Frequently asked questions

It turns your pictures into a seamless repeating pattern tile. Upload your motifs (PNG files with a transparent background work best), choose a layout, and download the tile. Edges match up, so it repeats with no visible seams.

Not to try it. Visitors without an account get one download with every feature unlocked. After that, a free account gives you more.

Yes, with limits. A free account gets 5 downloads every 24 hours and 1 Pro download each month. Pro is an optional paid pass for unlimited use and extra tools. See the plans page.

Your 24 hours start with your first download. You get 5 in that window. After the fifth, you can still download, but the file has a small watermark until your 24 hours are up. Unused downloads do not carry over.

Once a calendar month, a free account can make one download using every Pro feature: all tile sizes, up to 20 images, editing, colour tools and no watermark. It resets on the 1st of each month (UTC) and does not carry over.

Unlimited downloads with no watermark, all tile sizes, up to 20 images per pattern, editing individual motifs with layers and undo, colour tools, and a background picture.

Trial downloads are counted by internet connection. If you share Wi-Fi with others (a school, library, office or VPN), someone else may have used it. Creating a free account fixes this.

Open the plans page and choose Go Pro. You need a free account so we know where to add the days. If you buy again before your pass ends, the new 30 days are added to the end of what you have left. Your account page shows when your Pro ends.

No. Pro is a one-time payment for 30 days. It never renews on its own, so there is nothing to cancel. When your days run out you go back to the free plan, and you can buy another pass whenever you like.

See the refund section of our Terms of Use. If something went wrong with a purchase, contact us and we will help.

No. Everything happens in your browser, on your own device. We never see or store your images or your patterns.

Only the number of downloads, so we can apply the plan limits. See our Privacy Policy for details.

PNG files with a transparent background look best, because the motifs sit cleanly on the background. JPG and WebP also work, but they keep their background.

Free accounts can make a 4-in tile. Pro can make every size we offer. Tiles are made at 300 dpi, which is the standard for printing, so a 4-in tile is 1200 by 1200 pixels. If your print service needs a different size, pick the one that matches.

It rearranges the motifs randomly. Locked layers stay where they are, and the background layer is never shuffled.

Edit individual motifs turns each motif into its own layer. A locked layer stays exactly where it is. Anything you move, resize, turn or flip locks itself. When you change the automatic settings or press Shuffle, only the unlocked layers change, so you can fix the motifs you love and let the rest rearrange.

Use Add a background picture. It sits behind all your motifs, is locked, and is never shuffled or changed by the layout settings. If your background already repeats seamlessly, leave Blend width at 0%. For a photo that does not repeat, raise Blend width so the edges blend.

Pick a motif, then change its hue, saturation and brightness, or use Copy to all motifs. Choose a one-click palette such as Blush, Sage or Ocean to recolour everything at once, and use Palette strength to soften it. Colour tools change motifs, not your background picture.

Yes. Use the Undo and Redo buttons, or Ctrl+Z and Shift+Ctrl+Z (Cmd on a Mac).

Yes. Choose Save project to my device and a small file is downloaded to your computer. To continue later, choose Open a project and pick that file. We do not keep a copy, so please store it somewhere safe.

Yes, move the file there and open it. If you opened a Pro project on a free account, the Pro parts (layer edits, background picture, colour changes and extra images) are left out, and you will be told.

You can use your own, the free gallery in the tool, or buy motif packs from our motif shop.

Download it from your order, then open Pattern Maker, go to the Add your motifs tab and add the file. Our Terms of Use say what you can do with it, including selling things you make with it.

Yes, for your own uploads and for shop motifs, within the terms on each product page. Gallery motifs are for personal projects (see the Terms of Use). You cannot resell the motif files themselves.

A security plugin or browser setting is probably blocking it. Try another browser, turn off any ad or privacy blocker for this site, and reload. If it still fails, tell us your browser and what you see.

Use a PNG, JPG or WebP file. Very large images can be slow, so try shrinking one to around 2000 pixels on its longest side.

You have used your daily allowance. The watermark clears when your 24 hours are up, or when you upgrade to Pro.

Check your spam folder, then contact us from the address you used.

Use our contact form. Please tell us which browser and device you use and describe what happened.