Star Pattern

Make a star pattern or a star background from 10 star shapes of our own: a pointed star with 4 to 12 points and any inner radius, a rounded star, a four-point sparkle, a twinkle (two crossed four-point stars), a shooting star, an outline star, a star-burst dot, a field of tiny stars, a star in a star and a plain dot. Every pointed star has its tips on one circle and its inner corners on a smaller circle; the five-point star at an inner radius of 0.382 is the regular star, with each inner corner on the straight line between two tips. Scatter the stars at random from a seed number, with a size mix and a tilt, or set them in a grid or half-drop. In the scatter no two stars touch, not even across the edges of the repeat, so the tile joins its neighbours with no seam. Pick four colours (a ground and three inks), then download a background PNG at an exact pixel size (phone 1170 × 2532 or 1080 × 1920, desktop 1920 × 1080 or 2560 × 1440, square 1080 × 1080), a seamless SVG tile at real size, a 300 DPI PNG or a full-size PDF with a star key. Nothing is uploaded.

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

How to make a star pattern

1. Choose a preset, or pick the star shapes and a layout.
2. Set the number of points and the inner radius for the pointed stars.
3. For a scatter, set how many stars, the repeat size, the size mix, the tilt and a seed (change the seed for a new arrangement); for a grid or half-drop, set the columns, rows and spacing.
4. Set the star size and the smallest gap between stars, then pick the four colours.
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

• Phone and desktop star backgrounds at an exact size
• Gift wrap, cards and party printables
• Classroom charts, reward sheets and scrapbook paper
• Fabric and quilt mock-ups (real-size tile, full-size PDF)
• Website, slide and stream backgrounds (SVG tile)
• Stencil and stamp layouts (grid or half-drop at a set spacing)

The 15 presets

#	Preset	Stars	Layout	Stars per repeat	Repeat
1	Gold five-point stars on navy, scattered	n-point stars	Scatter	24 shapes	6 × 6 in
2	Star background: midnight blue	Star background	Scatter	70 shapes	6 × 6 in
3	Red and blue stars on white, half-drop	n-point stars	Half-drop	4 × 4	4 × 4 in
4	Six-point stars, grid, gold on white	n-point stars	Grid	4 × 4	4 × 4 in
5	Eight-point stars, half-drop, teal	n-point stars	Half-drop	4 × 4	4 × 4 in
6	Sparkles and twinkles on black	Star background	Scatter	40 shapes	6 × 6 in
7	Rounded stars, pastel	Rounded star	Scatter	26 shapes	6 × 6 in
8	Outline stars, grid, black on cream	Outline star	Grid	4 × 4	4 × 4 in
9	Shooting stars on deep purple	Shooting star	Scatter	14 shapes	6 × 6 in
10	Star-burst dots, orange and yellow	Star-burst dot	Half-drop	4 × 4	4 × 4 in
11	Mixed star shapes, bright	Mixed	Scatter	30 shapes	6 × 6 in
12	Star in a star, red and gold	Star in a star	Grid	4 × 4	4 × 4 in
13	Tiny four-point stars, dense	n-point stars	Scatter	120 shapes	6 × 6 in
14	Black stars on white, all shapes	All 10 star shapes	Scatter	30 shapes	6 × 6 in
15	Fabric scale: 15 cm scattered stars	n-point stars	Scatter	24 shapes	15 × 15 cm

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

The 10 star shapes

Star shape	Points and inner radius you can set
n-point star	Points (4 to 12), inner radius 0.2 to 0.9
Rounded star	Points (4 to 12), inner radius 0.3 to 0.9
Sparkle (four curved points)	Fixed shape
Twinkle (two crossed four-point stars)	Fixed shape
Shooting star	Fixed shape
Outline star	Points (4 to 12), inner radius 0.2 to 0.9
Star-burst dot	Points (4 to 12)
Tiny-star field	Fixed shape
Star in a star	Points (4 to 12), inner radius 0.2 to 0.9
Dot	Fixed shape

All star shapes are our own drawings. Page 2 of the PDF draws each shape used, large, with its number of points and inner radius.

Background sizes (first preset)

Background	Pixels	Repeats across × down
Phone	1170 × 2532 px	2.03 × 4.4
Phone	1080 × 1920 px	1.88 × 3.33
Desktop	1920 × 1080 px	3.33 × 1.88
Large screen	2560 × 1440 px	4.44 × 2.5
Square post	1080 × 1080 px	1.88 × 1.88

Which tool to use

You want	Use
Many stars as a seamless pattern or background	Star Pattern (this page)
One large star to print and cut out	Star Template
Star and polygon tilings, 6- or 8-fold	Islamic Geometric Pattern Generator
Round dots only	Polka Dot Pattern Generator
Simple CSS backgrounds	SVG Pattern Generator

Want 6- or 8-fold star tilings, where stars and polygons fill the plane edge to edge? Use the Islamic Geometric Pattern Generator; this page repeats separate star shapes.

Also handy: the Polka Dot Pattern Generator, the SVG Pattern Generator and the Phone Wallpaper Maker.

Frequently asked questions

How many points can a star have?

From 4 to 12. The tips sit on a circle of radius 1 and the inner corners on a circle of the inner radius you set, from 0.2 to 0.9 of it. Our tests check every corner of every star from 4 to 12 points, and that each star looks the same after a turn of one point and in a mirror.

What inner radius gives a regular five-point star?

0.382 of the outer radius, which is cos 72° divided by cos 36°. At that ratio each inner corner lies on the straight line between two tips, so the star can be drawn in five straight strokes. For six points, 1 / √3 gives two overlapping triangles.

Will the pattern repeat without a seam?

Yes. A star 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.

Do the stars ever overlap?

No. Each star fits inside a circle round its centre, and the maker keeps every two circles at least the gap apart, measured round the repeat (the first preset keeps 0.12 in between 24 stars). If you ask for more stars than fit, it places as many as fit and says how many.

What sizes are the background PNGs?

Phone 1170 × 2532 and 1080 × 1920, desktop 1920 × 1080, large screen 2560 × 1440 and square 1080 × 1080 pixels, each exactly that size. The pattern is drawn at 96 pixels per inch of the size you set.

Is the tile the exact size I set?

Yes. The SVG tile is written in inches or centimetres (the first preset is 6 in square), and the PDF prints the pattern at full size with a 1 in test square to check your printer.

How is this different from the star template and the star tiling tools?

The star template prints one large star to cut out or trace. The Islamic Geometric Pattern Generator fills the plane with star and polygon tilings. This page repeats many separate stars as a scattered or gridded pattern, a tile and a background.

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.