There are 2 ways of creating templates, the simple and the advanced way:

• Simple and automatic way: creating templates from the Start Menu
• Advanced and manual way: creating templates from scratch

Each way of creating templates has its advantages. We'll explain both methods, so you can decide what best suits your needs.

Create a template automatically from the Start menu

Templates from the start menu are created automatically by combining a Product Base (whether it is from a POD or your own product bases) and a Design. 

1. Head over to the Start section
   
2. Click Create new product
   

   Tip

   If you'd rather use an existing product on your store, instead of having Customily create a new listing from scratch, then pick "use an existing product from store". The rest of the process will be the same, the only difference is that at the end, the template will be connected to the product listing you selected, instead of having a new listing created from scratch.

3. Follow the steps to create a new product, which involves choosing a Product Base (whether it is from a POD or your own product bases) and a Design to place in it
   
4. Once you are done selecting the Product Base and the Design, you'll see the resulting template connected to a product listing on your store
   
5. If we go to the template homepage, you'll see the template that was automatically created by this process
   

The resulting template will work as any template from your account. Meaning you can edit it as you want. For example, if the design is not placed exactly where you want it on the product, you can open the template created during this process, to edit the location of the design.

Create a template manually

Manual templates are created by going through a series of steps: configuring the print file and the preview (the mockup) for your store. Below is an overview of the different steps, on each step, you'll find a link to learn more, as there is a lot you can do on each of them!

1. Head over to the Templates section
   
2. Click Create template
   
   
3. Start by giving your template a name and by defining the size of your canvas. This will be the size of your print file. You can configure it in millimeters, inches, or pixels.
   
   

   Tip

   If you already have a file that you want to work with, you can upload this file directly and Customily will use it to create your canvas. Keep in mind this file should not have any personalization elements, as they will all be added with Customily. The formats currently supported are EPS, PNG a JPG.

4. This is what we call step 1: print file settings. Where you create your design on the canvas by adding the different design elements available in Customily. You'll also select the output format for your file.
   
   

   Keep in mind

   In this step, you are creating your design on the print file. So no need to upload any product pictures whatsoever. Only things that you want your print file to have!
   You can learn more about step 1 and all you can do on it here.

5. Once you are done creating the design on your print file, move on to the next step by clicking next.
6. This is what we call step 2: preview settings. Where you'll upload your blank product images, and adjust the design to fit them. Start by uploading a blank product image to use as the background, or by choosing to use a background color instead.
   
7. Once your background is defined, you can adjust the elements coming from the print file so they properly fit your background to create your mockups. The easiest way to do it is to select all elements and adjust them on the workspace.
   
   

   Keep in mind

   In this step, you are placing your design on the preview (or mockup) that your customer will see on your store. There are many things you can do in this step to add variations to your mockup (in this case, think of different wood options for the board) and effects to make your mockups more realistic. 
   You can learn more about step 2 and all you can do on it here.

8. Once you are done placing your design, click next to move on to the final step where you'll save your template.
   
9. In this final step, you can see the print file and the preview side to side. You can select the different elements of your design, and try them out to see how they would work on each side. If everything looks good, click save to save your template.
   
10. Once you save your template, you can go ahead and connect it to a product from your store directly, or go back to the template home to keep working on more templates!
    

The process of creating templates manually is more advanced than creating them automatically, hence it requires a bit more knowledge about Customily. However, once you get to master it you'll see it gives you endless possibilities to customize your products.

When should I create templates manually instead of the easy automatic way?

We usually recommend creating templates the easy way, using the start menu. Especially, if you sell a lot of the same kind of products (for example multiple t-shirts with different designs), or you will repeat designs across products (for example a Christmas design on an ornament, coaster, and card).

However, there are cases in which it's better to create templates manually. They are mostly used for more complex personalization, below are some examples and why it is better to create a template manually for it.

• Engraved products: When using templates you can apply specific effects to your designs on the preview to make engravings look very realistic (wood effects, metal effects, etc.) without affecting how the print file will result. Print files for engraved products are usually solid color (all black), while on the preview you might like to show the engraving in a different color or with texture, depending on where it is engraved. Templates allow you to do this.
• Laser cut products (ie metal signs): Similar to engraved products, laser cut print files are usually all black, while on the preview you want to show the cutout on whatever material it is done (metal, wood, etc.). Templates allow you to add this on the preview while keeping the print file all-black
• Embroidered products (ie monograms): When using templates you can apply embroidery texture to your monograms on the preview.
• Mix and Match products: When your product has multiple construction options that don't affect the print file (meaning they are not "personalizations", but instead different fabrics and accessories options - like a custom varsity jacket, where you can change the arms fabric, chest fabric, cuffs, buttons, etc.), you can add all these elements to the preview on your template.