How to Make a Repeat Seamless Pattern in Procreate

How to Make a Repeat Seamless Pattern in Procreate

I get asked how to make repeat seamless patterns in Procreate a lot. I don’t really do it in that app if I’m being honest. As I’ve said before being a long-time graphic designer I use Adobe Illustrator a lot for my artwork and so that’s where I do it.

That being said, there are MANY ways to do your digital art, and since you asked, let’s learn how to do it in Procreate.

What I Use to Make Repeat Seamless Patterns in Procreate

This Procreate tutorial uses the following:

• An iPad. I am currently using the Gen 3 12.9 inch iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil 2
• Procreate App – We are using 5.2 at the time of filming
• I’m using some artwork I’ve created in the past so there isn’t a tutorial for the actual art this time. I always recommend having various icons drawn first when making seamless patterns. These icon collections can be used to make multiple seamless patterns in procreate.

How to Make A Repeat Seamless Pattern in Procreate

Step 1 – Setting Up The Procreate Canvas

Assuming your icons are on their own canvas, let’s make the repeat canvas at 4000 x 4000 pixels and 300 DPI. For more info on how to make custom canvas sizes watch my Intertwining Text and Clipart video.

Step 2 – Add Your Illustration Icons

1. Now we want to bring in each of our icons (or you can draw directly on the canvas if you like, I like my icons separate so I can use them for other purposes but again you can draw directly on the canvas. In fact, I will draw some smaller details towards the end to fill up empty spots.
2. Make sure to keep everything in the center of your canvas and do not overlap the edges of your canvas. I do like to fill in the majority of my screen so I have less to add later to fill in holes. You’ll see as I continue.
3. Once you’re happy we can move onto start viewing the repeat pattern.

Step 3- Creating Your Repeat Pattern

1. Now that we have our canvas set with our icons and illustrations go ahead and make a new layer and fill it with white. Then group the two layers together. The reason we do this is so you can change the background color at any time.
2. Now, duplicate the group a second time.
3. Tap the Selection tool and make sure snapping and magnetics are.
4. Now, we want to take our first group and slide to the right of the left until it’s halfway – this can be a little tricky, but snapping turned on helps.
5. Repeat this process for the other group and move the opposite side.

Step 4 – Fill in Areas

1. We want to go ahead and fill in the blank areas in the center. Avoiding the edges.
2. Once you do that, delete those white fill backgrounds you made before and merge the two side-by-side layers and the new fill areas into one (they should still be transparent).
3. Repeat the process as we did in step 3 but this time let’s move one side up and one side down.
4. Fill in the center areas again. If you wish you can repeat the process again where you move layers to split them until you’re happy.

Step 5 – Showing Your New Repeat Seamless Pattern

1. Save your original layer with the repeat – if you want to use it again you can.
2. Duplicate it and hide the original.
3. Now you can scale it down to fit one corner. Duplicate that layer and drag it to the left.
4. Merge those layers together and you can move those to the bottom.
5. Now you have a full-page repeat pattern. You could technically merge those four layers together and do that process again and get a much smaller repeat.

I hope you learned how to make easy seamless repeats in Procreate with your art. I could easily give this piece out as a coloring page by turning off my background and making it a PNG file with transparent background for filling. Or, export it as a PDF and someone can print and color with traditional crayons.

Until next time!

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