The same box of rectangular tiles can become a quiet subway wall or a busy herringbone floor, depending only on how it is laid. The layout is a pattern in its own right, and designers who draw tile prints, wallpapers and ceramics need its vocabulary.
Eleven layouts at a glance
| Layout | How it is laid | Look |
|---|---|---|
| Stacked (straight lay) | Tiles in a square grid, joints lining up | Orderly, modern, graphic |
| Vertical stack | Rectangles stood on end in a grid | Tall, linear, contemporary |
| Running bond | Each row offset half a tile | Classic brick or subway look |
| One-third offset | Each row offset by a third | Softer, used for long planks |
| Herringbone | Rectangles at 90 degrees, ends meeting sides | Rich, directional, traditional |
| Chevron | Ends cut at an angle to form continuous Vs | Sharper, more graphic than herringbone |
| Basketweave | Pairs of tiles alternating horizontal and vertical | Woven, vintage |
| Pinwheel | Four rectangles around a small square | Playful, historic |
| Hopscotch | Large and small squares combined | Casual, patchwork-like |
| Diagonal (diamond) | Square tiles set at 45 degrees | Dynamic, traditional |
| Versailles | Modular set of several tile sizes | Formal, old-world |
How the main families behave
Grid layouts (stacked, vertical stack). Everything lines up. They are the cleanest and most modern, but the grout lines show every flaw. In a drawing, a grid layout is the easiest to make seamless, since the tile edge is just a joint.
Offset layouts (running bond, one-third offset). The offset breaks the long vertical lines into short ones. The 3 by 6 inch subway tile in running bond is the standard example. A one-third offset is common with long tile planks because half offsets line up their slight bows. Wall prints use it to suggest brick without the weight of a brick pattern, a topic covered in brick pattern design.
Zigzag layouts (herringbone, chevron). Herringbone and chevron are the two most often confused. Herringbone tiles are plain rectangles, so the ends tuck into the long sides. Chevron tiles are cut at an angle so the ends meet in a continuous V. For the textile version of the same shape, see the herringbone guide.
Woven layouts (basketweave, pinwheel). Basketweave groups rectangles in pairs and alternates their direction, building square blocks that read like woven cane. Pinwheel arranges four rectangles around a small square, often in a contrasting color. See the basketweave design guide.
Mixed-size layouts (hopscotch, Versailles). These combine several tile sizes to make a larger repeat. They are harder to lay, but they look the most distinctive and custom.
Drawing a tile layout as a seamless pattern
- 1Pick the tile size. Choose a real tile proportion, such as 1 by 2, 1 by 3 or 1 by 1, so the repeat matches something installers can buy.
- 2Define the unit. Running bond repeats over two rows, herringbone over a zigzag of a few tiles, and basketweave over one block pair. Make your tile image a multiple of that unit.
- 3Set the joint. Grout lines are thin compared with the tile. A real installation often uses a joint of roughly one-sixteenth to one-quarter inch.
- 4Vary the tiles. Shift each tile's value slightly, by a few percent of lightness, so the surface looks fired, not flat. Random variation is what separates a tile print from a graph.
- 5Choose the grout. A grout slightly lighter or darker than the tile gives a subtle grid. A strongly contrasting grout makes the layout the star.
Color and material notes
| Palette | Hex values | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| White subway and charcoal grout | #F4F2EE, #3B3B3D | Modern, graphic |
| Terracotta herringbone | #C0674A, #A8523A, #E4B79B | Warm, Mediterranean |
| Sage basketweave | #A3B29A, #D7DDCF, #5E6E58 | Calm, spa-like |
| Black and white hopscotch | #1B1B1B, #FAFAFA | Classic, high contrast |
For ceramics, what is moving in tile design for the year ahead is covered in tile and ceramic pattern trends for 2027.
Starting points
A layout drawing doubles as a background for decorative tile motifs. Lay a patterned encaustic-style square into a hopscotch layout, or put a plain gloss tile into a herringbone. Browse brick patterns for offset layouts, or use the tile pattern generator to explore repeats.
Pattern Weaver generates each seamless tile in about 20 seconds, and its Tiling Fixer repairs edges when a grout line does not quite meet at the border.
Explore related pattern styles
