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Constructing geometric patterns


    To construct a geometric pattern that tiles uniformly, first construct a geometric object with a center point and paint the object. Then arrange copies of the object in the pattern you want, select the artwork, and define it as a pattern tile by dragging it to the Swatches palette.

To construct a geometric pattern:

  1. Make sure that Smart Guides are turned on and that the View > Snap to Point command has been selected.
  2. Select the geometric object. For precise positioning, use the direct-selection tool positioned on one of the object's points.
  3. Begin dragging the object vertically from one of its anchor points; then press Alt+Shift (Windows) or Option+Shift (Mac OS) to copy the object and constrain its movement.
  4. When the copy of the object has snapped into place, release the mouse button and then release Alt+Shift (Windows) or Option+Shift (Mac OS).
  5. Using the group-selection tool, shift-click to select both objects, and begin dragging the objects horizontally by one of their anchor points; then press Alt+Shift (Windows) or Option+Shift (Mac OS) to create a copy and constrain the move.
  6. Select both objects (left) and drag to create a copy (right)
    Select both objects (left) and drag to create a copy (right)
  7. When the copy of the object has snapped into place, release the mouse button, and then release Alt+Shift (Windows) or Option+Shift (Mac OS).
  8. Repeat steps 2 through 6 until you've built the pattern you want.
  9. Using the rectangle tool  the rectangle tool , follow one of two methods:
    • For a fill pattern, draw a bounding box from the center point of the upper left object to the center point of the lower right object.
    • For a brush pattern, draw a bounding box that surrounds the objects and coincides with their outer boundaries. If the pattern is to be a corner tile, hold down Shift as you drag to constrain the bounding box to a square. The bounding box should surround the objects and coincide with their outer boundaries.
    Bounding box for a fill pattern (left) and for a brush pattern (right)
    Bounding box for a fill pattern (left) and for a brush pattern (right)
  10. Paint the geometric objects the desired color.
  11. Define the geometric objects as a pattern, following the procedure in Constructing simple patterns and defining patterns.