Background Textures

You can create interesting textures for website backgrounds quickly with Photoshop. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Size the document appropriately to match your website. For example, if your website is 1000 pixels wide by 800 tall, then you want to make your background slightly larger than that and possible much wider if your site will be centered on the page. You might also want to match up your edges for seamless image tiling if it is a smaller image.

2. There are several websites with free textures that you can start with. One that I like is http://www.cgtextures.com . The site allows quick and free downloads of a wide variety of images. Either download a texture to start with or simply choose a background color to start with in your Photoshop document. You could also use a photograph of your own.

3. Step three will involve Photoshop filters. If you are happy with the downloaded texture, as is, then you could skip this step. If not, then try a few of the following filters on either your downloaded image texture, or onto a solid layer in Photoshop.

Filters to try: Colored Pencil, Dry Brush, Film Grain, Angled Strokes, Crosshatch, Noise & Dust, Film Grain, Crytallize, Pointillize, Grain, and Texturizer. Use one or combinations of several to get your desired effect.

4. After the desired look is achieved, you can use Hue/Saturation to adjust the color and tone of your background.

5. Finally, flatten the image and save as a low resolution .jpg image, and you're ready to add this background to your website.

**To match up edges of your project, use Offset, under the Others filter heading.