Seamless pattern guide
What is the difference between a repeat tile and a seamless pattern preview?
A repeat tile is the boundary-defined source unit; a preview shows one or more copies so you can judge the resulting surface.
The repeat tile is the production unit
A tile contains the exact left, right, top, and bottom boundaries required for repetition. Software can place that file indefinitely across a larger area. Its dimensions define the repeat scale and its pixels or paths must remain unchanged at corresponding edges.
A preview may contain nine copies, show the pattern on fabric, or crop a large decorated field. It helps buyers understand density and rhythm, but its outer boundary is not necessarily seamless. Cropping a square from the middle of a preview rarely recreates the original tile.
Use visual clues and metadata
A source tile often has exact technical dimensions, a plain square or rectangular canvas, and no perspective or lighting. A mockup may include folds, shadows, product edges, watermarks, or multiple repeats. File naming should identify tile, preview, and mockup explicitly, but always confirm with a repeat test.
Preview resolution can be lower and more compressed because it is meant for browsing. The production tile should preserve the promised pixel dimensions and color information. On this store, catalogue images are watermarked previews while licensed downloads release the protected 8K original.
Keep both files for different jobs
Use the preview to choose motif scale, color balance, and whether the repeat feels obvious. Use the tile to create a pattern swatch, CSS background, print upload, or material texture. Do not send a lifestyle mockup to a printer and expect the printer to reconstruct hidden artwork.
When creating your own asset, export a clean master tile and generate previews from that master. If the tile changes, rebuild every preview rather than editing them independently. This keeps the marketing image tied to the exact production file a buyer receives.
