Texture is gone beyond any trends and this is an integral part of website design on the whole. The technique of using textures can add personality and special thrill to the theme, as well as make it glamorous, fashionable, emotional and whatever you need it to be. Textures lead the users’ eye to the most vital key elements of the site and this is more than just good in web design field.

The textures are loved and used by the designers of any experience level and design style. Textures are so widespread on the Web due to a multitude of reasons. These are the attention grabbing and the call-to-action highlighting, website atmosphere building, and giving a tone to the entire page.

Together with being multi-purpose, textures come in many types and kinds. The texture may be used on the background, or for a certain page component, as the menu bar, buttons etc. Each of the texture styles has its proper application, especially it concerns to the background design. You can’t use a romantic floral design for a pub website, and it is impossible to implement a dirty grungy texture on the lovely wedding theme (it is actually possible, but ridiculous!). In this post, we will take an in-depth look on the background texture as a term, its kinds and uses in web design. Thereby, you will be absolutely sure which background pattern to use for your personal project after you read the whole article.

What is Texture?

Texture is a design element that turns a 2D piece into a 3D one, i.e. makes it look more real. Texture as a design tool brings a correct tone to the site, which is a key principle in making impression on users. Taking into account many factors, like screen size or resolution, it is quite difficult to implement textures in web design. Still, it is worthy using.

What are Texture Kinds?

Texture is a result of imagination and creativity. Whatever you see in the world around you can make a texture in web design: water, sky, rock, flower, leaves, wood, sand. Abstract textures make a separate class of textures, as they are limited by no barriers. Material textures are: plastic, paper, glass, metal, leather, tiles.

Which Texture is the Best for You?

We have mentioned a great number of texture styles/designs or whatever you call it. This variety influences on your choice directly, as you have what to pick from. It is a big challenge to choose the needed texture design, because all of them have exclusive meanings and symbolism, as well as they are applied to absolutely different designs.

I would like to start with one texture, and then little by little proceed to the others. Thereby, we will create a complete picture of all textures that can fall into your eye.

Wood Texture

Wood texture is the most frequently-used on the web. It is a kind of universal design technique, though it transforms a website into a bit rural styled design and makes the theme looking more real. The color of wood texture matters a lot, while a dark one is more solid and restrained, a light texture is gentle, calm and cozy.

You can use wood texture on your site if you deal with logging industry, restaurant business, you are an architect or landscape designer. Agriculture related websites are perfect for this texture, too.

Water Texture

Water is a symbol of life, motion, renewal, reflection. Water is a good source of design inspiration, and water textures are of diverse kinds: bubbles, ripples, splashes. Pacific water texture can be used for a calming effect on the website of any style and purpose. Though, the best uses of water textures are: water parks, aquarium and swimming pool sites, sports related websites, photo portfolios, and all designs done in an eco-friendly manner.

Sky Texture

Sky texture can be positive or negative and this depends on the color a lot. Blue heaven is a great texture to convey warm emotions, while rainy clouds on a website background make it more depressing. The light textures with airy clouds are good to implement on the religious sites, theme blogs, while gloomy sky textures are cool graphic elements for a video gaming website.

Sand Texture

Sand textures make us feel like on the beach. Isn’t it great to open a website and find oneself on the palm beach? This kind of texture is perfect for travel agencies’ websites and hotels’ webpages. Still, sand textures can be different, and while desert sand one is really joyful, a plain grainy texture is well-suitable for a business project or industrial company. Agribusiness online themes are perfect to house a sand background texture, as sand is essential in agriculture.

Rock Texture

Rock, stone and pebble textures are natural pieces from the world around us. These variations of web design elements can add a bit of rigidity and impudence to the site. You should be cautious about these textures then not to harm your site. Rock texture is not appropriate for a bank website or a financial corporation, though a gentle stone texture can be used for a corporate site depending on its specialty. Plus, industrial themes are perfect to realize this background design style. Creative landscape photographers or exterior designers can make use of this texture kind as well. So, if you feel that your site fit the eco web design style, you can implement stone texture on it safely.

Flower Texture

This is the most romantic, expressive and warm texture ever. Flower texture, depending on colors and style, can decorate almost any type of the website. Though, I have seen photo portfolios with flower prints very often, plus the wedding sites, event agencies’ pages may be designed with floral background, too. If you are developing a family album or a newborn webpage, you should pay attention to flower textures for sure. Nevertheless, florists should use flower textures with care, because portfolio of flower compositions can blend with the background. I would better recommend floral agencies to use image backgrounds – this is the way to decorate the theme and to promote the works.

Abstract Texture

Abstract art is understood differently by every individual, and this feature boosts the value of abstract textures in web design. You can manipulate your audience with the abstract design element easily and you can turn your project into the inspiring piece of art that many who would like to see. One more benefit of this texture style is universal application, which means you can use it with no matter what you site is about: business, fashion, beauty, food or entertainment.

Paper Texture

What do you think paper textures are used for? Mostly, they add retro look to the site. It is easy to achieve this vintage effect if to utilize an old paper texture, a grungy or a crumpled one. This kind of design will fit, I think, antique stores quite well. And what about notebook textures? Probably they are effective on book authors’ sites or on school/college online projects.

Glass Texture

Frosted glass – isn’t it mysterious and magnetising? Yes, it is. So why not to implement a high-quality frosted glass texture on your creative web design related to art or music? Glass textures come in a variety of designs, like broken glass, shattered glass, multicolored glass, smashed glass. All these variations can make a website fresh-looking, non-standard, transparent, and thought-provoking.

Metal Texture

Inspiration is everywhere and even in rusted metal, which can be a gorgeous website background. Metallic textures are definitely good for iron and welding industries, but what are more original applications of this style? A steampunk look is something quite popular on the web, and websites of rock music stars are great to realize this. Tattoo salons – these are creative platforms for metallic designs. Bikers can have catchy designs with metal textures on the background. These are club websites, cafe/pub themes, etc.

Leather Texture

Leather texture is bold, rude and fashionable. It intensifies the beauty of the theme making it more prominent and eye-popping. Leather style design is traditionally good for leather product manufacturers (bags, wallets, coats, etc). Some more outstanding uses are portfolio themes. For example, what do you think about modeling portfolio done on a leather background? I find it very expressive, convincing and effective, so far as the main aim of the model’s webpage is to grab attention? This texture style will make you a star.

Plastic Texture

An industrial website is no longer a modest design on a white background. It can have a creative design thanks to a right texture – plastic one is worthy trying. It can be a neutral, varicolored, neat or shabby plastic. It would be a kind of innovation if you do this for you web project.

Sponge Texture

Do you remember SpongeBob? This cartoon character absorbed our attention and got our love once and forever. I don’t know whether this funny yellow guy gave a start for sponge textures in web design or not, but they are rather popular and much in use. Sponge textures are marvelous for their rainbow colors – you can get any color sponge texture for your theme and make it attention grabbing at once. And remember, that it is not a kitchen sponge producer to use this texture on his website only, every creative person can beautify his webpage within this creative idea: an art director of a club or a film producer, a teacher in a child development center, etc.

How have you found these textures? Have you picked something for you? I hope yes. In this post, I gave you hints and now everything depends on how imaginative your mind is. My aim was not to persuade you that just one of these textures is suitable for you, but I wanted to display the variety of textures in web design and how differently they can be used on website designs. It would be a pleasure for me to observe you great online works based on texture use. Please don’t doubt to share them with me in the Comments field.

But before you get down to work, take a look at this small collection of texture website designs that I have gathered here for you:

Sauna Website Design with Wood Texture

Paper Textured Website for Film Director

Fine Art Website Design with Sky Texture

Grain Waves Website with Varicolored Fabric Textures

Jarritos Website with Pain Wall Texture

Italio Kitchen Website with Wood Textured Background

The Quilters Cafe Site with Brown Cloth Texture

Spice Shop Website with Creative Wood Shelf Texture

Uinta Brewing Website with Map Texture on the Background

Stone Textured Artifact Coffee Website