Micro Carbon@2X #8
Carbon CC BY-SA 3.0Three shades of gray makes this pattern look like a small carbon fiber surface. Great readability even for small fonts.
Source Atle Mo
More Textures
Weave #733
Wall CC BY-SA 3.0Medium gray pattern with small strokes to give a weave effect.
Source Catherine
Square ornament 38 #2147
Dark CC 0From a design found in 'History of the Virginia Company of London; with letters to and from the first Colony, never before printed', Edward Neill, 1869.
Source Firkin
Background pattern 8 (black) #209
Dark CC 0Black version of a pattern that came out of playing with the 'light rays' plug-in for Paint.net
Source Firkin
Cardboard@2X #279
Paper CC BY-SA 3.0A good starting point for a cardboard pattern. This would work well in a variety of colors.
Source Atle Mo
Grey Washed Wall@2X #1129
Wall CC BY-SA 3.0This is a semi-dark pattern, sort of linen-y.
Source Sagive SEO
Background pattern 332 #1742
Noise CC 0The tile this is formed from can be retrieved in Inkscape by selecting the rectangle and using shift+alt+i
Source Firkin
Tessellation 16 (colour 3) #2213
Green CC 0The unit cell for this seamless pattern can be had in Inkscape by selecting the rectangle and using shift+alt+i.
Source Firkin
Shapes decorative divider #1903
Colorful CC 0Vector version of a png that was uploaded to Pixabay by pencilparker
Source Firkin
Fire diamond #2488
Diamond CC 0U.S.-based National Fire Protection Association standard fire diamond for flagging risks posed by hazardous materials. The red diamond has a number 0-4 depending on flammability. The blue diamond has a number 0-4 depending on health hazard. The yellow has a number 0-4 depending on reactivity. the white square has a special notice, e.g OX for oxidizer.
Source Firkin
White Plaster@2X #369
Wall CC BY-SA 3.0Sweet and subtle white plaster with hints of noise and grunge.
Source Phil Maurer
Wavy background #2018
Colorful CC 0CC0 and a seamless pattern from a tile drawn in Paint.net .
Source SliverKnight
Decorative divider 218 #2232
Dark CC 0Remixed from a drawing in 'Maidenhood; or, the Verge of the Stream', Laura Jewry, 1876.
Source Firkin
Skewed Print #819
Dark CC BY-SA 3.0An interesting dark spotted pattern at an angle.
Source Hendrik Lammers
Light Toast@2X #760
Paper CC BY-SA 3.0Has nothing to do with toast, but it’s nice and subtle.
Source Pippin Lee
Abstract Ellipses Background Grayscale #378
Dark CC 0Abstract Ellipses Background Grayscale
Source GDJ
Worn Dots@2X #710
Fabric CC BY-SA 3.0These dots are already worn for you, so you don’t have to.
Source Matt McDaniel
Background pattern 308 (colour 2) #1871
Green CC 0Design drawn in Paint.net, vectorised using Vector Magic and finished in Inkscape.
Source Firkin
Dark Stone Wall Background #1054
Stone CC BY-SA 3.0A background tile for web with abstract repeating texture of dark "stone wall".
Source V. Hartikainen
Mooning #1140
Gray CC BY-SA 3.0The classic subtle pattern. Sort of wall/brick looking. Or moon-looking?
Source Joel Klein