Ikat Pattern

Make an ikat-style pattern from 7 motifs of our own: stepped diamonds, arrows, medallions, chevron stacks, bow ties and crosses, laid out as a straight repeat, a half-drop or a brick repeat. Each motif cell is split into threads that run left to right, and every thread is moved along its length by a small amount chosen from the seed, never more than the largest shift you set. That gives the stepped, feathered edges of the ikat look while the rows stay in order. Pick 2 to 5 colours and a cell size in inches or centimetres, then download a seamless SVG tile at real size, a tile PNG, a 300 DPI PNG or a PDF with the pattern at full size and a motif chart. Nothing is uploaded.

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How to make an ikat pattern

1. Choose a preset, or a motif and a second motif.
2. Set the motif size, the gap and the layout (straight, half-drop or brick).
3. Set the threads per cell and the largest thread shift; change the seed for a new set of shifts.
4. Pick the ground and pattern colours and the cell size.
5. Download the SVG tile, the tile PNG or the PDF; print at 100% and check the 1 in test square.

What you can use it for

• Fabric and wallpaper repeats (SVG tile at real size)
• Cushions, curtains and upholstery mock-ups
• Website, slide and phone backgrounds
• Gift wrap, scrapbook paper and cards
• Painting or stencilling guides (motif chart)
• Pixel and bead art from the motif chart

The 13 presets

#	Preset	Motifs	Layout	Threads per cell / largest shift	Seamless repeat
1	Indigo stepped diamonds	Stepped diamond	Half-drop	4 / 2	6 × 3 in
2	Rust arrows, half-drop	Arrow (pointing up)	Half-drop	4 / 2	4.8 × 2.4 in
3	Medallions in four colours	Stepped medallion	Brick	4 / 2	2.8 × 5.6 in
4	Chevron stacks, black and white	Chevron stack	Straight repeat	4 / 1	2.2 × 2.2 in
5	Diamonds and medallions	Stepped diamond + Stepped medallion	Half-drop	4 / 2	4.8 × 2.4 in
6	Blush bow ties	Bow tie	Brick	4 / 2	2.5 × 5 in
7	Teal crosses	Stepped cross + Diamond outline with a centre	Half-drop	4 / 2	4.8 × 2.4 in
8	Soft blur, many threads	Diamond outline with a centre	Half-drop	8 / 4	5.6 × 2.8 in
9	Crisp edges (no feather)	Stepped diamond	Straight repeat	2 / 0	2.5 × 2.5 in
10	Mustard and grey arrows	Arrow (pointing up) + Chevron stack	Half-drop	4 / 2	4 × 2 in
11	Large-scale fabric (2 cm cells)	Stepped medallion	Brick	4 / 2	24 × 48 cm
12	Grey tones	Stepped diamond + Bow tie	Half-drop	4 / 2	4 × 2 in
13	Emerald and gold medallions	Stepped medallion + Stepped cross	Half-drop	6 / 3	4.8 × 2.4 in

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

The 7 motifs

Motif	Mirror (before the shift)	Pattern colours	Cells at size 5
Stepped diamond	Left to right and top to bottom	3	11 × 11
Diamond outline with a centre	Left to right and top to bottom	2	11 × 11
Stepped medallion	Left to right and top to bottom	3	11 × 11
Arrow (pointing up)	Left to right	2	11 × 11
Chevron stack	Left to right	2	11 × 11
Bow tie	Left to right and top to bottom	2	11 × 11
Stepped cross	Left to right and top to bottom	2	11 × 11

Every motif is drawn on a square of cells with an odd number of cells across, so it has a centre column; the symmetry is checked by our tests at every size from 3 to 8.

Threads and feather (classic preset, 0.25 in cells)

Threads per cell	Largest shift (threads)	Thread width	Largest shift	Largest shift drawn (seed 7)
1	0	6.35 mm	0 mm	0
2	1	3.18 mm	3.18 mm	1
4	2	1.59 mm	3.18 mm	2
4	4	1.59 mm	6.35 mm	4
6	3	1.06 mm	3.18 mm	3
8	4	0.79 mm	3.18 mm	4
8	8	0.79 mm	6.35 mm	8

More threads per cell give a finer, softer edge; a bigger shift gives a wider feather. With a shift of 0 the motif edges stay crisp.

Which tool to use

You want	Use
Ikat-style motifs with a feathered edge	Ikat Pattern (this page)
Stepped geometric bands and a cell chart	Aztec Pattern
Crisp diamonds with rakers	Argyle Pattern Generator
Meander borders	Greek Key Pattern Generator
Zigzag stripes	Chevron Pattern Generator

Also handy: the Argyle Pattern Generator, the Chevron Pattern Generator and the SVG Pattern Generator.

Frequently asked questions

What is ikat?

Ikat is a resist-dyeing technique: the yarns are dyed in a pattern before the cloth is woven, and the weaving gives the design a slightly blurred look. The source we use is dated in our notes. This maker draws an ikat-style pattern on screen; it does not plan any dyeing or weaving.

How is the feathered edge made?

Each motif cell is cut into threads that run left to right. Every thread is shifted along its own length by a whole number of thread widths, from minus to plus the largest shift you choose. Plain ground stays plain, so only the motif edges change: they become stepped and feathered.

Can a thread shift more than the number I set?

No. Every shift is between minus and plus your number, and the threads are never swapped or reordered. Our tests check both for every preset and many seeds, and page 2 of the PDF lists every shift.

Will I get the same pattern again?

Yes. The shifts are worked out from the seed: the same seed and settings give exactly the same pattern; a new seed gives a new set of shifts.

Are the motifs symmetrical?

Before the shift, yes: each motif is a mirror image of itself as stated in the motif table (our tests check every motif at every size). The thread shifts then break the symmetry on purpose, as the feathered look needs.

Will the tile repeat without a seam?

Yes. Each thread is shifted round the tile, so what leaves one edge comes back at the other. Our tests place copies of the tile edge to edge and compare them with the pattern drawn in one piece, by pixels and by shape.

How is this different from the argyle and harlequin makers?

Those draw crisp diamonds in a lattice. This page makes motif repeats with the stepped, feathered edge of the ikat style, and gives a motif chart and the list of thread shifts.

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.