Photo Backgrounds: Step 6: Hide The Horizontal Pattern Layer

We're going to repeat what we just did with the Single Column Marquee Tool, but this time we're going to use the Single Row Marquee Tool to create a vertical pattern. Before we can do that, though, we need to hide our horizontal pattern so we can see what we're doing. Click on the Layer Visibility icon (the eyeball) on the left of "Layer 2" in the Layers palette to temporarily hide the horizontal pattern from view:

The eyeball will disappear, leaving an empty square in its place, and the horizontal pattern will disappear in the document window, allowing us to see our photo once again.

Photo Backgrounds: Step 7: Select The Single Row Marquee Tool

Click on the Single Column Marquee Tool in the Tools palette and hold your mouse button down until the fly-out menu appears, then select the Single Row Marquee Tool from the list:

Photo Backgrounds: Step 8: Select "Layer 1"

We're going to use the Single Row Marquee Tool to select an entire row of pixels, but before we can do that, we need to have our photo selected. Currently, we have the horizontal pattern selected (even though we've hidden it from view). Our photo is on "Layer 1", so click on "Layer 1" in the Layers palette to select it:

Photo Backgrounds: Step 9: Click Inside The Image To Select A Single Row Of Pixels

Just as we did with the Single Column Marquee Tool, click anywhere inside the image to select a single row of pixels. Photoshop will select the specific pixel you clicked on, as well as every other pixel in that row from left to right. Again, keep in mind that your selection will only be 1 pixel in height, so if you want your background to be as colorful as possible, you'll want to click on an area that will give you a good assortment of colors from left to right. I'm going to click on the girl's forehead:

Photo Backgrounds: Step 10: Copy The Selection To A New Layer

With our row of pixels selected, press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac) to copy the selection to a new layer, which will appear between "Layer 1" and the horizontal pattern layer in the Layers palette:

Photo Backgrounds: Step 11: Stretch The Row Across The Entire Image With Free Transform

Press Ctrl+T (Win) / Command+T (Mac) to once again bring up the Free Transform box and handles, then move your mouse just above the row until you see your cursor change into two arrows, one pointing up and the other pointing down. Click your mouse and drag the column up towards the top of the image. Just as before, the row will become a repeating pattern as you drag:

Continue dragging the pattern until you reach the top of the photo. Then drag the bottom of the row of pixels down to the bottom of the photo until the entire photo is covered by the pattern. Press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac) to accept the transformation and exit out of the Free Transform command. Your image should now look something like this:

At the moment, it looks like all we've done is replaced our initial horizontal pattern with a vertical pattern, but what we're going to do next is look at a few different ways to blend the two patterns together!