I've seen this on many websites as a background but I can't seem to find a name for it or I can't seem to create it myself. If someone has done this, it would help a lot if you can give me some details.
2 Answers
Essentially that's called noise.
Basically there is a base color and then there's noise added to that color layer.
In photoshop you can do this with add noise filter.
Filter > Noise > Add noise..
( Just like 1% or so.. just a hint of noise. )
That looks like a monochromatic Noise rendering over a colored layer.
This consists of two layers, one color and one with the noise added to it.
You can then change the layer blending mode and opacity to suit your taste, it works well.
As an additional, if you apply a vertical or horizontal motion blur, you'll get a good approximation of brushed metal which also works well as a texture.
:)