Pattern guide
The families of geometric ornament you can generate in Ornamatic: what each one is, how it is built and what you can tune. Pick one to read about it and open ready-made examples in the generator.
Geometry
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Symmetry groupsSeamless patterns from your own motif, in all 17 wallpaper groups.
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Frieze bordersBorder patterns that repeat in one direction, in all 7 frieze groups.
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Regular tilingsThe 11 tilings made of regular polygons, with a pattern inside each tile.
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Escher tilingsInterlocking tiles that fill the plane with no gaps.
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Penrose and the hatTilings that never repeat: Penrose rhombs, kites and darts, the hat.
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FractalsSelf-similar shapes: Sierpinski, Koch, dragon curves, Pythagoras trees.
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Hyperbolic tilingsRegular tilings of the hyperbolic plane, in the style of Escher’s Circle Limit.
Ornament
Textile
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WeavingTartan, gingham, houndstooth, herringbone: textile patterns built thread by thread.
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Patchwork quiltsClassic quilt blocks: log cabin, Ohio star, pinwheel, flying geese.
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Japanese wagaraTraditional Japanese patterns: waves, hemp leaves, seven treasures, scales.
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Classic printsStripes, chevrons, argyle, polka dots and windowpane checks.
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Scatter printsSmall motifs spread randomly but evenly, like a ditsy floral.
Generative
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Voronoi cellsOrganic cell patterns, from honeycomb order to cracked-earth chaos.
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Truchet tilesRandom flowing paths from a few simple tiles, from arcs to multi-scale.
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Topographic contoursContour lines and colour bands of an imaginary landscape.
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Circle packingCircles of many sizes that touch each other and fill the space.
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Op artOptical illusions from warped lines, bulges and checkerboards.
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Turing patternsSpots, stripes and coral grown by reaction–diffusion, like animal skin.