UPGRADE YOUR SKILLS: Learn advanced Swift and SwiftUI on Hacking with Swift+! >>

How to use an image for your background color with UIColor(patternImage:)

Swift version: 5.6

Paul Hudson    @twostraws   

Nearly all subclasses of UIView can have their background color adjusted, but often you’ll find you want to use an image rather than a flat color.

Well, this is actually significantly easier than you think: you can wrap any UIImage inside a UIColor, and use it anywhere you want to set a background color – or indeed any kind of color, even for text. If the image is too small for the space you’re drawing it will automatically be tiled, meaning that it will be repeated both horizontally and vertically until the space is filled.

To try it out, load a UIImage into your app then add this line of code to a view controller:

view.backgroundColor = UIColor(patternImage: yourImage)
Hacking with Swift is sponsored by Essential Developer

SPONSORED Join a FREE crash course for mid/senior iOS devs who want to achieve an expert level of technical and practical skills – it’s the fast track to being a complete senior developer! Hurry up because it'll be available only until April 28th.

Click to save your free spot now

Sponsor Hacking with Swift and reach the world's largest Swift community!

Available from iOS 8.0

Similar solutions…

About the Swift Knowledge Base

This is part of the Swift Knowledge Base, a free, searchable collection of solutions for common iOS questions.

BUY OUR BOOKS
Buy Pro Swift Buy Pro SwiftUI Buy Swift Design Patterns Buy Testing Swift Buy Hacking with iOS Buy Swift Coding Challenges Buy Swift on Sundays Volume One Buy Server-Side Swift Buy Advanced iOS Volume One Buy Advanced iOS Volume Two Buy Advanced iOS Volume Three Buy Hacking with watchOS Buy Hacking with tvOS Buy Hacking with macOS Buy Dive Into SpriteKit Buy Swift in Sixty Seconds Buy Objective-C for Swift Developers Buy Beyond Code

Was this page useful? Let us know!

Average rating: 4.0/5

 
Unknown user

You are not logged in

Log in or create account
 

Link copied to your pasteboard.