Your Opinion of Seamless Texture Tiles

[ddarlak]

sorry fred, i thought you were asking for people's opinions....

 

[Fred Weiss]

I think that would be an excellent service to offer and would make me think in "seamless texture tile" when designing a project. Offering both options (private and as a public tile) how I want to use the texture tiles from provided customer photos...

Ahah! You figured out the hidden benefit for me!

 

[Fred Weiss]

sorry, but all these examples you listed are exactly what's wrong with today's designers....

just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should....

I agree in part but I also don't think one should rule it out. I'm creating design resources for people to use when appropriate to their tastes and the objectives of their design. It isn't for everybody but it isn't for nobody either.

sorry fred, i thought you were asking for people's opinions....

I absolutely am. Because I respond with a counter point doesn't mean your opinion isn't wanted.

 

[SignManiac]

Textures are an occasional need, almost rare in fact for me. It's nice to have them available when you need them, but I'm not sure you will ever see a good return on the investment you put into making them.

It's like the Juice drop collections, I bought nearly everyone but only use them rarely from time to time. Over the years I've invested a lot into clip art library's, but can't say I use them to the point that they're really profitable.

Most of my work is sign related and the textures would be geared more to print designers. I do a little of both.

 

[omgsideburns]

hate to say it, but i own the seamless texture tiles volume 1 disc and book, and i've maybe opened it twice.

 

[Techman]

I use textures in my print ads a lot. But I dim them down to about 20% so they are just a ghost. In fact I am doing just that right now with a print ad that will be inserts in a newspaper. I think it would be nice to get a custom texture made. There are few that meet the needs of some specialty businesses.

 

[Sparky]

The only tile-able texture I have used is my own carbon fiber. I couldn't find one that was close to realistic so I made my own. Other than that, I have never used one to fill an area. Maybe it is my style, but I tend to stay away from something that will look repeated.

 

[omgsideburns]

The only tile-able texture I have used is my own carbon fiber. I couldn't find one that was close to realistic so I made my own. Other than that, I have never used one to fill an area. Maybe it is my style, but I tend to stay away from something that will look repeated.

this! I have a carbon fiber I use for print work that's FLAT and then i'll go and add glares and shading after i tile it out.. when there is any type of shading on a tiled graphic it really makes the repeats look obvious.

 

[Fred Weiss]

this! I have a carbon fiber I use for print work that's FLAT and then i'll go and add glares and shading after i tile it out.. when there is any type of shading on a tiled graphic it really makes the repeats look obvious.

I agree and, if you look in your book, you will find that we supplied you with a shadowing tile which looks great when you enlarge it to cover over your finished plain tile area.

 

[FatCat]

Like SignManiac said, I use them occasionally and only if it is exactly the image I need, which is rare. FWIW - I also have over 2 dozen of the Juice Drops CD's but can honestly say I've only used about a dozen images or parts of images out of hundreds on those CD's in the last 2 years I've had them.

Fred - Times being what they are, I personally would prefer the option of buying your seamless tiles as needed vs. a whole collection. Not trying to sound cheap, but I'd rather pay $20-$30 for one seamless texture that I definitely need and can reasonably charge a customer for vs. $150-$300 for a volume of stuff I may not use and thus can't charge for.

 

[Fred Weiss]

The only tile-able texture I have used is my own carbon fiber. I couldn't find one that was close to realistic so I made my own. Other than that, I have never used one to fill an area. Maybe it is my style, but I tend to stay away from something that will look repeated.

We go to great lengths to minimize the repeat pattern. Normally, by the time you add lettering or graphics on top, or break it up as a lettering fill, there is no discernible pattern to the viewer.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Fred - Times being what they are, I personally would prefer the option of buying your seamless tiles as needed vs. a whole collection. Not trying to sound cheap, but I'd rather pay $20-$30 for one seamless texture that I definitely need and can reasonably charge a customer for vs. $150-$300 for a volume of stuff I may not use and thus can't charge for.

We have no argument with that. That's why we have roughly 2000 seamless tiles up at Express Clipart.

 

[FatCat]

We have no argument with that. That's why we have roughly 2000 seamless tiles up at Express Clipart.

Well, shut my mouth... :U Rock:

Didn't realize you had those for individual download. I've got a camo project coming up that I could definitely use 1 or 2 of the fills I just looked at. Gonna' have to browse the rest to see if there is anything else I could use.

Thanks Fred!

 

[Sparky]

this! I have a carbon fiber I use for print work that's FLAT and then i'll go and add glares and shading after i tile it out.. when there is any type of shading on a tiled graphic it really makes the repeats look obvious.

Yeah, but I have a handful of road racers that stare at carbon all day, so my file needs to be very realistic and not beveled/drop shadowed and lit up all goofy. It just needs to look like the real thing, and it does.

But still, my point was that fills are virtually never used in my shop. Maybe they could be....

 

[Sparky]

We go to great lengths to minimize the repeat pattern. Normally, by the time you add lettering or graphics on top, or break it up as a lettering fill, there is no discernible pattern to the viewer.

I looked once, but haven't been back. Maybe I will look soon.

 

[threeputt]

After reading thru the posts, I've come to the conclusion I'm different than a lot of guys.

For one, I run a production shop. For me that means laying my hands on a fill, a piece of clipart, whatever....as fast as I can. I much rather invest in a thousand images that I can easily browse than fart around trying to draw something or come up with my own.

My clients run the gambit from very low end to fairly sophisticated. We're no ad agency and I know it. But a lot of pieces leave my shop with more pizazz than the client expected. They'll be back. (strategy too, it makes it harder for the other shops to copy my work, steal my client, etc.)

Did some point of purchase displays for a pool chemical company recently. Do you really think I spent any time trying to figure out how water patterns look when hit by sunlight in someone's backyard pool? That's crazy man.

Bim, bam, boom. Got the effect I wanted and quick. Same thing for a hardwood flooring guy. I can make a plank floor pretty darn quick if you give me the grain pattern to begin with.

No, I'm not a primadona "real" artist. Just a commercial shop trying to satisfy my clients as best I can. The "real" artists out there want to do their own thing. Hey, fine with me. There's room in this ol' world for all of us. But nine times out of ten, my client wants a "champagne" look on his "beer" budget.

Thanks Fred, for Volumes I and II.

 

[Graphics2u]

I use them occasionally. I have 8-10 that are from Express Clipart. Mainly diamond plate, carbon fiber, engine turn. They look good on Race car Stuff. I've used a few others like concrete, grass for signs.

 

[ProWraps]

diamond plate and camo...

its the reality of the situation. with istock and easily aquired artwork, clipart fills and tiles are a thing of the past.

this isnt a personal attack as much as an opinion. there is no need for them much any more save.... camo, and diamond plate (engine turn, etc).

i would like to think this site has played a part in the evolution of design standards. its a catch 22 for you fred.

i appriciate your product 100%. but the reality of it is, you have created a resource that is against the use of it.

hint hint.... evolve. get into royalty free photos/art/vectors/etc. i think from a standpoint of someone that wraps hundreds of cars a year, i can say that we have no use for tiled clipart.

your track record is nothing short of inovative, and amazing. and i can say with confidence, you are doing your market research, and no doubt have something else up your sleeve

and i look forward to it!!!

 

[threeputt]

but the reality of it is, you have created a resource that is against the use of it.

ProWraps, what does this exactly mean? How can the resource (the artwork) be against the use of itself?

 

[Fred Weiss]

ProWraps, what does this exactly mean? How can the resource (the artwork) be against the use of itself?

I think the resource he is referring to is the membership of Signs 101.