How to Create a Seamless Pattern In Canva – Easy Tutorial & Guide!

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE SEAMLESS PATTERN ELEMENTS

First, download my free files, including PDFs with Seamless Pattern links and a reference guide, from my free library – look for Design #765. Alternatively, you can use the Save This Project form near the top of this post and the design link will be emailed to you.
In the PNG folder, you’ll find a collection of elements you can upload to Canva and use to create seamless patterns. There’s a birdhouse, a bluebird, a jam jar, a peach, a pair of rain boots, a rainbow, a strawberry, and an umbrella design. I used AI image-generating software to create the elements, then made them design-ready using image-editing software.
TIP: If you’re not sure how to unzip the download file, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how. The process is similar for PNG files.

STEP 2: CREATE A TILE FOR A SEAMLESS PATTERN IN CANVA

1. To get started, open your computer’s browser and go to jennifermaker.com/canva.
   NOTE: If you’re new to Canva, check out my Canva for Beginners tutorial.
   
2. Either sign in to your account or follow the prompts on the screen to sign up for a free account.
   NOTE: Canva does offer paid subscriptions with more tools and elements, but I’ll show you how to do everything with the free account.
   
3. On the Canva Home screen, click “Create.”
   
   
4. Click “Custom size.”
5. Change the Units to “in” for inches, then enter “4” in the “Width” field and “4” in the “Height” field.
   NOTE: This size works well to make the initial tile we’ll use to create the seamless pattern.
   
6. Click “Create new design.”
   
   
7. Choose a name for your tile that you’ll remember later.
   NOTE: I named my tile “Strawberry Jam Seamless Pattern Tile by JenniferMaker.”
   
8. First, let’s add a background to the tile. To search for an appropriate background image in Canva, click “Elements” in the side panel.
9. Type “seamless” in the “Search” bar and press your “Enter/Return” key on your keyboard to search.
   
   
   NOTE: Look for a background design with an evenly-distributed pattern, with no large blank areas.
   NOTE: Items with a crown are Canva Pro items. You’ll need to purchase them individually or sign up for a paid membership to download images using these elements. We’ll stick to free elements for this project.
   
10. In the “Graphics” section, find a background design and click it to add it to your canvas.
    NOTE: I used a graphic called “Gingham Fabric Seamless Pattern.”
    
11. To check if the background you selected is truly seamless, drag the design to the top left area of the canvas until it snaps into place.
    
    
    NOTE: If the image is very large, resize it smaller so it fills less than half the canvas.
    
12. With the image selected, click the “Duplicate” icon to make a copy.
13. Drag the duplicate so its left edge matches up with the right edge of the original background and it snaps into place. If the design is seamless from left to right, the design will line up across both background images.
    
    
14. If the design does not line up across both background images, it’s not truly seamless and shouldn’t be used for this project. Find another seamless background and try again.
    
    NOTE: You may see a white gap or line between the two background images. This is okay for now, but I’ll show you where to look out for it later.
    
15. Repeat steps 13-14, aligning the duplicate along the bottom edge of the original background image. If the design is seamless from top to bottom, the design will line up across both background images.
16. If the design does not line up across both images, it’s not truly seamless in that direction and shouldn’t be used for this project. Find another seamless background and try again.
17. Once you have found an image that will create a seamless pattern in both directions, delete the duplicated background images, leaving only the original on the canvas.
18. Select the background image again, and click “Position.”
    
    
19. To make the pattern fill the tile exactly so the pattern repeats properly across multiples, go to the “Arrange” tab and make sure the “Ratio” lock icon is closed under “Advanced.”
20. In the Width and Height fields, enter the size of your canvas (4” wide by 4” high).
    TIP: I recommend resizing your background this way to ensure it’s precise and will repeat correctly.
    
    
21. If you see a color swatch(es) in the top menu, that means you can change the color(s) of the image. Click the color swatch and select a new one from the menu that opens.
    NOTE: I used the red color #FF2E2E.
    
    TIP: Some images or graphics in Canva cannot be directly color edited, but I'll show you a workaround in “STEP 3: ADD ELEMENTS TO YOUR SEAMLESS TILE DESIGN.”
    
22. You can stop here for a simple seamless pattern tile, or add more Canva elements in a precise way to add more interest in “STEP 3: ADD ELEMENTS TO YOUR SEAMLESS TILE DESIGN.”
    
    

STEP 3: ADD ELEMENTS TO YOUR SEAMLESS TILE DESIGN

1. To add Canva elements to your tile, click “Elements” in the side panel and type a word or phrase in the “Search” bar.
   NOTE: I’ll search for “strawberry.”
   
   
2. Click “See all” to expand a section to see more available options in that category, like “Graphics.”
3. Click an element to add it to your canvas.
   NOTE: I used two strawberry elements named “Fresa” and “Cute Quirky Valentines Day Stickers - Sweet Valentines Strawberries,” along with a flower element called “Cute Flower Illustration.”
   
   
4. Or, to upload elements from my free download folder, click on “Uploads” in the side panel, then “Upload files.”
   
   
5. Select the PNG images you want to add and click “Open.”
6. In the Uploads Panel, click the images to add them to your canvas.
   NOTE: I uploaded my jam jar and strawberry designs and added them to my canvas.
   
   
7. Resize your element(s) to be proportionate to your base design.
   NOTE: I resized mine so they’re each 0.25” to 1” tall.
   
   
8. You can also create new elements by grouping existing elements. For example, to make a strawberry jam jar, first duplicate the strawberry.
9. With the duplicated strawberry selected, click “Position,” then click “Layers.” If the strawberry isn’t already at the top of the layers, click and drag it to the top.
   
   
10. Use the corner handles to resize the strawberry so it fits on the jam jar’s label.
11. Adjust the strawberry so it’s centered on the jar’s label.
    
    
12. Hold your Shift key on your keyboard and select the strawberry and the jam jar, then click “Group” to keep them together.
    
    
13. Click a color swatch in the top menu to adjust your element’s color(s) if desired.
    NOTE: I changed some of the colors of the “Sweet Valentines Strawberries” to the following:
    Leaf veins: #7ED957
    Leaves: #19B358
    Strawberries: #BD0000
    Hearts: #D22025
    Seeds: #F89A49
    I changed some of the colors of the “Cute Flower Illustration” to the following:
    Petals: #FEF9DC
    Center: #FFBE0B
    
    
    TIP: You can also use the colors shown under “Photo colors” to coordinate with your other existing elements.
    
    
14. Some elements in Canva cannot be directly color edited. This means that if you change the color, the result does not match the color you selected. As a workaround, click “Edit” and “Adjust,” then adjust the sliders until the color looks closer to what you want.
15. You can also change an element’s look by clicking “Edit” at the top and selecting an “Effect” or “Filter” from the side menu.
    NOTE: In “Effects,” I selected “Shadows,” then I chose “Glow” to add a slight outline around my “Cute Flower Illustration” element. You can change the “Size,” “Blur amount,” “Angle,” “Distance,” “Color,” and “Intensity” sliders to adjust the look of the shadow. I left my settings as-is.
    
    
16. Choose one of your elements to start detailing the design tile.
    NOTE: I’ll start with the strawberry jam jar by duplicating it to keep the original intact.
    
17. For a seamless result, it’s most important to precisely place elements at the tile’s edges. Drag the first element to the center of the left edge halfway off the canvas, so it snaps into place vertically.
    NOTE: A vertical pink guideline will appear along the edge of the canvas when the element is exactly half on and half off the canvas.
    TIP: The elements look best in a repeating pattern if they are rotated in various ways. To rotate your elements, drag the curved arrow icon below the element to rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise.
    
    
18. Click the “Duplicate” icon to make a copy of the element.
19. Drag the copy to the center of the right edge, halfway off the canvas, so it snaps into place vertically along the right edge, and the vertical pink guideline appears.
    
    TIP: If it’s difficult to center the element half on and half off the edge, use the slider at the bottom to zoom in so you can see better.
    NOTE: Avoid positioning repeating edge images in corners because it can be tricky to get four images to align perfectly.
    
20. To make sure the elements are perfectly aligned for a repeating pattern, hold your Shift key on your keyboard and click the element and its duplicate to select both.
21. Click “Position” and in the “Arrange” tab under “Align elements,” click “Middle.”
    
    
22. Repeat steps 16-21 to position other elements and their duplicates along the left and right edges.
    TIP: I recommend placing two to three repeating edge images along each edge.
    
    
23. To add repeating edge elements to the top and bottom edges of the tile, drag an element to the the top edge of the canvas, halfway off the canvas, so it snaps into place horizontally along the top edge. A horizontal pink guideline will appear along the edge of the canvas when the element is exactly half on and half off the canvas.
    
    
24. Click the “Duplicate” icon to make a copy of the element.
25. Drag the element to the center of the bottom edge of the canvas, halfway off the canvas, so it snaps into place horizontally along the bottom edge, and the horizontal pink guideline appears.
    
    
26. To make sure the elements are perfectly aligned for a repeating pattern, hold your Shift key on your keyboard and click the element and its duplicate to select both
27. Click “Position” and in the “Arrange” tab under “Align elements,” click “Center.”
    
    
    NOTE: Remember, when aligning repeating edge images that go off of the left and right edges of the canvas, under “Align elements,” use “Middle.” When aligning repeating edge images that go off of the top and bottom edges of the canvas, under “Align elements,” use “Center.”
    
28. Repeat steps 23-27 to position other elements and their duplicates along the top and bottom edges.
    
    
29. Duplicate some or all of the elements that you used along the edges to fill in the empty space in the middle of the tile. Resize, rotate, and position them so the elements are evenly distributed around the tile.
    NOTE: Be sure not to move any of the elements you’ve placed half on and half off the edges.
    
    
30. To test if your tile is seamless, click “Share.”
    
    
31. Click “Download.”
32. Under “File type,” select “PNG.”
    
    
33. Click “Download” to save the test pattern tile to your computer.
34. Click the “Add page” icon to add another page below the first.
    
    
35. Upload the test tile pattern and add it to the new page.
36. Click “Position,” and in the “Arrange” tab under “Advanced,” keep the “Ratio” lock icon closed to maintain proportions, and resize the grouped tile’s “Width” to 2 inches. The “Height” should automatically resize to 2 inches as well.
    
    
37. Drag the tile copy to the top left area of the canvas until it snaps into place.
    
    
38. With the tile still selected, click the “Duplicate” icon to make a duplicate.
39. Drag the duplicate so its left edge matches up with the right edge of the original tile and it snaps into place. If the design is seamless from left to right, the design will line up across both tiles.
    
    
40. If the design does not line up across both background images, it’s not truly seamless. Go back and make adjustments until it is.
    
    NOTE: You may see a white gap or line between the two tiles. This can be a problem later (I’ll show you when), but it’s fine for now.
    
41. Repeat steps 37-40, aligning the duplicate along the bottom edge of the original background image. If the design is seamless from top to bottom, the design will line up across both background tiles.
    
    
42. If the design does not line up across both background images, it’s not truly seamless. Go back and make adjustments until it is.
43. Once you’ve verified that your tile is seamless in both directions, delete the second page, and any excess elements, leaving only the original 4” x 4” canvas with one tile. If the tile is not seamless and you need to make adjustments, download the adjusted PNG again using a new file name so you don’t confuse it with the first.
    

STEP 4: MAKE A SEAMLESS PATTERN TO PRINT ON PAPER

1. On the Canva Home screen, click “Create.”
2. Click “Custom size.”
3. Change the Units to “in” for inches, then enter “8” in the “Width” field and “10.5” in the “Height” field.
   NOTE: I chose a size that is 0.25” smaller on all sides than my 8.5” x 11” paper I’m printing the pattern on so nothing will get cut off during printing.
   
   
4. Click “Create new design.”
5. Click on “Uploads” in the side panel, then “Upload files.”
6. Select the seamless pattern tile PNG you created and click “Open.”
   NOTE: You can also use my pre-designed tiles by clicking the links in my PDF file, which will open on their own canvas in Canva. Save the design as a PNG file, download it, and upload it to Canva. Then start with step 7 below.
   
7. In the “Uploads” Panel, click the PNG to add it to your canvas.
   NOTE: I uploaded my “Strawberry Jam Seamless Pattern Tile by JenniferMaker” tile design.
   
   
8. Drag the tile to the top left area of the canvas until it snaps into the corner.
   
   
9. If you’d like to resize the tile, click “Position” and make sure the “Ratio” lock icon is closed to maintain proportions, then enter a new size into the “Height” and “Width” fields.
   NOTE: I resized my tile to 5.41” by 5.41”.
   
10. With the tile selected, click the “Duplicate” icon to make a copy.
11. Drag the duplicate so its left edge matches up with the right edge of the original tile and it snaps into place. The design should line up across both tiles.
    
    
12. You may see a white gap or line between the two tiles. This may or may not appear in your printed pattern. To nudge the tile slightly to close the gap without distorting the pattern, keep the duplicate tile selected and click “Position.”
13. The tile needs to move horizontally to the left to close the gap. Under “Advanced,” change the X axis field to 0.01 inches less than the number shown.
    NOTE: I’ll change the "5.41" to "5.4."
    
    
14. Duplicate the tile again, and drag it underneath the first.
    
    
15. Since the tile needs to move vertically to close the gap, click “Position.”
16. Reduce the size in the Y axis field by 0.01 inches.
    
    
17. To fill in the remaining spot, duplicate the tile, move it to cover the canvas.
    
    
18. Click “Position” and since the tile needs to move up and to the left to close the gap, reduce the size in both axis fields by 0.01 inches.
    
    
    NOTE: If elements are still not matching up across your duplicated tiles, open your original tile file and follow the steps in “STEP 3: ADD ELEMENTS TO YOUR SEAMLESS TILE DESIGN” to adjust the placement of the elements so your design is truly seamless.
    
19. Once you’re happy with your tile design, click “Share.”
20. Click “Download.”
21. Under “File type,” select “PNG.”
22. Choose a name for your patterned paper that you’ll remember later.
    NOTE: I named my paper “Strawberry Jam Seamless Pattern Paper by JenniferMaker.”
    
23. Click “Download” to save the finished pattern to your computer.
    

STEP 5: PRINT A SEAMLESS PATTERN ONTO PAPER

GOOGLE DOCS

1. Open Google Docs in the Google Chrome web browser on your computer.
   NOTE: You will need a free Google account to use the free Google Docs software.
   TIP: You can also download and open the Google Docs app, but you will have limited access to features, so I do not recommend it on a mobile device.
   
2. Click “Blank document” at the top left to open a new document.
   
   
3. Go to the File menu and select “Page setup.”
4. Make sure “Portrait” is selected.
5. Change your margins to “0” to use more of the page.
6. Make sure your Paper Size matches your printer paper size. I’m using 8.5” x 11” or letter-size paper.
7. Click “OK” to apply the settings.
   
   
8. Click the area that says “Untitled document” at the top and type a name for the file.
   NOTE: I’ll name mine “Strawberry Jam Seamless Pattern Paper by JenniferMaker.”
   
9. Click the “Insert” menu, select “Image,” and select “Upload from Computer.”
   
10. Select your seamless paper design.
    TIP: You’ll most likely find it in your Downloads folder.
    
11. Click “Open.”
    
    
12. Click “Image Options” at the top of the canvas.
    NOTE: You can also open the menu by going to “Format,” “Image,” and “Image Options.”
    
    
13. Select “Size & Rotation.”
14. Keep the “Lock aspect ratio” box checked to maintain the design’s proportions.
15. Change the “Width” field to 8”, and the “Height” should automatically change to 10.5”.
    
    
    NOTE: Printing the design 0.25” smaller on all sides than the paper prevents any of the design from being cut off when it’s printed.
    
16. Click the image and click "Image Options."
17. Click "Position" and "Center."
    
    
18. Go to the File menu and choose “Print.”
19. Select your inkjet printer under “Destination.”
20. Click the arrow beside “More Settings” to select “Print Using System Dialog.”
    
    
21. Your print menu may look different than mine - just make sure the inkjet printer is selected and select the highest quality paper setting.
    
    
22. Load some 8.5” x 11” paper correctly into your inkjet printer.
23. Click “Print.”
24. Allow the print to dry before handling it, as the ink can smear.
    
    
25. Your paper is ready to use!
    

STEP 6: SHOW IT OFF

Here are my finished projects that I made using my seamless patterns!