below one another. Zoom in on the joins, then zoom out. Look for:
- gaps and misaligned elements;
- light or dark lines along the edges;
- unintended stripes or large empty spaces.
Set the layout and scale in the configurator
A standard repeat arranges copies in a regular grid. An offset layout, such as half-drop, shifts neighbouring columns by half the tile’s height. This changes the composition, so check the joins in your chosen layout — changing the repeat type is not a substitute for correctly prepared artwork.
Set the intended pattern size in centimetres and check the file quality after changing the scale.
If you need help with the joins, use Printella’s graphic design services.
