Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer - 2/21/2008

Question
QUESTION: How can I change a fill pattern of balcak dots or lines to have a background
color? I can't get it to work....

ANSWER: Hi Lori,

Drag the pattern out of the swatches palette and then make your modifications. Then redrag it back into the swatches palette and apply the pattern!

Thanks

Kevin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have done that but I get a white box around it, it is not seamless, so it looks
like squares of pattern....

ANSWER: Hi Lori,

When you drag it out, see if that white box is there, if so delete it before you drag it back in.
The white box that is there in the pattern is to provide spacing between the swatches. Convert it to transparent if you need more space.


Thanks

Kevin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: But that is my problem, I want that white box to be a background color for the
pattern, but when I make it a color,  you can see white, the pattern sticks out
more than the box, if I move the box to the very edges of the pattern then the
pattern does not look right, it does not repeat properly, its like I can only have a
pattern on a clear background when I should be able to have white or a color.

Answer
Hi Lori,

You can have a color background in your pattern. The easiest way to explain this is to have you look at a an existing pattern so you can see how they set it up.

There is a default white dots with an orange background pattern in your swatches palette. Drag it out and see how they made it. The dots actually are centered around the box so they overlap when applied.

You will need to set yours up similarly. It will have to be exact or what happens is you have a gap and the "tiled" effect show up. If you are creating random dots, not aligned, take a look at another "random" pattern and see how they set it up. Randomizing patterns is a lot harder to perfect.

Thanks

Kevin