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Binary Code / Computer Pattern Creation in Adobe Photoshop Tutorial Beginner's Guide

By Andrew Buckle, Video Tutorial Creator / Designer

Updated : 2021

binary code computer code pattern photoshop

 

Learn how to create a binary code / computer code 0 1 0 1 01 etc pattern in Photoshop. The binary code pattern needs a cell and you can create a guide via the guide layouts. The binary code computer pattern then needs to be filled with random 0 and 1 numbers.

 

You can then align the binary code computer pattern numbers (or leave them with a slight randomness). You can change the color of the binary code computer pattern. You can change the font used (perhaps have random typefaces for each of the binary code pattern cells). You can then define the binary code computer code pattern via the edit menu define pattern command.

 

The binary code pattern can then be applied via the new fill layer command or edit menu fill in Photoshop. You can then create even more unique binary code / computer code patterns by adding effects and adjustment layers. This tutorial shows you have to create the guides as well as how to fill the cells of the binary code battern and then define the pattern for use throughout Photoshop

Setup for the binary code / computer code - make it easy by using guides via the new guide layout

The quickest way to do this is to set up some guides in Photoshop

  1. View menu

  2. New guide layout

  3. Set columns to 10

  4. Set rows to 10

 

The settings for the guides do not need to be10 and 10 (they could easily be 15 x 20 or 50 x 45 etc) but to create a fairly random binary code grid, you really do need at least a 10 x 10 setup and the guides are useful for the alignment of the characters, 0 and 1. OK, once you have the guides then the next thing to for the binary code / computer code pattern is to fill all those slots with some numbers and 0 and 1 are great for binary code.

Filling the cells of the guides with the binary code for the basis of the pattern in Photoshop

binary code computer code pattern in Photoshop

The next step is to go to one of the 'cells' and add a 0 in a font, perhaps Futura or courier new or whatever you want. You can always change it later

  1. Go to the type tool

  2. Set color

  3. Set font

  4. Set size and that depends on the size of the document and the grid that you have set up for your binary code / computer code pattern

  5. Click the document in the middle of one of the cells and add 0

  6. duplicate that character

  7. move to another cell and change the 0 to 1

  8. Now go to the layer menu and smart objects and convert

  9. Do the same for the 0 as well, both are now smart objects

  10. Select the 0 or 1 and hold down the option / alt to duplicate the 0 or 1

  11. Shift that randomly to another cell.

  12. Repeat that for the 0 or 1 over and over until you have filled all the cells with the 0 and 1 characters for the binary code / computer code

  13. Now select an entire row or column and then use the align tools along the top of Photoshop

  14. Repeat this for all the rows and columns so now you should have a complete set up of 0 and 1 cells. If you do not flatten the work, you can always shift the combination of 0 and 1 cells around and so if you want to, save the 0 and 1 layers as a PSD file to use as an endless source of binary combinations. Also, you can always create a 100 x 100 grid but that will probably take a little time to fill.

Define as the pattern via the edit menu define pattern command then use the pattern via fill layer content

computer code binary code Photoshop layer

Now you want it as a pattern (or you could save the above straight to the CC library and then use it as a layer on its own

  1. edit menu

  2. define pattern

  3. layer menu and new fill layer content and pattern

  4. Select the binary code / computer code pattern and create a new Photoshop pattern layer

  5. flatten, apply effects etc to it

Using smart objects makes edits and creating new and unique binary code patterns even easier in Photoshop

Why did I suggest creating them as smart objects? You can change a single cell and the change will be reflected throughout the entire design. Say you decide to change the '0' smart object cell and change it to a different font or perhaps a different color, you can in seconds. Of course, you don't need to use smart objects and you can just create all the cells / numbers 0 and 1 as separate cells and then edit them individually (up to you)

  1. go to the layers panel

  2. double click the layer thumbnail / smart object

  3. you will then find yourself in a PSB file

  4. edit the number (0 or 1) and change the size or color etc and perhaps the 1 to a 0 etc

  5. close the PSB (saving any changes)

You will now see the change in all the other related smart object designs so if you have changed the color from black to red then they will become red (the other smart objects will be unchanged). You will still have to use the edit menu define pattern to resave the pattern

Effects added to the binary code

You can also use effects with the binary code / computer code pattern such as adding blurs or adding other colors to the background or perhaps using brush tools such as blurs or smudge to alter individual characters of the Photoshop pattern. The binary code / computer code pattern can be modified in countless ways such as by using camera raw filter or effects such as Analog Efex Pro