Using Textured Backgrounds On Your Site

Alternative and creative. Site must be viewed at 1024 X 1168 resolution.

This page has been designed to demonstrate a new trend on the web; the use of textured backgrounds. A background will give your site visual interest and individuality.
Below are small samples which, when clicked, will engulf the side margins of the top part of the page with background. If you scroll toward the bottom of the page, the screen will be filed entirely.
You will note that some backgrounds are better utilized only on the side margins whereas others will work covering the entire span of the screen.
We have included textual information and discussion next to each of the samples, giving our ideas of how we would utilize these samples.

One thing to keep in mind is that you don't want your background to interfere with the legibility of your text. This is the test as to whether the background should be used in margin areas only or on the full page.
The background should not have high contrast colours as this will make it difficult to see either light text or dark text. It is best if the background is slightly monochromatic, or with colours in the same hue family. Click on the background to return to the white of the page.
 
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Click on image above to tile background. 		These four samples all in burnished red and golds have a very rich feeling. 1. The festive, tropical feel of this leafy design would work on a carribean site. 2. This would work on an oriental site, depending on which oriental dialect is portrayed. 3. This has the feeling of a bistro or European restaurant. 4. This highly geometric oriental design would work on almost any type of oriental site, especially one of high quality cuisine.  
 
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Click on image above to tile background. 		Again, four samples all in burnished red and golds. 1. Very generic, if you like red tones, go for it. 2. Oriental again and useful as the above sample two. 3. reminiscent of a leather clad book, very rich and educated, this would work for a lawyer's firm or a political website. 4. Bees, the symbol of industriousness; an agricultural or market site would enjoy this background.  
 
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Click on image above to tile background. 		On the lighter side: 1. Is very country and contrasty. It should be used in margin only. 2. Very leafy, this would work on a restaurant site. 3. Resembling oak leaves, would be great on a carpentry site or anything Irish, a pub or restaurant. 4. Chicken wire and very country.  
 
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Click on image above to tile background. 		1. Snake skin for a controversial or rock and roll site. 2. We see grapes in this abstract and this is one of the contrasty ones which is best put in the margin area only. 3. A basketweave for a market site. 4. Dragon flies were big in art deco and in country life. Also a hint of oriental.  
 
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Click on image above to tile background. 		1. Beige zebra skin would work on an African site, a zoo site, or a zoo bar, in the margins only. 2. This non-descript abstract to us looks like an ariel view over fields and fields of farmland, also vague reptilian. 3. Definitely a decor carpet feeling, but fairly non-descript. 4. Agricultural fields again, but with a feeling of hot air ballons, this is one of our favorites.  
 
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Click on image above to tile background. 		1. Ariel view of a skating rink before the Zamboni passes. 2. This would be really neat if it was animated, good on a game site. 3. Ariel view of a suburb, a freshly harvested bamboo farm.