How to modify a pattern?

[MarieMeyer]

I'm trying to create a pattern swatch of closely-spaced gray ovals. I made one oval, 0.5mm x 0.25mm, and dragged it into the swatches panel. The grid pattern that Illustrator made for me is too loosely spaced. How do I change the spacing? I thought I'd be able to do it from this menu, but it isn't working. When I try to reduce the dimensions in the Width and Height boxes, I get the "boop" error sound.

[rcraighead]

Did you possibly have a second object selected when you dragged the oval into the Swatch panel, or perhaps a white stroke on the oval? This is what I'm getting by dragging only an ellipse into the Swatch panel:

[MarieMeyer]

Good question. So I deleted everything and tried again, and got the same result as last time.

I'm using CC, if it matters.

[rcraighead]

Or perhaps a white stroke on the oval?

[Mike_Gondek · Accepted solution]

You have run into a minimum amount for spacing. I believe that is 2pt which equals .7056 mm

Try making your .5 x .25mm shape 200% of size, that should give you enough room to get the spacing you need. Then after you pour your pattern into something, scale it 50% to get back to your original size you desired if that was important.

[MarieMeyer]

Mike, you are correct. How do I scale a pattern down after using it?

[Mike_Gondek]

Double click on the pattern name in your swatches, and you  get to the pattern editing mode.

Thanks for posting a question with screenshot and accurate description, we so rarely get that is a pleasure to reply to your post.

[MarieMeyer]

Thanks! I've now got a grid of 2mmx1mm ovals. I'm still not clear on how I now shrink them to the small size that I want. I don't see how to do it in the pattern editing mode:

[Ton Frederiks]

Adjust the size in Pattern editing mode and scale the Pattern only 25% when used in an object.

The minimum size of a pattern seems to be 2 X 2 px.

[MarieMeyer]

"scale the Pattern only 25% when used in an object"

How do I scale a pattern?

[Larry G. Schneider]

The Scale tool (S key is the shortcut) and Opt(Alt) click should give you the Scale dialog. At the bottom are a couple of options. Untick the Scale Object and tick the Scale Pattern. Select Uniform and enter 25 in the dropdown.

[tromboniator]

When I use Object > Pattern > Make I get the same spacing you do. If, however, I drag the oval into the Swatches panel, the pattern has the shapes touching.

[rcraighead]

Ahh! That explains it, tromboniator. I dragged mine into the Swatch panel (old-school).

[rcraighead]

I don't have problem creating a .5x.25mm pattern. I think it must be a white stroke.

[Mike_Gondek]

I am on Mac CC2018 and the cutoff seems to be exactly at .7056mm on an oval with no stroke.

[rcraighead]

I'm using CC 2015

[Ton Frederiks]

Mike is right, your original object is too small (height is less than a pixel/point)

Make your object much larger and use the Object > Pattern > Make option to finetune.

[MarieMeyer]

Thank you all - I'm now getting the result I wanted.