Introduction

I’ve been making patterns in Adobe Illustrator for a few years. During that time I’ve developed my own methods for creating patterns. If you’ve ever tried creating complex repeat patterns in Illustrator then you know how time consuming and fiddly the process can be. I’m always looking for new ways to improve my workflow. The kind folks from Artlandia got in touch and gave me the opportunity to test their SymmetryWorks plugin.

I’ve tried an older version of their plugin in the past so I was excited to try all the new features in Version 5 of SymmetryWorks.

What is SymmetryWorks?

Artlandia SymmetryWorks is an Adobe Illustrator plug-in that you can use to create repeat patterns. It can automatically create a repeat pattern from an Illustrator object. All the popular pattern types are supported like half drop, diamond, stripe, pinwheel etc. When you switch between the different pattern types you can see a live preview of your pattern.

Installation

Installation is a piece of cake. Just drop the SymmetryWorks.aip file into your Adobe Illustrator Plug-ins folder.

New Feature – Insertion Mode

With the new insertion mode, you can draw freehand into the pattern using any of the Illustrator drawing tools or a Wacom tablet. The plug-in automatically puts them in repeat and shows a live preview.

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New Feature – Pattern swatch export

Save your SymmetryWorks pattern as an Illustrator swatch with a click. The swatch immediately becomes available as a seamless pattern in the Swatches panel.

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New Feature – Support for Blends

You can use Illustrator blends in repeat, edit them and see your pattern instantly updated.

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New Feature – Support for Compound Shapes

SymmetryWorks now supports compound shapes. You can edit compound shapes interactively, right inside patterns. A great feature for making complex tessellations.

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New Feature – Engineered Designs

You can use symbols to create bands, corners, scarves, kerchiefs, bandannas, tablecloths, carpets, rugs etc. Combine filler parts with a centerpiece and edges in one SymmetryWorks pattern.

Complete Feature Set

There are lots more new features. Visit the SymmetryWorks plug-in page for more details.

Conclusion

SymmetryWorks 5 is a powerful tool for creating repeat patterns in Adobe Illustrator. You can quickly dive in and create a repeat pattern in seconds. To get the most out of the plug-in you’ll need to invest some time reading the manual. It’s really comprehensive and weighs in at a fairly hefty 145 pages. That’s pretty big for a plug-in manual but it’s well written and easy to follow.

At the time of writing, SymmetryWorks 5 costs $249 for the downloadable version. That’s a great price for such a comprehensive plug-in.

Purchase SymmetryWorks

You can purchase and download SymmetryWorks 5 from the Artlandia Site. Just to let you know, if you purchase using this link you’ll be directly supporting Patternhead.

Coming Soon

Look out for a free pattern set created with the SymmetryWorks 5 plug-in. It’s coming this way soon!