The Product Designer is a 'web-to-print' feature from DistributorCentral created to decrease the turnaround time between ordering and receiving the product.
- Create a unique template for every product.
- Build Product Designer templates according to your factory specifications for artwork submission (margins, bleed, etc.)
- Customers will have the opportunity to build custom imprint designs within the order process.
When your customer orders Product Designer-enabled products, they design their imprint according to the specifications of your templates. As your customer completes their design, the Product Designer attaches a high-resolution, production-ready PDF file to the DistributorCentral order. This PDF file may also be used as a convenient digital proof.
The following is a basic how-to for creating Product Designer templates.
Getting Started + Create a Template
- Contact your DistributorCentral account administrator and have them add 'Product Designer' permissions to your DistributorCentral user account
- Log in to your DistributorCentral dashboard > Edit your desired product > Select Designer
- You are now in the Product Designer. The right side of the page is where you add design elements. On the left side is the visual editor where you manipulate (move, resize, rotate) those design elements
- Start designing your template
- Select the Background Image button and choose an image file (JPG, PNG, GIF) from your computer
- This will be the stock background image for this product. Your customer cannot change it.
- Your customers will apply their own text and logos to this background.
- If you need to change the background, you may do so after clicking the Save Product Design button.
- The width x height dimensions of this image will define the size of your template. Be sure to include image bleed, if relevant to the product.
- Example: Say your product is a 4" x 3" magnet and your factory offers full image bleed on all four edges. our die-cutting equipment requires at least 1/8" bleed per edge. In your photo editing software, you would size this background image to exactly 4.25" x 3.25" (or 1275 x 975 pixels at 300ppi resolution). Add this image to the Product Designer as your background and proceed!
- Remember to click Save Product Design.
- Select Add Layer Mask button and choose a transparent PNG file from your computer.
- This is a non-printing element. The Layer Mask is visible only when your customer is designing their imprint. It is intended to help your customers visualize how the final product will appear. You may use it to indicate margin, hide image bleed and simulate non-printing elements.
- You must use a transparent PNG image so the background image and other lower-level layers remain visible.
- This element can define the size of your template if you do not offer a background image.
- Resize the mask image: Either manually resize in the visual editor or click Fill Image to match it to your background image size.
- If you want the Layer Mask to be included in your customers' final press files, click Enable on Final Render.
- Click Save Product Design.
- Select the Add Logo Block button to add a logo area to the layout.
- This is a 'placeholder' block where your customer will add their own logo.
- The logo block may be moved, resized and rotated to fit the template as you desire.
- You may add more than one logo block.
- Click Save Product Design.
- Select the Add Text Block button to add a text area to the layout.
- This is a 'placeholder' block where your customer will add their own text information.
- The text block may be moved, resized and rotated to fit the template as you desire.
- You may add more than one text block.
- You may utilize 'string variables', as defined at the bottom right of the Product Designer. These variables will automatically insert data from your customer's account to the text blocks.
- Click Save Product Design.
- Select the Add Image Block button to add an image area to the layout.
- This is a 'placeholder' block where your customer will add an additional image.
- The image block may be moved, resized and rotated to fit the template as you desire.
- You may add more than one image block.
- Click Save Product Design.
- All elements are arranged in layers.
- Each element we have added to our template may be moved freely up and down the layer stack. Click the up/down arrow icon buttons as needed.
- Each element may be deleted, using the trash icon buttons.
- Save one last time and you're done! Good job!
Play around with the Product Designer and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions at all. Thanks!
<%= heading %>