{"id":2985046,"date":"2026-10-16T09:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T16:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2985046"},"modified":"2026-10-16T09:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T16:38:14","slug":"experiments-with-pattern-tiles","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles","title":{"rendered":"Experiments with Pattern Tiles"},"author":4491,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[22941],"tags":[758311,23201,26451,40161,781264],"industry":[],"product":[36581,36551,36561],"class_list":["post-2985046","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mapping","tag-ai","tag-cartographic-design","tag-cartography","tag-living-atlas-of-the-world","tag-pattern-tile","product-arcgis-living-atlas","product-arcgis-online","product-arcgis-pro"],"acf":{"short_description":"Using AI to streamline the creation of pattern tiles, and to inspire","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Filling a polygon with a pattern tile can be an interesting way to bring some style to your map (basemap or otherwise). It can be frustrating though! I talked here<\/a> about the requirements for creating a seamless and effective pattern to cover a large area. It involves some careful construction and a fair bit of trial and error.<\/p>\n

So when John Nelson introduced us to the concept of using AI to build pattern tiles (see below) I decided I needed to investigate it more.<\/p>\n

The Product<\/h3>\n

I worked with vector tiles and the ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor<\/a> (VTSE) as this is my main area of interest. I had no goals in mind \u2013 I decided to let some maps (let\u2019s call them \u2019basemaps\u2019) develop organically as I tried things out.<\/p>\n

For tile construction I used Microsoft Copilot, with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for other adjustments.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985115,"id":2985115,"title":"00_MapVisuals","filename":"00_MapVisuals.jpg","filesize":424031,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/00_mapvisuals","alt":"Sample areas of the two maps featured,. The Seattle area in te 19th Century map, and teh Philippines in the Pointillist map","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"","name":"00_mapvisuals","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-16 14:42:23","modified":"2026-10-16 14:44:16","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":826,"height":353,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":198,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":328,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals.jpg","large-width":826,"large-height":353,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals.jpg","1536x1536-width":826,"1536x1536-height":353,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals.jpg","2048x2048-width":826,"2048x2048-height":353,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":353,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/00_MapVisuals.jpg","wide_image-width":826,"wide_image-height":353}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Pattern Tiles<\/h3>\n

The size of the tile is important. They may not render correctly if they are not square, and it is safest to build at a resolution that is a multiple of 2 (4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512). Smaller tiles may be more efficient, but the likelihood of the pattern repeating itself is greater. Keep the tile size down if you can though, and don’t go above 512px. For most of my work here I used 256px.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985120,"id":2985120,"title":"01_1_19C visual","filename":"01_1_19C-visual.jpg","filesize":189394,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/01_1_19c-visual","alt":"A sample of the Seattle area using the 19th Century map","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"","name":"01_1_19c-visual","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-16 15:12:43","modified":"2026-10-16 15:13:18","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":826,"height":169,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual-213x169.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":169,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":95,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":157,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual.jpg","large-width":826,"large-height":169,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual.jpg","1536x1536-width":826,"1536x1536-height":169,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual.jpg","2048x2048-width":826,"2048x2048-height":169,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":169,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_19C-visual.jpg","wide_image-width":826,"wide_image-height":169}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Map 1: 19th<\/sup> Century-inspired<\/h2>\n

The Prompt is everything!<\/h3>\n

John helped me to craft my initial attempts at creating an AI prompt. The key requirement is to make sure the tiles work seamlessly. A sentence like \u2018Make it square, and it must tile, so that the edges repeat smoothly’ added to the prompt helps this. For my first attempts I decided to go for a classic \u2018look\u2019, so I set it up as a \u201819th<\/sup> century cartographer\u2019.<\/p>\n

Early attempts were mixed, and, despite the prompt, the results did not always tile effectively. My first successful result was this:<\/p>\n

‘You are a 19th century cartographer. Create a textured surface using short pen strokes. Make it square, and it must tile, so that the edges repeat smoothly’.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It was interesting, but I wasn\u2019t sure how to use it, particularly as I wanted to include a hillshade layer in my final map. I ended up reversing it and adjusting the opacity so that it provides a subtle texture to the land. It\u2019s something like the \u2018paper\u2019 texture that John has used on occasion.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985047,"id":2985047,"title":"01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example","filename":"01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png","filesize":1572928,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/01_1_reversedpenstroke_example","alt":"The raw pen stroke pattern tile, with the reversed and adjusted version used in the map","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"The raw 'pen stroke' pattern tile (left), with the reversed and adjusted version used in the map (right)","name":"01_1_reversedpenstroke_example","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-15 19:44:15","modified":"2026-10-15 19:51:16","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1064,"height":512,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":223,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":370,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png","large-width":1064,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png","1536x1536-width":1064,"1536x1536-height":512,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png","2048x2048-width":1064,"2048x2048-height":512,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example-826x397.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":397,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png","wide_image-width":1064,"wide_image-height":512}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_1_ReversedPenstroke_Example.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Occasionally the results are surprising. The result of this prompt was not what I was expecting, but it is an interesting and usable effect:<\/p>\n

‘You are a 19th century cartographer. Create a pattern surface using short blue horizontal pen strokes. Make it square, and it must tile, so that the edges repeat smoothly’.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That seems to be one of the strengths of the AI approach! Keep an open mind and don\u2019t be surprised if the result takes you in a different direction.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985049,"id":2985049,"title":"01_2_WaterPattern_Example","filename":"01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png","filesize":1046399,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/01_2_waterpattern_example","alt":"The water pattern and it's use within the map.","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"The water pattern (left) and its use within the map (right).","name":"01_2_waterpattern_example","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-15 19:49:18","modified":"2026-10-15 19:52:16","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1064,"height":512,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":223,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":370,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png","large-width":1064,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png","1536x1536-width":1064,"1536x1536-height":512,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png","2048x2048-width":1064,"2048x2048-height":512,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example-826x397.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":397,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png","wide_image-width":1064,"wide_image-height":512}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_2_WaterPattern_Example.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

I added this to the water with a slight tonal adjustment. Then I added a blurred layer above derived from Esri basemap bathymetry to limit the pattern to coastal regions.<\/p>\n

Know the limitations<\/h3>\n

Some effects seem to be problematic for AI, at least at the time of writing. I wanted to create a rough diagonal hatch to overlay hillshade, but however much I tried to refine the prompt I could not get a result that would tile effectively. I\u2019m guessing that the angle, with the combination of an uneven line and an even pattern, was too confusing.<\/p>\n

In the end I constructed a tile manually, and there will be times when this makes more sense. I built the hatch in illustrator, used filters to roughen it, then reversed it for the final tile. The hatch was placed over hillshade to give it a rough screened effect.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985052,"id":2985052,"title":"01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example","filename":"01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png","filesize":543122,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/01_3_diagonalhatch_example","alt":"Reversed hatch pattern, and its use to 'screen' hillshade","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"Reversed hatch pattern (left), and its use to apply a 'screen' to hillshade (right)","name":"01_3_diagonalhatch_example","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-15 19:53:32","modified":"2026-10-15 19:54:44","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1064,"height":512,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":223,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":370,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png","large-width":1064,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png","1536x1536-width":1064,"1536x1536-height":512,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png","2048x2048-width":1064,"2048x2048-height":512,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example-826x397.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":397,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png","wide_image-width":1064,"wide_image-height":512}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_3_DiagonalHatch_Example.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

For urban areas I wanted an \u2018urban\u2019 texture. Early AI attempts tended to be very pictorial, but I refined the prompt until I got this result.<\/p>\n

‘You are a 19th century cartographer. Create a monochrome view from vertically above of a European urban area with no large buildings. Make it square, and it must tile, so that the edges repeat smoothly’.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985054,"id":2985054,"title":"01_4_UrbanPattern_Example","filename":"01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png","filesize":879466,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/01_4_urbanpattern_example","alt":"Raw urban pattern tile and the adjustments for use on the map","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"The raw 'urban' pattern tile (left) and the adjustments for use on the map (right)","name":"01_4_urbanpattern_example","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-15 19:56:16","modified":"2026-10-15 19:57:39","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1054,"height":512,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":373,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png","large-width":1054,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png","1536x1536-width":1054,"1536x1536-height":512,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png","2048x2048-width":1054,"2048x2048-height":512,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example-826x401.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":401,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png","wide_image-width":1054,"wide_image-height":512}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_4_UrbanPattern_Example.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

It tiles very well, but the street pattern was likely to interfere with the actual street pattern at larger scales, so I adjusted it to make it less distinct. With some added opacity I was able to use it as a subtle \u2018urban\u2019 pattern within the polygon.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985127,"id":2985127,"title":"01_6_London_UrbanArea","filename":"01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg","filesize":872747,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/01_6_london_urbanarea","alt":"Northwest London in the 19th Century map, showing the urban pattern tile","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"Northwest London in the finished map, showing the urban pattern tile","name":"01_6_london_urbanarea","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-16 15:41:58","modified":"2026-10-16 15:43:29","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1364,"height":573,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":195,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":323,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg","large-width":1364,"large-height":573,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg","1536x1536-width":1364,"1536x1536-height":573,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg","2048x2048-width":1364,"2048x2048-height":573,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea-826x347.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":347,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg","wide_image-width":1364,"wide_image-height":573}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01_6_London_UrbanArea.jpg"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Here is the final map:
\nhttps:\/\/arcg.is\/G1OCO0<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985121,"id":2985121,"title":"02_1_Pointillist visual","filename":"02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","filesize":238552,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/02_1_pointillist-visual","alt":"The area around the Philippines shown in the Pointillist map sample","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"","name":"02_1_pointillist-visual","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-16 15:14:31","modified":"2026-10-16 15:15:07","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":826,"height":167,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual-213x167.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":167,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":94,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":155,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","large-width":826,"large-height":167,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","1536x1536-width":826,"1536x1536-height":167,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","2048x2048-width":826,"2048x2048-height":167,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":167,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-visual.jpg","wide_image-width":826,"wide_image-height":167}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Map 2: Artistic rendering<\/h2>\n

For my second prototype I decided to start with the raster base from Esri\u2019s \u00a0National Geographic Style Basemap, then use pattern tiles to give it more of an artistic rendering. I wanted it to be subtle, so I went for a Georges Seurat-inspired pointillistic effect.<\/p>\n

My first tile was a simple prompt:<\/p>\n

‘Create a green even texture in the style of Georges Seurat’.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I adjusted this for color and strength to create a land pattern, then evened it out some more to minimize repetition. I made a color adjustment to a copy to create the tile for \u2018ice\u2019.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985090,"id":2985090,"title":"02_1_Pointillist","filename":"02_1_Pointillist.png","filesize":462187,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/02_1_pointillist","alt":"The raw 'Seurat' green tile, with the adjusted tiles for land and ice","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"The raw 'Seurat' green tile {left), with the adjusted tiles for land (middle) and ice (right}","name":"02_1_pointillist","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-15 22:01:33","modified":"2026-10-15 22:03:41","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":824,"height":256,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":144,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":239,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png","large-width":824,"large-height":256,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png","1536x1536-width":824,"1536x1536-height":256,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png","2048x2048-width":824,"2048x2048-height":256,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png","card_image-width":824,"card_image-height":256,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png","wide_image-width":824,"wide_image-height":256}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_1_Pointillist.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

For water I used this prompt:<\/p>\n

‘Create an even water texture in the style of Georges Seurat. Make it square, and it must tile, so that the edges repeat smoothly’.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I made a slight color adjustment to the final tile, but otherwise it was ready to use.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2985091,"id":2985091,"title":"02_2_WaterPattern","filename":"02_2_WaterPattern.png","filesize":1446048,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\/02_2_waterpattern","alt":"The raw 'Seurat' water tile, with the final color adjustment","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"The raw 'Seurat' water tile (left), with the final color adjustment (right)","name":"02_2_waterpattern","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2985046,"date":"2026-10-15 22:06:36","modified":"2026-10-15 22:08:14","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1054,"height":512,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":373,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern.png","large-width":1054,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern.png","1536x1536-width":1054,"1536x1536-height":512,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern.png","2048x2048-width":1054,"2048x2048-height":512,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern-826x401.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":401,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern.png","wide_image-width":1054,"wide_image-height":512}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/02_2_WaterPattern.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The final map is a combination of layers with the National Geographic Style base at small scales, and World Hillshade at large scales. Blends, effects and transparency* settings were used to merge them together.<\/p>\n

Here is the final map:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/arcg.is\/1SLbmW5<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Summing up:<\/h2>\n

Patterns on a map are always a risk. They add additional, sometimes confusing, \u2018noise\u2019, but they can be the thing that really wakes your map up! \u00a0Be cautious with basemaps, where a rich pattern may be adding too much competition to your subject matter (My two samples are poor in this respect, which is why I hesitated to call them \u2018basemaps\u2019).<\/p>\n

But with the help of AI, experimenting with pattern tiles is a whole lot easier than it was before, so you can afford to play around. Don\u2019t expect<\/em> the prompt to give you a finished result! You may be lucky, but the likelihood is that it will need some further adjustment, and it may be that you will need to switch gears and use \u2018old style\u2019 construction.<\/p>\n

Regardless, as part of your mapping process, tiles can be used to add some real character to what you are building.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* For clarification:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0ArcGIS Pro and Map Viewer use \u2019transparency\u2019. The higher the value, the more \u2018transparent\u2019 the item is. <\/em>The VTSE, in keeping with many graphics programs, uses \u2018Opacity\u2019. The lower the value, the higher the \u2018transparency\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n"}],"related_articles":[{"ID":2978056,"post_author":"6971","post_date":"2026-07-23 07:34:25","post_date_gmt":"2026-07-23 14:34:25","post_content":"","post_title":"How to make textured basemaps with AI, the VTSE, and your wits","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-make-textured-basemaps-with-ai-the-vtse-and-your-wits","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-09-18 04:26:23","post_modified_gmt":"2026-09-18 11:26:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2978056","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"}],"authors":[{"ID":4491,"user_firstname":"Andrew","user_lastname":"Skinner","nickname":"Andrew Skinner","user_nicename":"askinner","display_name":"Andy Skinner","user_email":"ASkinner@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2018-03-02 00:16:04","user_description":"Andy is a Cartographic Designer who has been building maps for 50 years. He has been working with Esri in Redlands since 2009, most recently on the creation of some of Esri's vector basemaps, and the development of color ramps for ArcGIS Online. Prior to Esri, he was Manager of Cartographic Design at Rand McNally, and before that a Senior Cartographer at GeoSystems\/MapQuest. He is originally from England, and worked for a number of years at what is now the University of Derby before moving to the USA. Andy can be contacted at: askinner@esri.com","user_avatar":""}],"show_article_image":false,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Card_826.jpg","wide_image":false},"yoast_head":"\nExperiments with Pattern Tiles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Creating pattern tiles for use on maps, comparing the speed and creativity of using AI with the control of more traditional techniques.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/experiments-with-pattern-tiles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Experiments with Pattern Tiles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Creating pattern tiles for use on maps, comparing the speed and creativity of 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He has been working with Esri in Redlands since 2009, most recently on the creation of some of Esri's vector basemaps, and the development of color ramps for ArcGIS Online. Prior to Esri, he was Manager of Cartographic Design at Rand McNally, and before that a Senior Cartographer at GeoSystems\/MapQuest. He is originally from England, and worked for a number of years at what is now the University of Derby before moving to the USA. 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