Adobe Illustrator – Working with Pattern Brushes

Pattern brushes are the most complicated to modify or create because they involve as many as five different object panels. You can use separate symbols for the start, finish, side (center), inside corner, and outside corner panels.

To get inspiration and also to see how it’s done, take a look at preset pattern brushes that come with Illustrator. For some interesting models, select Window > Brush Libraries > Borders > Decorative to open the pattern brush palette.

While you can use up to five different objects in a single pattern brush, you can also create an interesting pattern brush with three or even two elements.

Once you define the pattern brush, you can apply it to existing paths or draw interactively with the Paintbrush tool. Pattern brushes can be used to draw mazelike paths; to generate arrows with a start, beginning, and end object; or to create borders for illustrations.

To create a pattern brush, start by defining up to five patterns that will be used as different elements of a path. You can, for example, create a brush by preparing a beginning pattern, a line segment pattern, and a line end pattern. That pattern brush can function as an arrow.

Once you have created your pattern brush elements, drag each object, one at a time, onto the Swatches palette and name them by double-clicking on the new swatch.

Three, Four, or Five Patterns?

How many patterns do you need in a pattern brush? Often three is enough. For instance, if you are creating a pattern brush to use as a picture frame, one pattern will be used for the sides of the frame, and another for the corners. If you create a complex, beveled-corner frame, you might enhance that pattern brush by creating both an inside and outside corner pattern. For an arrow, you might use three patterns—one for the beginning, one for the end, and one for the path itself.

With your brush elements all in the Swatches palette, follow these steps to create a three-pattern pattern brush:

  1. From the Brushes palette menu, choose New Brush. Choose New Pattern Brush in the New Brush dialog, and click OK to open the Pattern Brush Options dialog.
  2. Enter a name in the Name area.
  3. Click on the Side Tile icon (on the far left) in the set of five pattern swatches. Choose a swatch from the set that appears in the dialog to use as the pattern for normal line segments.
  4. Click the Start Tile icon (second from right) in the Pattern Brush Options dialog, and select a swatch to use at the beginning of a path.
  5. Select the End Tile icon (on the far right), and choose a swatch.
  6. Normally, you will want to accept the default settings Size, Flip, Fit, and (no) Colorization. Click OK to define the pattern brush.
  7. As with other drawing tools, you can apply pattern brush strokes to selected paths by clicking on the brush in the Brushes palette. Or you can first select the pattern brush in the Brushes palette, and then interactively draw strokes with the Paintbrush tool pattern.
«
»