# Tee difference between Node Editor's "Shader" and "Texture" buttons/areas.

**URL:** <https://blenderartists.org/t/tee-difference-between-node-editors-shader-and-texture-buttons-areas/558146>\
**Category:** Materials and Textures\
**Created:** [November 29, 2012, 7:19am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/tee-difference-between-node-editors-shader-and-texture-buttons-areas/558146 "2012-11-29T07:19:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![realistic](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@realistic](https://blenderartists.org/u/realistic)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:19am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/tee-difference-between-node-editors-shader-and-texture-buttons-areas/558146/1 "2012-11-29T07:19:34Z")

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Hi there,

I can work quite easily with procedural and image maps within the Node Editor’s “Shader” tab, which includes connecting textures (eg. Noise) to the shaders. So seeing as you can do a lot of things with textures under the shader tab, what is the purpose of the ‘Textures’ tab?

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**Author:** ![Sago](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/sago/32/1268105_2.png) [@Sago](https://blenderartists.org/u/Sago)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/tee-difference-between-node-editors-shader-and-texture-buttons-areas/558146/2 "2012-11-29T17:21:33Z")

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> which includes connecting textures (eg. Noise) to the shaders

the texture input node in the Shader nodes needs existing textures, which you either create in the Texture properties or in the Texture nodes. The last one can be used for more complex textures. So shader nodes can use textures as input, but cannot be used for created them.

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**Author:** ![realistic](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@realistic](https://blenderartists.org/u/realistic)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 6:37am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/tee-difference-between-node-editors-shader-and-texture-buttons-areas/558146/3 "2013-05-21T06:37:23Z")

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Thanks so far.

So in Cycles, if I create a texture under the Textures tab in the Node Editor, how do I then input that texture into a shader under the Shaders tab? I tried using the Image Texture node inputting into a Shader but the texture I created does not appear as in the menu of image textures even though imported bitmap images do appear in the menu?

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**Author:** ![realistic](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@realistic](https://blenderartists.org/u/realistic)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/tee-difference-between-node-editors-shader-and-texture-buttons-areas/558146/4 "2013-05-21T06:39:17Z")

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By ‘Shaders tab’ I mean ‘Material Tab’!

And seeing as you can make decent complex textures in the MAterial tab, why do we need the Textures tab at all?