13 Sites For Beautiful Patterns and Backgrounds

By Char

Patterned backgrounds are a very popular finishing touch for many websites. While it seems that diagonal stripes are in this season (especially for Web 2.0 sites), there are so many other options from elegant to whimsy, preppy to proper. The following sites have some really fabulous patterns to choose from:
1. Squidfingers – 158 absolutely stunning background patterns by Travis Beckham.
2. DinPattern – about 50 patterns (and it looks like more will be added) that are beautiful eye candy. There is even a live preview option to test out the backgrounds as you browse.
3. Kaliber10000 – currently there are 927 pixellated patterns on their site, many of which are user submitted.
4. 44Suburbia – 61 very sophisticated patterns
5. Pattern4u – another site jam packed with unique backgrounds and patterns – there are well over 100 different patterns to choose from.
6. Pootato – many of these patterns are more simplistic and can be used in Photoshop and other graphics programs. Looking for some cool Photoshop brushes? Pootato has them too.
7. iStockPhoto – clearly one of the best resources for fresh, new backgrounds of every kind.
8. One Pattern – while their patterns are not free, you purchase them in collections for less than $20 a set.
9. 3Quarks – very subtle paper like backgrounds
10. CitrusMoon – the CitrusMoon site hasn’t been updated in years, but the backgrounds are free and many of them are still beautiful
11. TartanMaker – want to have fun and design your own tartan plaid background? Tartan Maker is an interactive tartan plaid maker.
12. StripeGenerator – craving the current Web 2.0 trend? Make your own stripes background with Stripe Generator.
13. Background Maker – this was addictively FUN – click on pixels and watch your background come to life before you very eyes
Just a tip – you might want to set aside a nice block of time to browse these sites – there is so much to look at that it becomes a giant time vacuum. Have fun!!

Credits: http://essentialkeystrokes.com/13-sites-for-beautiful-patterns-and-backgrounds/