How patterns tile


    When designing patterns, it helps to understand how Adobe Illustrator tiles patterns:

    • Patterns tile from left to right from the ruler origin (by default, the bottom left of the artboard) to the opposite side of the artwork. Typically, only one tile makes up a fill pattern. Brush patterns can consist of up to five tiles--for the sides, outer corners, inner corners, and the beginning and end of the path. The additional corner tiles enable brush patterns to flow smoothly at corners.
    • Fill patterns tile perpendicular to the x axis. In contrast, brush patterns tile perpendicular to the path (with the top of the pattern tile always facing outward). Also, corner tiles rotate 90° clockwise each time the path changes direction.
    • Fill and brush patterns also tile differently in relation to the pattern bounding box--an unfilled and unstroked (non-printing) rectangle backmost in the artwork. For fill patterns, the bounding box acts as a mask; fill patterns tile only the artwork within the pattern's bounding box. In contrast, brush patterns tile artwork within the bounding box and protruding from or grouped with it.