The use of pattern is strongly integrated into African art, craft and culture. If you are creating designs which are to have an African look, then the African Pattern Fonts are an essential resource. The patterns vary tremendously -- either gently rounded in shape, or with a stark African angularity they reflect the ethos of Africa.

Some of the fonts (African Patterns 01 and 02) have been inspired by the designs of Africa without regard for specific tribes or ethnic borders. They create a strong sense of "African-ness" without a narrow connection to any specific tribe. More…

African Patterns 03 (Zulu and Ndebele) and 04 (Mali), in contrast, have been closely based on traditional patterns that are currently in use by the better known pattern-using African tribes.

You can use the fonts as elements in graphic designs (using Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Freehand or equivalent programs). However, you don't have to be a graphic designer to use these fonts: you can easily make borders and patterns in word processing packages such as Microsoft Word. (See the Gallery Images for instructions).

Each African Pattern font contains 52 different pattern units. You can combine these in a myriad of ways giving an almost unlimited number of patterns. You can even overlay one pattern with another, allocating a different color to each layer. Explore your own creativity -- experiment!