Creating Patterns

You can fill a selection with a repeating pattern. A pattern can be any image contained within a rectangle, or tile, that defines its top, bottom, left, and right edges.

To create a pattern in Photoshop:

1. Select an area on an image by using the rectangular marquee.

2. Choose Edit ’ Define Pattern.

   The rectangular marquee must have a feather radius of 0 pixels. In other words, it cannot have a feathered edge. It can, however, have an anti-aliased edge. If you select an area on the image and you find that the Define Pattern command is grayed out in the Edit menu, check the rectangular marquee s Options bar to be sure that the Feather Radius reads 0 px.

3. If you look in Edit ’ Preset Manager ’ Preset Type ’ Patterns, you ll see that the pattern has been added to the list.

You apply patterns to the image with the Pattern Stamp, the Fill command, the Paint Bucket, the Healing Brush, and the Patch tool, or as a Pattern Fill layer (see the sections on these features elsewhere in this chapter).