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August 7, 2008 12:34 PM PDT

Make slick Web 2.0 site backgrounds with BgPatterns

by Josh Lowensohn

Want a cool looking background for your site or favorite nanoblogging service like Jaiku, Pownce, or Twitter? Check out BgPatterns, a site that's not unlike the Web 2.0 stripe generator in that it lets you put together really slick looking repeating backgrounds with a simple builder.

To make one you just pick out what kind of pattern you want, and choose the colors. It'll blend all the elements together and give you a simple JPEG file you can use wherever. Advanced users who want a little more control can tweak things like scale, image rotation, and opacity for controlling how much of each element you can see. You're also able to change both the fore- and background colors with the proper HTML codes if you're trying to match them up to your existing color scheme.

When finished with any creation you can submit it for others to see or just squirrel away the tiny JPEG file. BgPatterns keeps track of both the latest and most popular combinations, which you can simply grab or port over to the editor to change it to your liking. Users can vote on their favorite designs and the daily winner gets front page promotion alongside the all-time highest vote getter.

Note: If you don't feel like using your creation for your site or nanoblogging profile, designs can double as desktop backgrounds as long as you've got it set to tile.

[via Basement.org and Cameron Moll]

Making patterns is simple with the WYSIWYG editor. If you've ever used the Web 2.0 stripe generator it works the same way. Click to enlarge.

(Credit: CNET Networks)
Josh Lowensohn is an associate editor for Webware.com, CNET's blog about cool and otherwise useful Web applications and services. If you've found a site you'd like profiled, shoot him an e-mail. E-mail Josh.
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Add a Comment (Log in or register) (4 Comments)
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by lonestarState August 7, 2008 2:00 PM PDT
Very cool background web service! kinda reminds me of making slick Web 2.0 search engines with BuildaSearch.com which has a very similar user Interface for creating custom search engines.
Reply to this comment
by gggg sssss August 7, 2008 3:20 PM PDT
This is so 1995. And where at pownce, jaiku, twitter do you see any of this type of stuff? And CMYK on the web? Please. I assume this is paid advertising, not news that anybody in their right mind can use. Ok, maybe on myspace. ;-(
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by steff0219 August 23, 2008 6:05 PM PDT
I agree with Lonestarstate, http://www.BuildaSearch.com is so COOL!!! I just made a search engine in less than 5 minutes. I must say I am impressed!
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by zcollvee December 23, 2008 5:36 AM PST
nicei like it.
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