How to Make Seamless Digital Paper from Clipart
Digital paper is one of the best sellers in a clipart shop, used for junk journals, scrapbooking, wrapping, and backgrounds. It is really a seamless repeating pattern saved at a standard size, usually 12 by 12 inches at 300 DPI (3600 by 3600 pixels).
Here is how to turn your clipart into seamless digital paper that tiles perfectly with no visible seams.
What makes digital paper sell
- It is seamless, so it tiles edge to edge with no visible join.
- It is a standard size, typically 12 by 12 inches at 300 DPI (3600px square).
- It comes in coordinated sets, a range of patterns in the same palette.
How to make it
- Remove the background from your clipart elements first, so they blend cleanly into the pattern.
- Open the Seamless pattern tool and add up to four elements.
- Arrange them into a tile that repeats edge to edge with no seam.
- Export at 12 by 12 inches, 300 DPI, then repeat in the same palette to build a coordinated set.
The whole trick with digital paper is the seam. If the pattern does not line up perfectly at the edges, a visible grid appears when it tiles, which is the number one thing that makes it look amateur.
Tips for a professional set
- Mix a few complementary elements for a richer repeat than a single motif.
- Keep every sheet in the pack the same size so the set is consistent.
- Build several patterns in one palette so buyers get a coordinated collection, which sells better than one sheet.
Clipart Prep Studio has a free seamless pattern maker built in, plus the background removal to prep your elements first. Your first 5 images are free, no card.
Common questions
- What is digital paper?
- Digital paper is a seamless repeating pattern saved as a printable sheet, used for backgrounds, junk journals, scrapbooking and wrapping. It is usually 12 by 12 inches at 300 DPI.
- What size should digital paper be?
- The standard is 12 by 12 inches at 300 DPI, which is 3600 by 3600 pixels. Keeping every sheet in a pack to that size makes the set consistent.
- How do I make a seamless pattern from clipart?
- Remove the backgrounds from your elements, arrange them into a tile that repeats edge to edge with no join, and export it. A seamless pattern tool handles the edge matching for you.
- Why does my digital paper show a grid when it repeats?
- Because the tile is not truly seamless, the edges do not line up, so a visible join appears when it tiles. A seamless pattern maker matches the edges so the repeat is invisible.
- PNG or JPG for digital paper?
- Either works, since digital paper has a full background rather than transparency. JPG keeps the file size down for a solid pattern, while PNG is fine too. Save at 300 DPI for print.
- How many sheets should a digital paper pack have?
- Coordinated sets sell best, so a pack of several patterns in the same palette is more appealing than a single sheet. Keep them all the same size.