I have a ton of patterns, including gradients and foils. I would like to import them into CS2 and use them with my brushes. I tried finding info on .pat files, but after creating these I cannot find them to load, I only have the standard color picker.

Has anyone done this and can they tell me how to get them to load as usable files with brushes? I see the Patterns file in the PS folder, but no way to make them appear inside PS when it is open. I found online the way to make them Edit/Define Pattern... is this correct?

I never see anyone using patterns with brushes. You can do this? Right?

Thank you.

~A~

I'm pretty sure this is how it is done in CS2. I went from CS to CS4. It's hard to think back!

Edit > Preset Manager then you choose (Brushes, Swatches, Gradients, etc.) from the Preset Type dropdown menu and Load.

I'll give it a try! I'll post results... ThanX!!!

~A~

OK, created my pattern file but I still cannot get them to load? I go to the preset manager, select the pattern, load the file, but I cannot find where to open it so that the brushes can access it? More help there?

Is it hidden somewhere? I see the color, swatches and styles... but no patterns. I'm at a loss...

:P

~A~

OK found a partial solution. Stamp tool. But I'll have to find a work around to the sizes and seamless problem. Still getting artifacts from the edges. But close to a solution.

Thank you will post some SS's later tonight.

~A~

This looks interesting, I would love to see what you come up with - I've always avoided patterns simply because they are by their nature so-not-seamless, that I've found them too limited to use much.

In fact I go to a lot of trouble to make an image seemless before I do anything else with it, i.e. putting that image onto a 3d model (like an image of bricks or rusty metal, or a wall or on a spaceship or oildrum.) Patterns on the other hand look very repetitive since they are usually made up of a tiny area in one corner repeated many many times to deliberately create a repeating pattern...

Brushes I look at as being different again, to be used either just once, a few times or many times on an image, depending on the effect. For instance I created a brush from an image of a dandelion seedhead like flower (actually a thistle) then I carefully placed the brush over a large area in precise positions to make a carpet design, on another I used blood drips to create rusty & oily drip marks on the surface of a machine (a robot model) on others I've used a cloud brush to create a foggy misty effect for a cloud plane.

I can't at the moment imagine how you'd use a pattern as a brush - so please please, do explain what you are using this for - I'm absolutely fascinated!

 Well one thing I have had to do is make the patterns 2500x2500 to achieve the seamless look. But that has a drawback because I was thinking of packaging these, but at that size it is sort of silly!!! I am still working on this and as soon as i have gotten it figured out I will post the results.
;)

Ariana

Well if you can get them as brushes won't that make them less huge?  I think 2500x2500 is the largest you can make a brush, but once it is a brush then the .abr file isn't huge, is it?  Not even with many brushes in it...? 

I'm wondering if this tut on making brushes from patterns (it includes how to make the pattern in the first place but you won't need that part) could be of any use to you?

http://www.eyesontutorials.com/articles/2873/1/How-to-make-a-brush-and-how-to-use-it/Page1.html

Well I guess that would depend on what sort of pattern you are using. The ones I am using are complex and not what would traditionally even work as a repeating/seamless tile. Those made ugly lines.

What you mean with a brush (*abr file) can be done with B&W or I suppose a pattern that is say stripes, or like that would work as a brush. What I want is a broad mix of color and design. Doesn't seem to translate to a standard brush.

So far I have not been able to find any way to use a pattern as a brush "color". But am finding success with the stamp tool.

I have several saved patterns but in order to avoid lines, or demarcations I have sized the patterns as large as the brush sizes I need (*generally 2500x2500). Making a brush is not the problem, using a pattern of my choice with a brush is.

Ariana

Yes, colour is one of the limitations with creating brushes. Since the person using any brush can choose their own colour for it, but only two.

You do know that 'colour dynamics' can add more colours to any brush... don't you?

I think it's just a shame that a brush creator can't actually choose those colours, they are set up by PhotoShop relative to the colour chosen for the brush in the background and foreground and the hue jitter.  It would be nice to be able to set those up initially in a specific way, even if later people could choose different colours for themselves...

I'm just talking about CS4 here, the later versions may be different - which in another way would be a pity, becuase then such newer brushes probably wouldn't work in our older PhotoShop versions.  And I'd get left behind again....

I don't envy your struggle with patterns, but I'm dying to see what you're doing with it...

I have CS2 which i am usingt now, and also CS5... I am not all that enamoured of CS5, since it does not support any of my plugins, well a very limited few. The set is coming along nicely. I am almost ready to post the results and the package.

Plus we took our dog to the lake over the weekend and I have a wicked bad sunburn... can you say painful? Yep little water blisters and all. So I am not working as hard as I would normally.

Ariana

It's a long time since I used CS2 - back in college days, I just have CS4 Production suite now, can't afford to update anything.

Well as your location says: desert, I am not surprised you have sunburn.

We need umbrellas here.  It's been raining a lot recently.

I look forward to seeing your package results.  (I'm doing a package of lanterns myself)