Filigree Pattern

Make a filigree pattern from 10 scroll motifs of our own: a C-scroll, an S-scroll, a stem scroll pair, a heart scroll, a scroll frame, a four-scroll medallion, a six-scroll rosette, a corner ornament, a running scroll and a bead drop. Every scroll follows a stated curve: the C-scroll bends by k0 + b·s², curling the same way at both ends; the S-scroll by s / a², curling opposite ways; the stem scroll runs straight and then bends by b·(s − s0)², joining with no jump in curvature; the running scroll by c·sin(2πs / P). Each stroke is the centre line moved half its width out on both sides, so it keeps the same width all along, and our tests measure it. Set the motifs as an all-over grid, a half-drop, mirrored panels (every second column flipped) or a border stripe, pick three colours such as gold on black or silver on navy, then download a seamless SVG tile at real size, a full-size PDF with a motif key, a 300 DPI PNG or a background PNG. Nothing is uploaded.

100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

How to make a filigree pattern

1. Choose a preset, or pick a motif set and a layout.
2. Set the columns, rows and spacing (mirrored panels need an even number of columns), and the bar width for a border.
3. Set the motif size and the smallest gap between motifs.
4. Pick three colours: a ground, the scrolls and the beads.
5. Download the SVG tile, a background PNG, or the PDF; print at 100% and check the 1 in test square.

What you can use it for

• Wedding and event stationery, menus and certificates
• Book covers, labels and packaging
• Wall stencils, panels and furniture painting layouts (real-size PDF)
• Laser, vinyl and engraving planning (SVG tile, one outline per stroke)
• Gift wrap and scrapbook paper
• Phone, desktop and slide backgrounds (PNG at exact sizes)

The 13 presets

#	Preset	Motifs	Layout	Motifs per repeat	Repeat
1	Gold scrolls on black, all-over	Scrolls	All-over grid	4 × 4	4.8 × 4.8 in
2	Silver medallions on navy, half-drop	Medallions	Half-drop	4 × 4	4.8 × 4.8 in
3	Mirrored panels, gold on cream	Scrolls	Mirrored panels	4 × 4	4.8 × 4.8 in
4	Running scroll border, gold on burgundy	Running scroll	Border stripe	6 in a row	6 × 1.28 in
5	Corner ornaments, mirrored, black on white	Corner ornament (mirrored on the diagonal)	Mirrored panels	4 × 4	4.4 × 4.4 in
6	Heart scrolls, rose gold on blush	Heart scroll	Half-drop	4 × 4	4.4 × 4.4 in
7	Scroll frames, gold on emerald	Scroll frame (two C-scrolls face to face)	All-over grid	4 × 4	4.4 × 4.4 in
8	Four-scroll medallions, silver on charcoal	Four-scroll medallion	All-over grid	4 × 4	4.4 × 4.4 in
9	Six-scroll rosettes, gold on navy, half-drop	Six-scroll rosette	Half-drop	4 × 4	4.4 × 4.4 in
10	Bead drops border, black on gold	Border	Border stripe	6 in a row	6 × 1.28 in
11	All motifs, white on teal	All 10 filigree motifs	All-over grid	4 × 4	4.8 × 4.8 in
12	S-scrolls, mirrored columns, silver on black	S-scroll	Mirrored panels	4 × 4	4.4 × 4.4 in
13	Fabric scale: 15 cm gold scrolls on black	Scrolls	All-over grid	5 × 5	15 × 15 cm

Each preset only fills in the fields; change any setting afterwards.

The 10 filigree motifs

Motif	Symmetry (tested on every point)
C-scroll	mirrored left to right
S-scroll	same after a 1/2 turn
Stem scroll pair	mirrored left to right
Heart scroll	mirrored left to right
Scroll frame (two C-scrolls face to face)	mirrored left to right
Four-scroll medallion	same after a 1/4 turn; mirrored left to right
Six-scroll rosette	same after a 1/6 turn
Corner ornament (mirrored on the diagonal)	mirrored on the diagonal
Running scroll	same after a 1/2 turn
Bead drop	mirrored left to right

All motifs are our own drawings. Page 2 of the PDF draws each motif used, large, with its symmetry and stroke width.

Scroll curves

Scroll	Curvature κ against length s
C-scroll	k0 + b·s² (one sign: curls the same way at both ends)
S-scroll	s / a² (changes sign once: curls opposite ways)
Stem scroll	0, then b·(s − s0)² (straight stem, smooth join)
Running scroll	c·sin(2πs / P)

Which tool to use

You want	Use
Scrollwork as a repeat, panel or border	Filigree Pattern (this page)
Fine line rosettes drawn from rolling curves	Guilloche Pattern Generator
Simple CSS backgrounds	SVG Pattern Generator

Also handy: the Guilloche Pattern Generator and the SVG Pattern Generator.

Frequently asked questions

How are the scrolls drawn?

From their curvature against the length along the curve: k0 + b·s² for a C-scroll, s / a² for an S-scroll, 0 then b·(s − s0)² for a stem scroll and c·sin(2πs / P) for a running scroll. The direction is the exact integral of the curvature and the position is added up step by step. Our tests measure the curvature back from the drawn line and compare it with the formula at every point.

Is the stroke really the same width all along?

Yes. Both edges are the centre line moved half the width along its normal, and every curl stays wider than half the stroke, so the inner edge never folds over. Our tests measure the width edge to edge at every point, and check that no curl runs into its own earlier turn.

Are the joins smooth?

Yes. Each scroll is one curve whose curvature changes smoothly; where a stem scroll turns from straight into a curl, the curvature and its rate of change are both zero at the join, so there is no visible kink. The test checks that the curvature never jumps from one point to the next.

Are the motifs symmetrical?

The C-scroll, stem scroll pair, heart, scroll frame and bead drop are mirror-symmetric left to right; the four-scroll medallion looks the same after a quarter turn; the S-scroll and running scroll after a half turn; the six-scroll rosette after a sixth of a turn; the corner ornament is mirrored on its diagonal. Our tests check every point.

Will the pattern repeat without a seam?

Yes. A motif that runs over an edge of the repeat carries on from the opposite edge, so copies placed edge to edge join with no seam. Our tests compare the pattern one repeat over by sampled colour, for every preset.

Is the tile the exact size I set?

Yes. The SVG tile is written in inches or centimetres (the first preset is 4.8 in square on a 1.2 in spacing), and the PDF prints the pattern at full size with a 1 in test square. Gold and silver here are only colours.

Is it free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.

Is anything uploaded?

No. Everything is drawn by JavaScript in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.