Adobe ® Illustrator ® Pattern Swatches

1000s of Illustrator ® pattern swatches for CC (17) CS6 (16) CS5 (15) CS4 (14) CS3 (13) CS2 (12), CS1 (11) 10, PC and MAC, Commercial use,

Date updated: May 25th, 2023

See more swatches for Illustrator on Swatches page1 2 3

 

Image gallery: 100 Spiral Scroll Swatches / patterns for Adobe Illustrator (volume 46)

100 Colorful spiral scrolls for Adobe Illustrator CC (creative cloud) CS6 CS5.5 CS5 CS4 CS3 CS2 CS1 10 (this is the same as Illustrator 17-10), PC and MAC OS X - the set includes many different spiral scroll embellishment designs, swirl scroll designs, embellish pattern designs in many different color schemes. You can also re-color the swatch designs, modify the design, blend, export to other applications, use the spiral scrolls as a source for brushes and symbols and more. The spiral scroll patterns can also be exported for use in other applications such as Photoshop. The spiral scroll swatches are all seamless tiles, all are vectors and can be used with any size of work. The designs are all in standard AI format. The spiral scroll swatches / patterns are for commercial use, all royalty-free. The spiral patterns can be used to create logos, books, illustrations, adverts, scrapbooking, packaging, posters, wallpaper, websites and much more. All the spiral scrolls are vectors for any size of work. Use the designs to create items for sale. All are by graphicxtras.com. The gallery shows the swatches applied to a basic square path - you can apply the designs to any size of document and not just a small square path. Adobe and Illustrator are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. If you have any questions about the spiral scrolls, please contact us on support@graphicxtras.com

The Illustrator swatches are for use in 1000s of ways. To use them, it is very simple - simply open the file via the swatches palette and they are then loaded into the application and can then be used over and over and over. The swatches sets on this page are a mix of different swatches - some are colorful, some are B&W but they are all amazing and all are seamless tiles for any size of work. You can use them with virtually all features of the application such as with text and paths. The paths can also be combined either just combining them as paths but you can also combine multiple swatches in Illustrator (all versions from 10) via the appearance palette. If you combine the swatches, you can also then just save the combinations via the graphic styles palette and you can then combine Illustrator live effects and other fills to create truly awesome designs for all your projects. The swatches on this site are all by this site, they are all for commercial and personal use. We have been creating swatches for Illustrator for the last 10 years or so (and probably before). The swatches can also be exported to other applications so if you are using Illustrator AND Photoshop or other parts of the amazing creative suite then you can export the designs for use as patterns and textures as well as layers and design elements in other applications - so these designs are not just for Illustrator. They are for use in a vast range of applications. You can also export the swatches as a PNG file or TIFF etc via the export command in the file commands. Once saved as a non vector format, the swatch design can be used to create layers etc in other tools. The swatches can be re-sized, they can be transformed and much more. You can also use the amazing and unique swatches on this page (and also the others on the other swatches pages on this site - just search for them via the google search) to create amazing symbols for Illustrator as well as Illustrator brushes. A toolkit for all uses.

Image gallery: 7,600 Colorful Gradient swatches for Adobe Illustrator (pack 2)

7,600 Super colorful designs all in standard AI format. Easy to use and apply in 1000s of ways. Commercial use, all are royalty-free - stunning colorful gradient designs all by graphicxtras.com (Andrew Buckle).. The Illustrator swatches are for use in CC CS6 CS5.5 CS5 CS4 CS3 CS2 CS1 10 (same as Illustrator 17-10). The gradient swatches can be combined in millions of different ways, use with styles, apply via the appearance palette. They can be used with paths as well as text. The designs can also be exported to Photoshop and other applications on the PC and MAC. Use the designs to create items for sale, create patterns, create brushes and much more. Any questions about the set, please contact us on support@graphicxtras.com. Unique items for all your projects. Seamless tiles for any size of work (pack 2) See all the designs included in the set via the image gallery above.

FREE 22 swatches sampler for Illustrator CC CS6 - 10

FREE selection of swatches for Adobe Illustrator CC CS6 - 10 (16-10) PC and MAC OS X. Load the AI swatches file via the swatches library palette. The same designs can also be used as a source for brushes and symbols as well as used with graphic styles. Commercial use, all royalty-free, all the swatches are by graphicxtras.com and can be used to create items for sale. The swatches can be used as normal paths as well. They can be combined, exported etc. The set also includes a few variants created using the new pattern editor in CS6 (they are only for CS6 upwards). The swatches can be modified, distorted, transformed and much more. Please use the sampler to tryout the swatches on this site / pages. If you have any questions about the swatches, please contact us on support@graphicxtras.com

Image gallery: 100 Arch swatches / patterns for Adobe Illustrator (volume 44)

100 Stunning arch themed swatches, all royalty-free, commercial use by graphicxtras.com - powerful vector seamless tiles for all your work. The arch swatches / patterns are for use in Adobe Illustrator CC CS6-10 PC MAC OS X. The arch swatches can be combined in millions of different ways, merged, exported, distorted, blended, used as sources for brushes, used as sources for symbols. The vectors are for any size of work. Load the swatches via the swatches palette library command and then apply to paths and text. (pack 44)

Image gallery: 100 Arrow swatches / patterns for Adobe Illustrator CC CS6 - 10 (volume 27)

100 Arrow swatches for Illustrator CC CS6 CS5.5 CS5 CS4 CS3 CS2 CS1 10 as well as Adobe Creative Cloud. Commercial use, all royalty-free. All the arrow swatches are very easy to load and apply and all in standard AI format files for PC and MAC. Load the arrow swatches via the swatches palette. many different arrow designs included rounded arrow swatches, arrow grid designs and many more. (pack 27) See all the swatch tiles includes in the set via the image gallery above. The arrow swatches can be applied to standard paths as well as text and also combined in millions of different ways via the appearance palette. The swatches can also be used as a source for amazing Illustrator styles and brushes and symbols as well as standard paths. If you have any questions about the arrow swatches, please contact us.

Image gallery: 100 Arrow swatches / patterns for Illustrator (pack 29)

100 Even more amazing wonderful arrow swatch designs for all your projects. use to create items for sale. Vectors for any size of your projects. See all the arrow swatches in the set via the image gallery link above. Many different arrow swatches are included in the set. They can be used with Illustrator CC CS6 - 10. The arrow swatches can be applied to text as well as standard paths. You can also apply them to symbols etc via the appearance palette. The swatches can be combined in zillions of ways to create amazing new designs in seconds.

Image gallery: 100 Arrow pattern swatches for Illustrator CC CS6 - 10 (volume 28)

100 Arrow swatch patterns for Illustrator, all wonderful vector designs - all seamless for any size of work. See all the arrow swatches included in the set via the swatches gallery link above. Commercial use, all royalty-free, all the arrow pattern swatches are by graphicxtras.com - use the designs in textiles, fashions, ceramics, logos, backgrounds, patterns, cards, wallpaper etc

Image gallery: 220 Arrow swatches for Illustrator (volume 11)

220 Arrow swatches for use throughout Illustrator - apply to paths and text. All by graphicxtras.com. See all the arrow swatches included in the set via the image gallery link above. Many different arrow swatches are included in the set - different angles, different colored designs, weird arrow designs and more. All the arrows are for commercial use, royalty-free, no credit is required, no time limits, no limit on the number of uses etc. The arrow swatches are for use in Illustrator CC CS6 - 10 (Illustrator 16-10) PC and MAC OS X

Image gallery: 100 Feline / Cat pattern swatches for Adobe Illustrator

100 Cat tiles for use throughout AI, all vectors for any size of work - silhouette cat swatches, scratched, realistic cat swatches, abstract cat swatches and more. See all the colorful cat swatches (tiles) included in the set via the image gallery above. Many different cat designs are included in the set, all unique and wonderful designs. The swatches are all accessed via the swatches palette in Illustrator. The swatches are for Illustrator CC CS6 - 10 (16 -10). They can be used with PC (windows 8, 7, XP, Vista etc) as well as MAC OS X.

Image gallery: 500 Checkerboard swatches for Illustrator (volume 4)

500 Check and checkerboard swatch tiles including square designs swatches, shadows, abstract tiles and many more - commercial use. Combine, modify, distort, blend and export as well as use throughout AI CS6 CS5.5 CS5 CS4 CS3 CS2 CS1 10 (Illustrator 16-10). See all the swatches / tiles included in the set via the image gallery above.

Image gallery: 100 Chevron patterns for Illustrator (volume 17)

100 Chevron patterns for Illustrator, all for commercial use such as items for sale. Vector seamless tiles for PC and MAC OS X. See all the chevron pattern swatches included in the set via the thumbnail gallery link above. Many different colorful chevron designs are included in the set. On purchase of the swatches, you receive the download link to the chevron pattern swatches. The chevron set includes many different and unique designs in AI format as well as a gallery of all the designs and also documentation and a serial number for updates.

Image gallery: 100 Connection pattern swatches for Illustrator (volume 36)

100 Connection and link swatch designs - wonderful tile designs for all kinds of work, commercial use, all royalty-free. See all the connection / link designs via the image gallery link above. The connection designs include many different intricate connection designs for all kinds of work. You can continue to explore the designs via the new pattern editor feature in Illustrator CC CS6. The swatches can be used and modified and tweaked in all versions of Illustrator from 10 onwards Pc and MAC OS X. The swatches can be blended, combined, transformed, applied to different paths as well as text and more. If you have any questions about the connection swatches set, please contact us. The set includes the swatches as well as documentation and a gallery of all the designs and a serial number for any updates.

Image gallery: 200 Contour line swatches for Illustrator (volume 5)

200 Contour and line swatches for Illustrator - all vectors for any size of work. Tons of wonderful designs that can be combined in millions of different ways for paths and text. See all the contour patterns included in the set via the image gallery link above. Many different contour and line swatches are included in the set - all are unique and can be used as a powerful toolkit of designs in all your work.

Image gallery: 100 Diamond swatches for Adobe Illustrator (pack 43)

100 Diamond swatch patterns for Illustrator CC CS6 CS5.5 CS5 CS4 CS3 CS2 CS1 10 PC and MAC OS X. Many different diamond seamless tile pattern designs for all kinds of work. Commercial use, all royalty-free. Any questions about the swatches, please contact us on support@graphicxtras.com. See all the diamond swatches included in the set via the gallery link above. Adobe and Illustrator are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. The diamond swatches can be modified, transformed. scaled, distorted, tweaked, warped, used as a source for amazing new brushes and symbols in Illustrator as well as standard diamond designs throughout the application. Apply graphic styles and effects to the swatches. Combine the diamond swatches via the appearance palette and use the designs as amazing new graphic styles. The diamond swatches are all vectors for any size of work. The diamonds can be used to create items for sale such as backgrounds, logos, overlays. patterns, wallpapers, ceramics and much more. Many different unique diamond designs are included in the set such as diamond sparks, colorful diamond patterns and many more.

Illustrator swatches - commercial use

All the above volumes are by graphicxtras.com, all for commercial use, all royalty-free - use to them to create items for sale and more. Adobe and Illustrator are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Opening Illustrator Swatches AI files

The swatches are all for Illustrator CC CS6 CS5.5 CS5 CS4 CS3 CS2 CS1 10 and are all in standard Illustrator format AI files (in most cases, version 10 for maximum use throughout the Adobe Creative Suites versions). The AI files can be opened via the standard file open command of Illustrator as well as via the main swatches palette. There is a menu on the right side and you can open the AI file and from there, the items in the AI file are loaded into a swatches library. If you do not select an item from the swatches library palette, they are not added to the document's palette. Apply an Illustrator swatch to a path or text and the swatch is then also added to the document's library and will be saved with the other swatches on saving the document. You can only modify the selected swatches; if you edit the source document you can then edit and modify all the swatches. Adobe and Illustrator are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

 

How to modify Illustrator swatches ?

If you wish to modify a pattern then select the design in the palette and drag to the artboard. Once the pattern is accessible via the artboard you can then double click the pattern swatches to enter the Illustrator isolation mode for the pattern and then modify the artwork. You can change the pattern design, re-color the various parts of the pattern as well as shift and rotate. On exit from isolation mode (right click 'exit isolation mode') or click the isolation mode bread crumbs to return to the normal artboard. Select the artwork and the bounding box for the pattern and drag back to the swatches palette and save as a new pattern for future use in Illustrator.

How to apply an Illustrator swatch to a path ?

Simply select the Illustrator path and then select one of the pattern in the swatches palette. The path can be either a normal path or text. You can then modify the underlying pattern and its relationship with the path via the transform menu (de-select the object setting)

How to use swatches with the appearance palette ?

The appearance palette is a useful feature of Illustrator and you can modify any existing fill of a path and you can also add a new fill and stroke or multiple fills and strokes as well as effects to the pattern. You can use the appearance palette to create truly complex as well as subtle designs using a single pattern or multiple patterns added to a path. You can blend the various swatches by using the blending modes (difference, darken, multiply) or using transparency / opacity.

How to re-size a pattern / Illustrator pattern ?

Select the path, fill with a pattern swatch and then go to the object menu and apply the transform commands such as scale / rotate / shear and the key thing to remember is to uncheck the object option and leave the pattern checked. The pattern can then be re-sized to 1% or 1000% of the original size. Another option is as before, modify the swatch by dragging the design from the swatches palette and then re-size the design using the scale or selection / scale tools and then saving the new design as a much bigger or much smaller swatch.

How to use a swatch as an Illustrator shape ?

Select a path and then fill the path with a design (be it pattern) and then go to the window menu and select shapes and drag the design from the artboard to the shapes palette. You can also go to the swatch palette (window menu) and then drag one (or more) of the swatches to the artboard - you can only do this with a pattern. The swatch can then be exported via the pasteboard to other applications such as Photoshop

Creating 100s of variant swatches for Illustrator

One of the great new features (along with the trace) of Illustrator CC / CS6 is the pattern editor. Now you can open a swatches palette library and then double click any of the Illustrator swatches and you will then enter the pattern editor where you can tweak the swatch in 1000s of ways and even better, you can save a copy by clicking the save a copy option

 

 

So the above pattern, select the shape and then change the color, change the size, rotate, introduce new shapes and much more and just keep clicking the save a copy - all the swatches are saved as seamless tile designs to the palette. You can even save the swatches to earlier formats of the Illustrator for use in 10 (that is how I create the sets on this site). Not sure that works well if you use different tile types - it certainly works fine with the default which is the default type of Illustrator swatches in previous versions of Illustrator

 

 

As you can see from above, endless possible variations of swatches designs can be created - you can add multiple shapes, remove shapes and more. The tool does have quirks and perhaps these will be resolved in updates but sometimes fragments of paths can be left. As with all things, the end result Illustrator swatch should be tested with a variety of different shapes as well as text.

 

 

The Illustrator swatches can be applied via the libraries and they can be applied to a whole range of different paths (as mentioned, you might wish to scale the swatch via the transformation commands)

 

 

Trying to edit the swatches, a dialog appears - this is one of my favorite bugbears of Illustrator as endless dialogs appear and many seem to offer no way of removing them. The dialog appears when you try and edit a pattern that was created in CS6 and saved in an earlier format. I wish the dialog would appear only once, as it is probably likely you will remember that you have to release the clipping mask (oddly, this doesn't always seem to be the case as sometimes there is no clipping mask to remove). I would prefer an option to remove this Illustrator swatch dialog or perhaps even better, a default option to 'release the clipping mask' as I always prefer the best results. Also, editing the pattern might require the ungrouping of the shapes and that command can be found in the Illustrator object menu.

Image trace and Illustrator fills

You can apply the illustrator swatches to traced items. Open an image and then apply the image trace feature (greatly enhanced with CS6)

 

Use the image trace on a placed image to convert the image into a vector. Use the live paint bucket tool to add fills to the image trace - those live paint regions can be filled with solid colors as well as Illustrator swatches. You can apply the same swatch to all regions of the image or apply different swatches to different regions with different sizes and rotations applied.

 

 

Of course, sometimes some images work better with fills than others. You can also use the Illustrator swatches with strokes as well as combine them in millions of ways with the appearance palette.

Tutorial - Applying Illustrator® swatches to text

This tutorial will work with any swatch.

 

1) Select text. Open the swatches palette, place the required swatch in the Illustrator swatches palette

 

2) Go to the appearance palette. Go to the right menu and select the add new fill command.

 

3) Apply a swatch to the selected appearance fill, the swatch will now fill the text. The text now has a swatch applied. The text can be changed at any point. The Illustrator can be changed at any point - the swatch can be scaled, rotated and sheared as required in Illustrator. The text now has a swatch applied.

 

4) Add another fill (in the appearance palette) and fill with another or the same swatch. Go to the transparency palette and set the blend mode to difference. Change the scale of the swatch as well as the angle again via the transformations. You can create complex color within the text. You can do this with patterns as well as blend swatches.

Illustrator swatches video tutorials

Swatches video

Free Swatches samplers

Use the free samplers / demo set in Illustrator CC CS6 - 10 on the PC and MAC, all commercial use. Use via the swatches palette to load the swatches AI file.

 

Swatches free sampler 1

Swatches free sampler 2

 

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