dreamer: there the problem lies - "define pattern" doesn't show up in the edit choices. thanks for the help ... Xaos' Terrazzo? Is there a url ? (I'll see what I can find on it.) I may have to make a c++ solution to this problem, shouldn't take over a couple of days if I do, but you'd think that would have been one of the first things photoshop did, wouldn't you? - again thanks and good rendering.