How can I make a 30 degree pattern?

Question

I would like to make a simple line pattern rotated at 30 degrees, but no matter what I try I can't make it repeat itself without the lines being cut. Is this possible to do?

Answer 1

Attached is an example of tileable 30° pattern. Note two things:

1. It has 1:2 ratio - for 30° each pixel on one axis corresponds to two pixels on another axis.

2. Mind the corner pixels you have to add in order for the pattern to tile properly.

Answer 2

There's a similar question here with a link to a pattern tutorial.

The tough part is getting your pattern to tile properly. Given how easy it is to use once you get it right, it's worth the effort.

One key tip to keep in mind: Create your pattern with global swatches. That way you can update colors in the pattern swatch without generating a new tile.

The quick and dirty way to get it to work is with Transform effects (Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform...). Obviously you would adjust this to fit your desired pattern area. you can also follow the same methods and create the pattern tile at the end.

1. Start with a basic line (actually a shallow rectangle in my example).

2. Apply the rotation via a Transform effect (I like to leave the original intact as long as possible ;)

   

   

3. Apply a new Transform effect to create duplicates of your rotated shape.

   

   

Here's what it would look like in the Appearance panel: