Hi

How do I add a photo to the Pattern fill clipboard? When I open an image and select Edit --> Copy, it only adds it to the paintbrush clipboard. The Pattern fill clipboard is blank.

What am I doing wrong?

I think you have to save the image with the .pat extension and save it into the pattern folder. I don't know how to make it seamless, but just about everyone else here does!

Are you (left mouse click) hovering your mouse over the top left pattern box in Patterns dialog, because sometimes if your images are fairly large, it won't center and display correctly in the dialog box. I believe 512 pixels is the extent of what patterns can display (I'm not entirely certain of this, but I do know there is some sort of pixel limitation), so if your image pattern opened is well over that, it won't display in it's entirety. But 2-ton is right, you can always save your image as a .pat file and use it.

Open the image in Gimp
Save as
Browse to the pattern folder for Gimp
user docs/gimp 2.0/patterns
save it as the name you want with .pat extension
Gimp will ask you if you want to save as pattern a Gimp pattern...click ok and your all set. =)

Mahvin is right though you should save images 512x512 pixels first...max size for patterns.
You my be able to change this size via gtkrc, not entirely sure.

Another way you can do it is to open your image in Gimp
Crop it to 512x512 and then edit/copy visible edit/paste as new pattern
Save it with a unique name click ok.

That works i just did it...lol
That way you get exactly the parts of the image in your pattern you want.

For temporary patterns from a selection, you can use clipboard pattern but there is a size contraint (other's here say's it's 512px; I don't know but believe they are right. When it exceeds this size, the clipboard pattern will be clipped and undesireable). Even if you use a selection copy for pattern, it won't be seamless leading to undersireable results. So, if you insist on using a clipboard pattern, first, paste it as a new image and then run Make Seamless Texture (not that good, but sometimes it's good enough). Now, copy that result and then delete this image unless you really want to save it (not necessary). Now click the clipboard pattern selection (the very first entry in your patterns dialogue) and use it as you wish. I do this quite often, but usually do some tweaking with the seamless texture since I'm not 100% happy with Make Seamless filter. Rarely do I ever want to keep the seamless result, but sometimes I do.

I get this error message when I try to paste as a new pattern within Gimp.

Failed to load data:

Fatal parse error in pattern file '/Users/USERNAME/Library/Application Support/Gimp/patterns/Image.pat': Unknown pattern format version 1067590.

Just use File-Save As. Add the .pat extension and save to Patterns folder. I've had trouble with pasting as, and I can't tell you right off-hand what the cause was (someone else might know, like PC).

Never got that error, but to make sure you are not using a PS Pattern, PS Patterns are not recognized by GIMP even though it may have the .PAT extension. There is a filter that will open PS Patterns then you can save it as a GIMP .PAT file (just recently tried doing this and it worked great). If you are trying to use a PS .PAT file, click the link below for the plugin that will allow you to open the file. You can then save it as a GIMP .PAT file.

http://registry.gimp.org/node/11003

edit:

I will add that if you save or use GIMP Patterns (other then clipboard), the size the limit (i.e., it can be greater then 512px).

unfortunately my mac refuses to allow me to save an image as a .pat

Yikes! Wow. Then how do Mac users save patterns? What if someone else done it for you and sent it back?

Have to admit that I'm not familiar with GIMP for MAC, but surely you should be able to take a random selected image, then save it as randomimage.pat on MAC GIMP. At least I hope so.

well I did place it in the patterns folder and then rename it with .pat extension but I can't see it in the clipboard, even after reopening Gimp.

Did you refresh the patterns dialog?

You can also save your image as a pattern with a transparent bg if you can get the .pat to work for you.
My new pattern, has a transparent bg.

You can save a file in GIMP as sample.pat, but you can't go to explorer (or whatever MACs call it) and rename, say, a jpeg graphic to sample.pat and expect that it will work. You have to open the target in GIMP then save it as. If you can't open your target in the first place in GIMP, then you need to find a plugin or program that allows you to save a file in a format that GIMP understands.

OK what I did was open the image in Gimp. Save As. Rename it and add a .pat extension. Then export it and save to the Patterns folder. I reopened Gimp and refreshed the Patterns dialogue box. Now I can see it. Thx everyone.

BTW it is not needed save as .pat from long you may also use jpg png gif for pattern, the limitation are not for the file format but for the size...maybe is also required 1:1 image ratio