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ElyssaOM
New Member
Oct 7, 2026 6:22 PM UTC
Question

Pattern Fill visible in Style panel preview

I would love to be able to see all my brand’s patterns in the preview of the style panel. Right now they all sport the same generic dotted pattern.

I am able to add a “background” colour behind the pattern, but many of my patterns use the same colours in different combinations, so it isn’t a reliable way to distinguish between patterns.

 

 

3 replies

kmeza
Figma Ambassador
Figma Ambassador
Oct 7, 2026 7:11 PM UTC

Hi @ElyssaOM! It looks like you've already saved these as styles, so unfortunately the generic dotted swatch is just how pattern fill styles display right now. There isn't a setting to show the actual pattern as the thumbnail.

A few things that help in the meantime: put the most distinguishing part of the name first so it doesn't get cut off, add a description to each style (it shows when you hover in the picker), and keep a labeled swatch sheet in your library file for quick reference.

It's worth posting this in the Ideas section too, since real previews for pattern styles would be a great improvement!

Come learn Figma with me! https://maven.com/katie-meza/figma-for-brand | Disclosure: I’m part of Figma’s Forum Ambassador program.
ElyssaOM
ElyssaOMAuthor
New Member
Oct 8, 2026 4:10 AM UTC

I thought this was the Ideas section. Where can I find that in this forum?

kmeza
Figma Ambassador
Figma Ambassador
Oct 8, 2026 5:20 PM UTC

My bad, you’re already in the right place! I mixed up my sections. In that case, upvotes on this post are the best way to get it on the team’s radar, so anyone else who wants real pattern previews in the styles picker, give it a vote!

Come learn Figma with me! https://maven.com/katie-meza/figma-for-brand | Disclosure: I’m part of Figma’s Forum Ambassador program.