In this tutorial, we will create a plaid pattern using Blender’s powerful procedural texturing system, which allows for a plaid texture to be made without any image textures, purely through node-based setups.
Step 1: Set Up Your Scene
Make sure you have the Node Wrangler add-on activated.
Switch to the Shading workspace by clicking the “Shading” tab at the top of the window. This will open the Shader Editor and the 3D view, where we will create the material.
Select your mesh in the 3D view, then click on the “New” button in the Material tab to create a new material.
In the Shader Editor, you’ll see the default Principled BSDF node connected to the Material Output node.
We will create the plaid pattern by using several nodes to control colors, stripes, and their positioning.
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Step 2: Create the Base Color
Press Shift + A to bring up the “Add” menu and under the Texture menu, choose ‘Checker Texture’.
This checker texture will create a base alternating pattern of black and white.
Connect the Checker Texture node’s output to the Base Color input of the Principled BSDF node.
We’ll need to manipulate the Scale and Color 1 and Color 2 of the checker texture later to get the right look for a plaid pattern. For now, change the Scale to 3.
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Step 3: Add Stripes to Form the Plaid Pattern
With the Checker Texture selected, use CTRL + T to add a Mapping and Texture Coordinate node.
These nodes provide information about the object’s UV, position, and other properties.
Use the UV output to drive the checker texture’s coordinates by connecting the UV output of the Texture Coordinate to the Vector input of the Mapping node.
Using SHIFT + D, duplicate the Checker Texture and Mapping nodes. Connect the Texture Coordinate node to the Vector input of these Mapping nodes.
Use SHIFT + CTRL + RMB and drag over the two Checker Texture nodes to mix them.
On the first Mapping node, change the X-Scale to 0.5 and the Y-Scale to 10. This will stretch the Checker Texture pattern.
On the second Mapping node, change the X-Scale to 10 and the Y-Scale to 0.5. This will give us a cross-hatch pattern.
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Step 4: Mixing the Textures
Use SHIFT + D and duplicate the first Mix Shader twice and place each duplicate between the first Mix Shader and the Principled Shader.
Change the Blend Mode of the first duplicated Mix Shader to Multiply and change the Color to a pure white.
Change the Blend Mode of the second duplicated Mix Shader to Multiply and change the Factor to 1. Change the Color to a your base color. [#3D797E]
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Step 5: Final Adjustments
To refine the plaid material, change the Specular IOR Level on the Principled Shader to 0.1. This will decrease the shine.
Increase the Roughness to 0.9 to make the cloth even less shiny.
Use SHIFT + D and duplicate the two Mapping nodes and connect the Texture Coordinate node to the Vector inputs.
Change the third Mapping node Scale X to 10 and the Scale Y to 0.5.
Change the fourth Mapping node Scale X to 0.5 and the Scale Y to 10.
Use SHIFT + A to add a Wave Texture. Duplicate the Wave Texture.
Connect the Vector outputs of the Mapping nodes to the Wave Textures Vector inputs.
Add two Color Ramp nodes. Use SHIFT + CTRL + RMB and drag over the two Color Ramp nodes to mix them. Change the Blend Mode to ‘Constant’ and change the White Color Stop Position to 0.9.
Connect the Color output of the Wave Textures to the Factor inputs of the Color Ramps.
Change the Direction of the Bands on the second Wave Texture to Y. Increase the Scale for both Wave Textures to 100. Set all the other fields to zero.
Add a Bump node to give some 3D bump to the texture. Connect the Bump node to the Normal of the Principled Shader.
Connect the Mix Shader to the Height of the Bump node and change the Strength to 0.5.
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Conclusion
You’ve now created a procedural plaid material in Blender! Since everything is procedural, you can adjust the size, color, and style of the plaid pattern without needing any external texture images.