I've been meaning to write this article for a while now. To me, repeating patterns are some of the most interesting things you can make in Midjourney.
There are multiple reasons why you'd want to create patterns in Midjourney. You can use them to make wallpapers, but there is also the option of using them as packaging designs for your brand.
Let's say that you run an online store that specializes in selling cookies. Your brand can become more memorable to customers if you use good packaging designs for your products. This is where the Midjourney can help you.
This is especially useful if you're on a tight budget and simply don't have money to pay a graphic designer to create a packaging pattern design. With Midjourney, you'll be able to create a pattern that aligns well with your brand in less than 30 seconds.
There are also other ways that you may want to use the patterns that you create with this text-to-image AI tool. For instance, you can use them as patterns for fabrics.
What Is the Tile Parameter in Midjourney?
The tile parameter is what you'll be using when you're making pattern designs in Midjourney. It's an incredibly useful tool that's also simple to use.
The way that this tile works is that it generates images in a way that enables you to use them as repeating tiles to create patterns. In other words, the AI model will create only one tile. You'll have to put the tiles together to create a pattern.
You can use the tile parameter simply by writing --tile at the end of your prompt. Once you create a tile in Midjourney, you can use an online pattern generator to create a pattern. There are many tools like this online, but the Midjourney team recommends one called the Seamless Pattern Checker.
Since this is what the team behind one of my favorite generative AI projects recommends, I use this tool when I'm making patterns. You can adjust the size of each tile by dragging the square button, and there's also a download button that enables you to quickly download the pattern.
If you want to be able to easily set a specific number of rows and columns of tiles in your pattern design, I suggest that you use a different tool. For instance, there is an excellent tool called the Repeat Image Generator that you can use to make a pattern out of a tile.
Midjourney Prompts for Patterns
This is the part of the article where I show some prompt examples and the generated results. Because the process of making patterns is so specific, I'll do things a bit differently this time.
I'll start by sharing a prompt I made and the image/tile that was generated from it. Then I'll use one of the tools I mentioned in the previous section of the article to create a pattern that I'll also share.
Before I start, there's one thing I feel is important to mention. The tile parameter doesn't work with the Niji model, which is a real shame. I'd love to use the Niji model to create some sick patterns. But maybe we'll get that feature one day. For now, let's see what types of patterns you can make in Midjourney.
/imagine seamless pattern that features small cute pastel colored forest animals --stylize 250 --tile --v 5.2
The first thing that instantly popped into my head when I saw how this tile looked was that this design would make for excellent bed sheets and pillowcases, especially for kids. The animals are really cute in this tile, but let's see how the design looks when we make a pattern out of it.
This is even better than I thought it would be. I truly believe that you could make bed sheets from this design that people would want to buy.
/imagine seamless pattern containing the wonders of the cosmos, everything from stars and planets to black holes and gamma ray bursts --tile --v 5.2
Call me crazy, but I think this is another design that could easily be featured on bed sheets and pillowcases. But I could also see this going on a shirt. I'm guessing that it would fit well on many more products as well.
I love looking at these patterns in a landscape image layout. It makes it easier for me to observe the design and capture details I haven't seen before.
/imagine seamless pattern featuring a variety of different colored geometric shapes, minimalist --tile --v 5.2
You can use this type of design for various types of products. The packaging for your product can feature this pattern design and it will make a lasting impression on your customers. Let's see how it looks in a landscape layout.
This would make for a great wallpaper if I'm being completely honest.
/imagine seamless pattern featuring beautiful flowers, 2D illustrated, charming, feminine --tile --v 5.2
If I had an online flower shop, I would use a design like this as the background on my website. I'd likely incorporate it in my social media posts when I'm making announcements, offering special discounts, and providing useful information.
This design would be great as wrapping paper, especially for something like wedding gifts.
/imagine knitted seamless pattern that features strange but alluring symbols --stylize 250 --weird 100 --tile --v 5.2
I didn't really know what to expect from this prompt, but I'm happy with the results. This just goes to show you that you can create amazing patterns for just about anything. Using at least some elements from this tile could help you design a beautiful sweater.
Don't be afraid to try different things when you're writing Midjourney prompts for patterns. Using a keyword like 'knitted' can help generate interesting results.
/imagine seamless pattern inspired by neural networks, flat design, minimalist --tile --v 5.2
Last but not least, here's a simple prompt that can help you create a pattern inspired by artificial intelligence.
You don't have to include a lot of details in your prompts for patterns. In fact, it's often a good idea to keep them simple because you don't want too many conflicting ideas when you're trying to make a repeating design.
Final Thoughts
You can use patterns made with Midjourney both in the digital realm and the real world. Whether you want to create a new background for your travel blog or are thinking about updating your pattern packaging design, the tile parameter is there to make your life easier.
I often observe what other people are making in the public Midjourney Discord server. One thing I've noticed is that not many people use the tile parameter. In my opinion, it's definitely an underrated parameter and I think people will be using it more frequently in the future.
Maybe we need to hear more success stories about people who have creatively used patterns they made in Midjourney, and that will inspire more users to experiment with the tile parameter.
