Cairo Pentagon Tiling

What this grid is

Cairo Pentagon Tiling is a repeating pattern made from a single pentagon shape. It is the well-known “Cairo” (Catalan) tiling that covers the plane with edge-to-edge pentagons. Unlike square or hex grids, it has a lively rhythm: short diagonals, long edges, and interlocking angles.

This generator draws the outline network of the tiling. The result is clean line art that you can keep as a guide grid, or use as a decorative pattern.

Key parameters

• Columns / Rows — How many Cairo “motifs” are repeated across and down. More motifs = larger canvas and a denser pattern.
• Size (px) — The base scale of the pentagon. Increase it for a larger, calmer pattern; decrease it for a tighter texture.
• Line Width (px) — Stroke thickness for all edges.
• Opacity (%) — Pattern strength. Lower values work better as a background guide.
• Line Color — Contrast and mood. Light gray feels architectural; bright colors read as graphic ornament.

Unique highlights

• Cairo geometry feels organic and architectural at the same time.
• Edge deduplication keeps shared edges from looking double-thick.
• Works well at many scales: from subtle texture to bold statement pattern.
• Exports as pure SVG paths/lines, so it stays editable.

Typical use cases

• Background texture for posters, packaging, or UI mockups.
• “Security paper” style patterns when used lightly behind text.
• Architectural diagrams and drafting underlays.
• Pattern fills inside shapes (clip the SVG to your logo, badge, or label).
• Decorative overlays on maps, charts, and illustrations.

Tips

• Start with low opacity and a thin stroke for a guide-like look.
• For print, increase line width slightly so the pattern survives downscaling.
• If the SVG feels heavy, reduce Columns/Rows first.
• To make a tileable swatch, export a small area (few columns/rows) and crop in a vector editor.

FAQ