A flooring system for reproducing a flooring design having a periodic pattern, said flooring system comprising: a plurality of substantially identical flooring planks (200,300), each of the planks having an identical design pattern on the surface thereof wherein said substantially identical flooring planks (200,300) are substantially rectangular, with two long edges and two short edges, and have at least a portion of said flooring design thereon; the length of said substantially identical planks (200,300) is approximately equal to the period of said pattern; a first alignment pattern provided on a first edge and a second edge of said substantially identical planks (200,300), said first and second edges being opposite each other; and, wherein the flooring system further comprises a tongue and groove joint for attaching adjacent substantially identical planks (200,300), wherein said tongue runs along two adjacent edges and wherein said groove runs along two adjacent edges other than said edges along which said tongue runs, characterised in that the width of said substantially identical planks (200,300) is approximately equal to one half the height of said pattern; a second alignment pattern provided on a third edge and a fourth edge of said substantially identical planks (200,300), wherein said second alignment pattern on said third edge is offset in a horizontal direction from said second alignment pattern on said fourth edge by a distance approximately equal to one half the length of the substantially identical planks (200,300), wherein said flooring design having a periodic pattern can be reproduced by laying substantially identical planks (200,300) adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction, such that said first alignment patterns of adjacent substantially identical planks are placed adjacent to each other, and by laying substantially identical planks adjacent to each other in a vertical direction such that said second alignment patterns of adjacent substantially identical planks are placed adjacent to each other, a plurality of substantially identical flooring planks (200,300), each of the planks having an identical design pattern on the surface thereof wherein said substantially identical flooring planks (200,300) are substantially rectangular, with two long edges and two short edges, and have at least a portion of said flooring design thereon; the length of said substantially identical planks (200,300) is approximately equal to the period of said pattern; a first alignment pattern provided on a first edge and a second edge of said substantially identical planks (200,300), said first and second edges being opposite each other; and, wherein the flooring system further comprises a tongue and groove joint for attaching adjacent substantially identical planks (200,300), wherein said tongue runs along two adjacent edges and wherein said groove runs along two adjacent edges other than said edges along which said tongue runs, characterised in that the width of said substantially identical planks (200,300) is approximately equal to one half the height of said pattern; a second alignment pattern provided on a third edge and a fourth edge of said substantially identical planks (200,300), wherein said second alignment pattern on said third edge is offset in a horizontal direction from said second alignment pattern on said fourth edge by a distance approximately equal to one half the length of the substantially identical planks (200,300), wherein said flooring design having a periodic pattern can be reproduced by laying substantially identical planks (200,300) adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction, such that said first alignment patterns of adjacent substantially identical planks are placed adjacent to each other, and by laying substantially identical planks adjacent to each other in a vertical direction such that said second alignment patterns of adjacent substantially identical planks are placed adjacent to each other,