Three shades of gray makes this pattern look like a small carbon fiber surface. Great readability even for small fonts.
Source Atle Mo
Remixed from a drawing in 'Sun Pictures of the Norfolk Broads', Ernest Suffling, 1892. The tile this is based on can be had by selecting the rectangle in Inkscape and using shift+alt+i
Source Firkin
On a large canvas you can see it tiling, but used on smaller areas, it’s beautiful.
Source Paul Phönixweiß
Bigger is better, right? So here you have some large carbon fiber.
Source Factorio.us Collective
A background pattern inspired by designs seen in 'Burghley. The Life of William Cecil', William Charlton, 1857.
Source Firkin
A seamless pattern created from a square tile. To get the tile, select the pattern in Inkscape and use shift+alt+i.
Source Firkin
Zerro CC tillable texture of stones photographed and made by me. CC0
Source Sojan Janso
Super subtle indeed, a medium gray pattern with tiny dots in a grid.
Source Designova
The tile this is based on can be retrieved by selecting the rectangle in Inkscape and using shift+alt+i.
Source Firkin
From a drawing in 'Les Chroniqueurs de l'Histoire de France depuis les origines jusqu'au XVIe siècle', Henriette Witt, 1884.
Source Firkin
Here's a seamless brown cork board background texture. Feel free to download or reshare if you like.
Source V. Hartikainen
This is a remix of "geometrical pattern 01".
Source Yamachem
It’s an egg, in the form of a pattern. This really is 2012.
Source Paul Phönixweiß
Submitted by DomainsInfo – wtf, right? But hey, a free pattern.
Source DomainsInfo
Wild Oliva or Oliva Wilde? Darker than the others, sort of a medium dark pattern.
Source Badhon Ebrahim
From a drawing in 'Az Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia irásban és képben', 1885.
Source Firkin
Crossing lines with a subtle emboss effect on a dark background.
Source Stefan Aleksić
Semi-light fabric pattern made out of random pixels in shades of gray.
Source Atle Mo
From a drawing in 'Danmarks Riges Historie af J. Steenstrup, Kr. Erslev, A. Heise, V. Mollerup, J. A. Fridericia, E. Holm, A. D. Jørgensen', 1897.
Source Firkin
You know you love wood patterns, so here’s one more.
Source Richard Tabor
Seamless Background For Websites. It has a texture similar to cork-board.
Source V. Hartikainen
To get the tile this is based on select the rectangle in Inkscape and use shift+alt+i.
Source Firkin