Above individual radial tile images were created on tracing paper and then were scanned. In Photoshop each image was opened and Edit: Create Pattern was selected. A new larger file was opened and Edit:Fill Using Pattern was selected to create the images with seamless repeating patterns. A similar effect can be created in freeware tool Repper.

What is digital textile design?

Many of garments we buy today use digital textile printing. The most accessible type of printing uses large format inkjet printing. Since 2008 Print on demand textile websites have made digital textile printing accessible to the public. Sites such as Spoonflower and Karma Kraft have built online communities as well as print on demand textile services. There area also now freeware tools which easily create seamless pattern tiles.

Why textile design in education?
Patterns matter. The textures we see in our daily lives matter. They inform us of who we are and where we are. Through textile pattern design, students can see that they can be creator and curators of culture rather than passive consumers.  They will begin to be able to examine their visual vocabularies and rings of communities.
  • Deeper exploration of geometry structures, both in nature and in cultural patterns.
  • Results of process and exploration may be a jumping off point for other curriculum tie ins: social studies, science, math.

In this workshop we will explore seamless pattern tiling and radial pattern design through a variety of tools.
  • Create digital textile repeat patterns using freeware Seamless , SumoPaint , and Photoshop (if you have Photoshop on your laptop)
  • Discuss file format for printing
  • My Oats (Radial pattern design) and Repper
  • explore the use of photos in textile design
  • discuss creating  Spoonflower accounts and upload textile designs fo fabric printing
  • learn of textile design resources


 Creative Commons Attribution Licensed imagery. We will select a Creative Commons Attribution photo to use as a source image in the creation of a textile pattern. Seamless Tiling with Repper, SumoPaint or Photoshop. Create one textile design using kaleidoscope and offset filter in SumoPaint.