Simple gray checkered lines, in light tones.
Source Radosław Rzepecki
Derived from an image that was uploaded to Pixabay by Kaz
Source Firkin
Detailed but still subtle and quite original. Lovely gray shades.
Source Kim Ruddock
Inspired by a design found in 'Konstantinápolyi emlékeim', Miklos Chriszto, 1893.
Source Firkin
A pattern formed from a squared tile. The tile can be accessed in Inkscape by selecting the rectangle and using shift-alt-i.
Source Firkin
A seamless pattern recreated from an image on Pixabay. It is reminiscent of parquet flooring and is formed from a square tile, which can be recovered in Inkscape by selecting the ungrouped rectangle and using shift-alt-I together.
Source Firkin
Remixed from a drawing that was uploaded to Pixabay by captenpub.
Source Firkin
Zerro CC tillable texture of stones photographed and made by me. CC0
Source Sojan Janso
A topographic map like this has actually been requested a few times, so here you go!
Source Sam Feyaerts
From a drawing in 'Worsborough; its historical associations and rural attractions', Joseph Wilkinson, 1879.
Source Firkin
Coming in at 666x666px, this is an evil big pattern, but nice and soft at the same time.
Source Atle Mo
This was formed by distorting an image of a background on Pixabay.
Source Firkin
Background pattern originally a PNG drawn in Paint.net
Source Firkin
Remixed from a drawing in 'A Child of the Age', Francis Adams, 1894.
Source Firkin
A set of paper filters. The base texture is generated the same way, only the compositing mode is varied.
Source Lazur URH
A floral background formed from numerous clones of flower 117.
Source Firkin
A colourful background drawn originally in paint.net and vectorised in Vector Magic.
Source Firkin
Prismatic Geometric Tessellation Pattern No Background
Source GDJ
A dark pattern made out of 3×3 circles and a 1px shadow. This works well as a carbon texture or background.
Source Atle Mo
Here's a new paper-like background for free use on personal and commercial projects (this applies to all background patterns here).
Source V. Hartikainen
From a drawing in 'Navigations de Alouys de Cademoste.-La Navigation du Capitaine Pierre Sintre', Alvise da ca da Mosto, 1895.
Source Firkin