Offsetting Pattern Elements

The Offset command is instrumental in seamless tile creation; it’s in Filter>Other. What the Offset filter does is wrap an image around its window, to the left or right and down or up. The disadvantage to this filter is that if an image does not tile, the Offset command will produce a visible seam in the image as its edges are offset to the image’s center, but this is not of concern in the steps to follow. Suppose you want to create a wallpaper pattern whose elements are staggered— to create a pattern configuration that’s more complex and interesting than neat little columns and rows of the same pattern element. Use a design element of your own, or reopen Wallpaper ornaments.psd and copy the Arts & Crafts Vessel layer to a new document using the steps you did earlier in this chapter.

Here’s how to make a wallpaper whose design element is offset, creating a diamond configuration for the overall pattern:

1. Embellish the ornament using the Styles palette.
2. Drag the layer into the New layer icon on the Layers palette.
3. If you’re using your own design, right-click on the document title bar and then choose Image Size to see the dimensions, and write them down. The Arts & Crafts vessel is 500 by 500 pixels in dimension.
4. Choose Filter>Other>Offset.
5. Type exactly half the Vertical and Horizontal dimensions of your document into the appropriate fields in the Offset dialog box. Then choose Wrap Around for the Undefined Areas. As you can see in Figure 8, the duplicate layer is turned inside-out, thus staggering the design element. I added the purple background only so you can better see the effect— don’t add a background or the defined pattern won’t contain transparency.
6. Click OK. Then choose Edit?Define Pattern, name the pattern and you’re all set the next time you need an elegant wallpaper pattern.
   
   
   
   
   
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