A New Feature in Adobe Illustrator CC 2021 – Part 3 (Grid Repeat)

Hello Everyone,

There are three new repeat features in Adobe Illustrator CC 2021. In my previous posts, I explained how the Radial repeat and the Mirror repeat features could be used for some Fashion design tasks.

Each new repeat feature may speed up the process of textile print design. For example, the Radial repeat and the Mirror repeat can be used for the motif development, and the Grid repeat helps to visualize distance between motifs by using on-canvas-controls. Let’s look at the possible Grid repeat use in the textile design process.

1. Create a new artboard with its width equal to the width of the future fabric. The height of the artboard should be enough to visualize repeating motifs. Place guides to the left and the right sides of the artboard to exclude fabric selvages. Note: this document is not for print, it is to be used for design purpose only. You can create an artboard on a 1:4 scale instead if you want.

2. Draw a motif. If you created an artboard on a 1:4 scale, reduce the motif scale accordingly.

3. Place your motif in the upper left corner of your “fabric”. Select it with the Selection tool. Create a grid repeat by choosing the Object > Repeat > Grid command. You can modify the grid using on-canvas-controls. If you drag the corner, the size of the grid repeat will increase or decrease. Add more rows or columns or change spacing in the grid by dragging handles on the grid sides.

4. Stretch the grid so that the horizontal repeat is symmetrical at the “fabric” edges.

5. You can easily find the distance between motifs in your best textile design if necessary. Make the grid repeat selected and choose the Object > Repeat > Options command. In the Repeat Options dialog box, you can find the horizontal and vertical distance between the motifs. You can set the different grid type in this dialog box if you want.

6. The Mirror or the Radial repeat can be used to quickly create more complex motifs. Do not forget to choose the Object > Expand command to transform the radial or mirror repeat into an editable vector object.

You can learn how to create various motifs and textile prints by reading chapter 10 of my e-textbook "The Craft of Garment Design with Adobe Illustrator".