Designing repeating patterns was far from intuitive in previous versions of Adobe Illustrator. This has completely changed in CS6, which offers a simplified yet powerful way to create and edit patterns.

Creating New Patterns in CS6

To start creating a new pattern in Illustrator CS6, simply choose Object > Pattern > Make from the menu to switch to the new Pattern Editing mode. Illustrator will inform you with a dialog box that a new pattern has been added to the Swatches panel.

Drawing Pattern Shapes

In Pattern Editing mode, you get a new canvas with a rectangular tile in the center. Illustrator, creating you new pattern, will automatically repeat any drawn shape or artwork intersecting with that tile. This can be a very fun and creative process and it’s worth experimenting to see what kinds of patterns you can get. Above the working area there’s button bar with save options.

The Pattern Options Panel

This new panel helps you customize your patterns. You can assign a pattern name and change the size of the tile (even values work best for numeric placement of elements). In the Tile Type drop-down menu, you can choose among various symmetries, and you can also change the Brick Offset, if applicable. The overlap buttons further down help you stack the objects in your pattern as desired.