How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator

Final product imageFinal product imageFinal product image
What You’ll Be Creating

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator. I’ll show you three methods of making vector patterns, so that you can use whichever one you prefer in your future projects.

Prefer a ready-made solution that you can use right now? Then download some of the vector textures and vector patterns from Envato, your one-stop creative solution. You’ll find plenty of warped checkerboard patterns to choose from. And if you want to put some striking text on top of the pattern, you can also uncover some eye-catching display fonts.

1. How to create a black-and-white checkerboard pattern

Step 1

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) from your toolbar, and focus on the color settings. Select the Stroke and remove the color, and then double-click the Fill to set its color to black (R=0 G=0 B=0).

Now, simply click on your artboard to open the Rectangle window. Set the Width and Height to 40px, and then click OK to create your black square.

Keep it selected and go to Object > Transform > Move (Shift-Control-M). Set the Horizontal Position to 40 px and the Vertical Positon to 0 px, and then click Copy to add a copy of your selected square, as shown in the following image. Make sure that you have this copy selected, and change its color to white (R=255 G=255 B=255).

create square and duplicatecreate square and duplicatecreate square and duplicate

Step 2

Using the Selection Tool (V), select both squares and go back to Object > Transform > Move (Shift-Control-M). This time, set the Horizontal Position to 0 px and the Vertical Position to 40 px. Once you’re done, click that Copy button again.

duplicate squaresduplicate squaresduplicate squares

Step 3

Keep your square copies selected, and make sure that the Move Tool (V) is still active.

Use the bounding box to rotate your selected shapes as shown in the second image. If you can’t see the bounding box, go to View > Show Bounding Box (Shift-Control-B). Also, keep in mind that you can hold down the Shift key as you click and drag, which will constrain the rotation angle.

rotate square copiesrotate square copiesrotate square copies

Step 4

Select all the shapes that make up your checkerboard pattern, and simply drag them into the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches) to save them as a pattern. Once you’re done, you can move these shapes outside your artboard, but don’t delete them because you’ll need them again when we create the pink checkerboard pattern.

save black and white checkerboard pattern in ILlustratorsave black and white checkerboard pattern in ILlustratorsave black and white checkerboard pattern in ILlustrator

2. How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator: Method #1

Step 1

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a shape that covers the entire artboard and fill it with your saved checkerboard pattern from the Swatches panel.

apply black and white checkerboard patternapply black and white checkerboard patternapply black and white checkerboard pattern

Step 2

Keep your pattern-filled shape selected, go to Object > Expand, and click OK. Nothing will change, except your shape will turn into a group of clipped shapes.

expand black and white checkerboard patternexpand black and white checkerboard patternexpand black and white checkerboard pattern

Step 3

Make sure that your group is selected, and go to Object > Warp > FishEye. Enter the settings shown below and click OK.

warp black and white checkerboard pattern warp black and white checkerboard pattern warp black and white checkerboard pattern

Step 4

Make sure that your group is still selected, and go to Object > Warp > Twist. Enter the settings shown below and click OK. Feel free to play with different combos of Warp effects to create a custom warped checkerboard pattern.

warp black and white checkerboard patternwarp black and white checkerboard patternwarp black and white checkerboard pattern

3. How to create a pink checkerboard pattern

Head back to your black and white squares. Select the black ones and replace the fill color with R=255 G=188 B=210, and then the white ones and replace the fill color with R=255 G=109 B=138.

Once you’re done, select all four squares and drag them inside the Swatches panel to save them as a new pattern.

save pink checkerboard patternsave pink checkerboard patternsave pink checkerboard pattern

4. How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator: Method #2

Step 1

Reselect the Rectangle Tool (M) to add a new shape that covers your entire artboard. Fill it with your pink checkerboard pattern.

apply pink checkerboard patternapply pink checkerboard patternapply pink checkerboard pattern

Step 2

Keep your shape selected and go to Object > Expand. Click the OK button and then go to Object > Clipping Mask > Release (Alt-Control-7) to get rid of that clipping mask. You’ll end up with a new group containing a bunch of little squares, as shown in the following image.

expand pink checkerboard patternexpand pink checkerboard patternexpand pink checkerboard pattern

Step 3

Make sure that your new group is still selected, and go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Warp (Alt-Shift-Control-W). Set the Style to Wave and check the Horizontal box, and then drag that Bend slider to about 50%. Again, feel free to play with these values or try different styles of warped checkerboard patterns.

mesh warp checkerboard patternmesh warp checkerboard patternmesh warp checkerboard pattern

5. How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator: Method #3

Step 1

Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to add a new shape that covers your entire artboard. Fill it with your pink checkerboard pattern, go to Object > Expand, and just click the OK button.

apply and expand pink checkerboard patternapply and expand pink checkerboard patternapply and expand pink checkerboard pattern

Step 2

Make sure that your new group is selected, and turn it into a mesh by going to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Mesh (Alt-Control-M). Set the Rows and Columns to 5, and then click the OK button.

envelope mesh checkerboard patternenvelope mesh checkerboard patternenvelope mesh checkerboard pattern

Step 3

Now that you have the mesh, pick the Direct Selection Tool (A), which can be used to adjust each mesh point. Click and drag any point to move it and play with the handles to adjust the angle.

warped checkerboard pattern envelope meshwarped checkerboard pattern envelope meshwarped checkerboard pattern envelope mesh

Step 4

Here’s my final take. As always, feel free to create your own warped checkerboard pattern.

warp checkerboard pattern mesh pointwarp checkerboard pattern mesh pointwarp checkerboard pattern mesh point
warped checkerboard pattern Illustratorwarped checkerboard pattern Illustratorwarped checkerboard pattern Illustrator

Popular checkerboard patterns from Envato

Envato is an excellent resource for checkerboard patterns. Here’s a short list of some of the most popular checkerboard patterns that you can find.

Psychedelic patterns (EPS, JPG)

Here’s a pack containing some really vibrant psychedelic patterns. In this colorful collection, you can also find some psychedelic warped checkerboard patterns.

psychedelic warped checkerboardpsychedelic warped checkerboardpsychedelic warped checkerboard

Grunge black and white checkerboard pattern ( AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, SVG)

Here’s another template that you can use when creating a warped checkerboard pattern. Adding a grunge effect will definitely make your pattern stand out.

grunge black and white checkerboard patterngrunge black and white checkerboard patterngrunge black and white checkerboard pattern

Black and white patterns (AI, JPG, PSD, PNG)

Here’s a massive pack of black and white patterns. This includes a black and white checkerboard pattern, but don’t hesitate to try them all.

black and white checkerboard patternsblack and white checkerboard patternsblack and white checkerboard patterns

Seamless checkerboard pattern (AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, PSD, SVG)

Keep it smooth and simple with this sleek checkerboard pattern. This could be the perfect solution if you’re looking for a simple yet elegant design.

seamless checkerboard patternseamless checkerboard patternseamless checkerboard pattern

Pink checkerboard pattern (AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, PSD, SVG)

Looking to add a bit of color to your design? Check out this pink checkerboard pattern. The design is 100% vector, so don’t worry if you need to change the color.

seamless checkerboard patternseamless checkerboard patternseamless checkerboard pattern

Want to learn more?

We have loads of tutorials on Envato Tuts+, from beginner to intermediate level. Take a look!


This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Andrei Marius

Final product imageFinal product imageFinal product image
What You'll Be Creating

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator. I'll show you three methods of making vector patterns, so that you can use whichever one you prefer in your future projects.

Prefer a ready-made solution that you can use right now? Then download some of the vector textures and vector patterns from Envato, your one-stop creative solution. You'll find plenty of warped checkerboard patterns to choose from. And if you want to put some striking text on top of the pattern, you can also uncover some eye-catching display fonts.

1. How to create a black-and-white checkerboard pattern

Step 1

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) from your toolbar, and focus on the color settings. Select the Stroke and remove the color, and then double-click the Fill to set its color to black (R=0 G=0 B=0).

Now, simply click on your artboard to open the Rectangle window. Set the Width and Height to 40px, and then click OK to create your black square.

Keep it selected and go to Object > Transform > Move (Shift-Control-M). Set the Horizontal Position to 40 px and the Vertical Positon to 0 px, and then click Copy to add a copy of your selected square, as shown in the following image. Make sure that you have this copy selected, and change its color to white (R=255 G=255 B=255).

create square and duplicatecreate square and duplicatecreate square and duplicate

Step 2

Using the Selection Tool (V), select both squares and go back to Object > Transform > Move (Shift-Control-M). This time, set the Horizontal Position to 0 px and the Vertical Position to 40 px. Once you're done, click that Copy button again.

duplicate squaresduplicate squaresduplicate squares

Step 3

Keep your square copies selected, and make sure that the Move Tool (V) is still active.

Use the bounding box to rotate your selected shapes as shown in the second image. If you can't see the bounding box, go to View > Show Bounding Box (Shift-Control-B). Also, keep in mind that you can hold down the Shift key as you click and drag, which will constrain the rotation angle.

rotate square copiesrotate square copiesrotate square copies

Step 4

Select all the shapes that make up your checkerboard pattern, and simply drag them into the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches) to save them as a pattern. Once you're done, you can move these shapes outside your artboard, but don't delete them because you'll need them again when we create the pink checkerboard pattern.

save black and white checkerboard pattern in ILlustratorsave black and white checkerboard pattern in ILlustratorsave black and white checkerboard pattern in ILlustrator

2. How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator: Method #1

Step 1

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a shape that covers the entire artboard and fill it with your saved checkerboard pattern from the Swatches panel.

apply black and white checkerboard patternapply black and white checkerboard patternapply black and white checkerboard pattern

Step 2

Keep your pattern-filled shape selected, go to Object > Expand, and click OK. Nothing will change, except your shape will turn into a group of clipped shapes.

expand black and white checkerboard patternexpand black and white checkerboard patternexpand black and white checkerboard pattern

Step 3

Make sure that your group is selected, and go to Object > Warp > FishEye. Enter the settings shown below and click OK.

warp black and white checkerboard pattern warp black and white checkerboard pattern warp black and white checkerboard pattern

Step 4

Make sure that your group is still selected, and go to Object > Warp > Twist. Enter the settings shown below and click OK. Feel free to play with different combos of Warp effects to create a custom warped checkerboard pattern.

warp black and white checkerboard patternwarp black and white checkerboard patternwarp black and white checkerboard pattern

3. How to create a pink checkerboard pattern

Head back to your black and white squares. Select the black ones and replace the fill color with R=255 G=188 B=210, and then the white ones and replace the fill color with R=255 G=109 B=138.

Once you're done, select all four squares and drag them inside the Swatches panel to save them as a new pattern.

save pink checkerboard patternsave pink checkerboard patternsave pink checkerboard pattern

4. How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator: Method #2

Step 1

Reselect the Rectangle Tool (M) to add a new shape that covers your entire artboard. Fill it with your pink checkerboard pattern.

apply pink checkerboard patternapply pink checkerboard patternapply pink checkerboard pattern

Step 2

Keep your shape selected and go to Object > Expand. Click the OK button and then go to Object > Clipping Mask > Release (Alt-Control-7) to get rid of that clipping mask. You'll end up with a new group containing a bunch of little squares, as shown in the following image.

expand pink checkerboard patternexpand pink checkerboard patternexpand pink checkerboard pattern

Step 3

Make sure that your new group is still selected, and go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Warp (Alt-Shift-Control-W). Set the Style to Wave and check the Horizontal box, and then drag that Bend slider to about 50%. Again, feel free to play with these values or try different styles of warped checkerboard patterns.

mesh warp checkerboard patternmesh warp checkerboard patternmesh warp checkerboard pattern

5. How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator: Method #3

Step 1

Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to add a new shape that covers your entire artboard. Fill it with your pink checkerboard pattern, go to Object > Expand, and just click the OK button.

apply and expand pink checkerboard patternapply and expand pink checkerboard patternapply and expand pink checkerboard pattern

Step 2

Make sure that your new group is selected, and turn it into a mesh by going to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Mesh (Alt-Control-M). Set the Rows and Columns to 5, and then click the OK button.

envelope mesh checkerboard patternenvelope mesh checkerboard patternenvelope mesh checkerboard pattern

Step 3

Now that you have the mesh, pick the Direct Selection Tool (A), which can be used to adjust each mesh point. Click and drag any point to move it and play with the handles to adjust the angle.

warped checkerboard pattern envelope meshwarped checkerboard pattern envelope meshwarped checkerboard pattern envelope mesh

Step 4

Here's my final take. As always, feel free to create your own warped checkerboard pattern.

warp checkerboard pattern mesh pointwarp checkerboard pattern mesh pointwarp checkerboard pattern mesh point
warped checkerboard pattern Illustratorwarped checkerboard pattern Illustratorwarped checkerboard pattern Illustrator

Envato is an excellent resource for checkerboard patterns. Here's a short list of some of the most popular checkerboard patterns that you can find.

Psychedelic patterns (EPS, JPG)

Here's a pack containing some really vibrant psychedelic patterns. In this colorful collection, you can also find some psychedelic warped checkerboard patterns.

psychedelic warped checkerboardpsychedelic warped checkerboardpsychedelic warped checkerboard

Grunge black and white checkerboard pattern ( AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, SVG)

Here's another template that you can use when creating a warped checkerboard pattern. Adding a grunge effect will definitely make your pattern stand out.

grunge black and white checkerboard patterngrunge black and white checkerboard patterngrunge black and white checkerboard pattern

Black and white patterns (AI, JPG, PSD, PNG)

Here's a massive pack of black and white patterns. This includes a black and white checkerboard pattern, but don't hesitate to try them all.

black and white checkerboard patternsblack and white checkerboard patternsblack and white checkerboard patterns

Seamless checkerboard pattern (AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, PSD, SVG)

Keep it smooth and simple with this sleek checkerboard pattern. This could be the perfect solution if you're looking for a simple yet elegant design.

seamless checkerboard patternseamless checkerboard patternseamless checkerboard pattern

Pink checkerboard pattern (AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, PSD, SVG)

Looking to add a bit of color to your design? Check out this pink checkerboard pattern. The design is 100% vector, so don't worry if you need to change the color.

seamless checkerboard patternseamless checkerboard patternseamless checkerboard pattern

Want to learn more?

We have loads of tutorials on Envato Tuts+, from beginner to intermediate level. Take a look!


This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Andrei Marius


Print Share Comment Cite Upload Translate Updates
APA

Andrei Marius | Sciencx (2024-08-19T16:59:21+00:00) How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/08/19/how-to-make-a-warped-checkerboard-pattern-in-illustrator/

MLA
" » How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator." Andrei Marius | Sciencx - Monday August 19, 2024, https://www.scien.cx/2024/08/19/how-to-make-a-warped-checkerboard-pattern-in-illustrator/
HARVARD
Andrei Marius | Sciencx Monday August 19, 2024 » How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator., viewed ,<https://www.scien.cx/2024/08/19/how-to-make-a-warped-checkerboard-pattern-in-illustrator/>
VANCOUVER
Andrei Marius | Sciencx - » How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator. [Internet]. [Accessed ]. Available from: https://www.scien.cx/2024/08/19/how-to-make-a-warped-checkerboard-pattern-in-illustrator/
CHICAGO
" » How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator." Andrei Marius | Sciencx - Accessed . https://www.scien.cx/2024/08/19/how-to-make-a-warped-checkerboard-pattern-in-illustrator/
IEEE
" » How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator." Andrei Marius | Sciencx [Online]. Available: https://www.scien.cx/2024/08/19/how-to-make-a-warped-checkerboard-pattern-in-illustrator/. [Accessed: ]
rf:citation
» How to make a warped checkerboard pattern in Illustrator | Andrei Marius | Sciencx | https://www.scien.cx/2024/08/19/how-to-make-a-warped-checkerboard-pattern-in-illustrator/ |

Please log in to upload a file.



There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.

You must be logged in to translate posts. Please log in or register.

Related Posts