How to create libraries

Before libraries can be used in your designs and templates, they first need to be created and filled with assets.

The process for creating libraries is very similar across all library types. You’ll first create the library, then add categories and assets to it, and finally configure how the options generated from that library will behave for shoppers.

Create a new library

To create a new library:

1. Open the Libraries section

2. Click Create new library

   

3. Choose the type of library you want to create and enter a name for the library

   

4. Click Create

Once the library is created, it will automatically open so you can start adding categories and assets.

Inside the library, you’ll see buttons to:

• Add categories

• Add assets

You can either:

• Start by creating categories and then add assets inside them

• Start by adding assets directly into the library

Add Categories

Categories are optional, but they can help organize your libraries when you have many assets and improve the shopper experience when selecting options.

For example, you could use categories to separate:

• Fonts by style

• Dog clipart by breed

• Hair style cliparts by hair length

• Colors by collection

Once categories are created, you can add assets inside them to keep your libraries organized.

Creating a category

To create a category:

1. Click Add category

2. Enter a category name and upload a thumbnail image (only for image and vector libraries)

   

3. Click Create

Once the category is created, it will automatically open so you can start adding assets inside it.

By default:

• Categories use the name you assign when creating them

• Image and vector library categories can include custom thumbnail images

• Color and font library categories only use names

Category names and thumbnails can be edited later.

Managing categories

To manage a category, hover over it to reveal the action buttons on the right side.

From there, you can:

• Click the pencil icon to open the category and manage the assets inside it

• Click the trash can icon to delete the category

• Click the star icon to mark the category as selected by default

You can rename a category by hovering over its name and clicking Rename.

To change the category thumbnail, click the existing thumbnail and upload a new image.

You can reorder categories by:

• Clicking and dragging them

• Changing their # number (first column on the left)

• By clicking sort at the top right corner

Add Assets

Assets are the actual colors, fonts, images, or vectors that shoppers will choose from.

Once assets are added to a library, they can be used by Customily to automatically generate personalization options in your designs and templates.

Adding assets

To add assets to a library or category:

1. Open the library or category

2. Click the add button corresponding to that library type. For example:

   • Image Libraries use the Add image button

   • Color Libraries use the Add color button

   • Font Libraries use the Add font button

   • Vector Libraries use the Add vector button

3. Follow the instructions to upload or select the asset.

   The process depends on the type of library you are creating. Detailed instructions for each type are covered in their corresponding articles.

By default:

• Uploaded files use the file name as the asset name

• Image and vector libraries use the uploaded asset as the thumbnail

• Font libraries automatically generate a thumbnail preview using the font

• Color libraries use the selected color as the thumbnail

Both names and thumbnails can be edited.

Managing assets

To manage an asset, hover over it to reveal the action buttons on the right side.

From there, you can:

• Click the pencil icon to edit the asset

• Click the trash can icon to delete the asset

• Click the star icon to mark the asset as selected by default

You can rename an asset by hovering over its name and clicking Rename.

To change the asset thumbnail, click the existing thumbnail and upload a new image, or by choosing a solid color.

You can reorder assets by:

• Clicking and dragging them

• Changing their # number (first column on the left)

• By clicking sort at the top right corner

Configuring options for libraries

Each library includes an Option settings section.

These settings do not directly create or edit personalization options. Instead, they define how Customily should behave when automatically generating personalization options for any design, template, or product that uses this library.

This allows you to pre-define how shopper-facing options should look and behave before they are created.

These settings will apply to all automatically generated options created from this library.

To configure the library option settings:

1. Open the library

2. Click the Option settings button on the top right

3. This will open a section showing the option settings for the library

From there, you can configure:

• The option type (Dropdown, Swatch, or Dropdown swatch)

• The swatch thumbnail type (image thumbnail or color)

• And it will show which asset or category will be selected by default