Exporting Repeat Pattern Tiles

If you make repeat patterns in Adobe Illustrator there will be times when you need to export them to a different file type, for example when uploading to Print-on-Demand sites like Spoonflower.com. It’s important to do the exporting correctly or you could end up with hairlines — little breaks in your patterns that may show up in your finished product. And that’s no fun…

Finding Good Mockup Photos

Does looking for good mockup photos feel like searching for buried treasure? Websites like Unsplash.com and Pexels.com have great photos for mockups, but they can be so hard to find within the website.

Here are a few strategies to help your search…

How to Fix White Hairlines in Repeat Patterns

Sometimes when you copy and paste a pattern from Illustrator into Photoshop little white hairlines show up between your pattern tiles. It’s super frustrating and I spent years trying to find out why this happens, and more importantly what to do about it…

To Be or Not to Be Trendy

When you’re creating surface designs, should you follow trends or just do your own thing? As creative people, most of us probably prefer doing our own thing. And that’s cool because it’s what makes our art unique. But being aware of colors and trends can increase art sales/licenses…

A Look at Lookbooks

For surface designers, the term lookbook generally refers to a multi-page promotional piece, usually in digital form, showcasing your art. It’s a valuable tool for marketing your work…

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