Our Design Tip of the Week combines two Arsenal product categories coming together for one hauntingly beautiful purpose. Today, we’re experimenting with Go Media vectors and textures. Are you ready? 

To get started, please download the source file, a sample vector from our Ornate Patterns Vector Pack and our new Reformatory Prison Texture Pack.

Ornate Pattern and Reformatory Freebie from Go Media’s Arsenal

Because you’re an Arsenal Member though (hint, hint), you can download both of these full packs right now, at no extra charge. We’ll wait… ‘Cause here at the Arsenal, every day is your birthday.

Alright. Now, let’s get to work.

Part One: Creating a Pattern in Photoshop

STEP ONE. Ctrl + N to open a new document in PS. I’m working with a 1270 x 770 canvas.

STEP TWO: Let’s create our pattern in Photoshop. In order to do so, let’s open up our vector source file in Adobe Illustrator.

Take this vector and drag it over to the corner of your PS canvas.

STEP THREE: Use your rectangular marquee to draw a square around the vector. Next, go to EDIT > Define Pattern.

Name this pattern, then press OK.

STEP FOUR: Add the following layers to your layers panel:

• One layer above your ornate vector smart object and one below. The layer above should be white. The layer below can be the color of your choice. I went with gray. Let’s name them as such.

STEP FIVE: Double click the white layer. Your layer style panel will pop up. From here, select, “pattern overlay.” Then, from the drop-down, find your newly created pattern. Press OK.

Part Two: Adding Our Texture and Finalizing our Design

STEP SIX: Staying on this layer, change the blending mode to overlay and reduce your opacity to 25%. Deselect your ornate pattern vector layer.

STEP SEVEN: Start building your textures on, adding them on with blending mode overlay and varying opacities to achieve the look you’re after.

Build textures until you’re happy with the final result. Additional textures in the Reformatory Prison Texture Pack are perfect for this. Have fun, guys!