Creating seamlessly repeatable texture files

In many cases, such as wood grain or tile patterns, texture files need to be crafted so that they can be placed side by side seamlessly, without sharp borders, and repeat imperceptibly. This can only be achieved with a more advanced image editing program (Corel Photo-Paint, Adobe Photoshop, etc.). In the absence of such programs, you can use the several hundred such files available in the program by recoloring them, or download plenty of such files from the internet as background images.

Process in an image editing program:

1. Choose an image. The image should not exceed a few hundred pixels in any direction to avoid unnecessarily burdening the program. Note its size in pixels (e.g., 300×300).

2. Create an object from the entire image.

3. Double the image size in both directions (600×600). Keep the image in the top-left corner.

4. Create three copies of the object and place them exactly adjacent to the original, both to the right and below. Ensure no misalignment even by a single pixel. Merge the objects into the background.

5. In the central part of the image, matching the original size (highlighted in red), use the Clone Tool (Stamp tool in Photoshop) to copy areas and remove visible seams.

6. Cut out the center of the image back to the original size (300×300).

This image can now be placed side by side and will tile seamlessly.

• For more complex images, repeat this process several times.
  
  
• For perfectly repeatable textures, such as grids or checkered patterns, it’s best to cut out the smallest possible base unit.
  
  
• For textures where you don’t want the repetition to be noticeable, such as wood grain or marble, use the largest possible cut-out.

Keywords: #seamless texture #repeatable texture