PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN AND APPLICATION

Lesson 8: Geometry Involved In Textile Design Development

Tessellation

It is also called Tiling. Tessellation means a pattern of shapes that fit perfectly together without overlaps or gaps. These shapes are two dimensional or flat ones.

Naming a tessellation

• Select a vertex in the pattern. A vertex (shown by red dot) is just a corner point, where shapes meet together (Fig.9.11).
• Go around a vertex and write down how many shapes are joining at vertex and how many sides each polygon or shape has? For example in Fig.9.12. three shapes, one diamond (4 sides) and two octagons (8 sides each) are shown by yellow lines meeting at the vertex. Now it will be written in order like "4.8.8" according to the number of sides each shape has.
• So the name of pattern is "4.8.8" tessellation.
• Always start at the polygon or shape with the least number of sides, write in the serial order in which shapes are joining so "4.8.8", not "8.4.8".
  
  

  
  

Types of tessellations