How to Test Your Surface Patterns Before You Sell or License Them
Your pattern isn’t finished just because your tile looks good
It is so easy to look at a pattern you spent hours getting “just right” and think that you’re done and it is perfect. But, depending on what your end product is, your pattern might not be finished. It needs to look good at the appropriate scale on your finished product.
Look at the repeat itself, not just the tile
The things I most commonly look for are:
Mismatched seams
Awkward gaps
Clusters of motifs
Too much empty space
Whether the eye moves seamlessly across the design
Test your pattern at different scales
There is no “correct” scale for your pattern, especially when designing for wallpaper.
But, here are some questions you can ask yourself when looking at your pattern at different scales:
Do the motifs read clearly?
Does the pattern become so busy?
Does it become too empty?
Does the overall rhythm change?
Does the scale I like suit the end product?
This is one of the reasons I use PatternPal in my creative workflow. Within a few seconds, I can test any pattern at any scale I want. After a few more clicks, I can see my pattern on my end product of choice with gorgeous mockups.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase PatternPal using my link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Look at your pattern on different products
When looking at different products, ask yourself these questions:
Does the scale work on your end-product?
Do important motifs get lost?
Do the pattern & scale work on the shape of the product?
Often, we use mockups because they look pretty and make our portfolio look more cohesive. But, they can also be a tool for seeing scale problems, color balance, and whether or not a pattern looks too busy.
I use PatternPal with all of my patterns because seeing my work on the product I’m designing for can change my design decisions.
My quick surface pattern checklist:
Does the repeat flow naturally?
Are there any obvious seams?
Does the pattern work at multiple scales?
Does it work on an actual product?
Does the scale suit my intended product?
The tool I use for this part of my workflow
There are plenty of ways to test a surface pattern, but the one I keep coming back to is PatternPal. I use it regularly because it quickly lets me experiment with scale, analyze my patterns, and see my artwork applied to products.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase PatternPal using my link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
