Why create a My Product Base?

If you’re not using an integrated print-on-demand provider, or you're fulfilling orders in-house, you’ll need to create your own product bases. This gives you complete control over print areas, mockups, file settings, and variants — so you can personalize any product exactly how you need it.

How to create a My Product Base

1. Start a new My Product Base
   Click Create new product base from the start menu, or open the my product bases panel from the left-side menu.
   

2. Name your product and set print dimensions
   Enter a name for your product base and define the print width and height. You can enter the print size in millimeters, inches or pixels.
   

   This will create a page and a default print area where the design will be placed.

   What is a Print Area?

   A print area is the zone where your personalization will appear. When you add a design to the product, it will only be placed inside the print area. You can reposition and scale the design within this space.

   Print areas fill the entire page by default, but you can resize them and reposition them freely by dragging and moving it on the page. For example, if your print file needs margins, you can resize the print area to leave some blank space around it on the page.
   

3. Optional - Add more print areas.
   You can add multiple print areas to the same page if needed — for example, if you want one print file with separate designs for the left and right sides of a mug. Just click on the Add Print Area button, and adjust the print areas on the page.
   Learn more about when and why to add print areas here.
   
4. Optional - Add more print files.
   If your product requires separate files — like a hoodie with a front and back design — you can add additional print files. Each file will have its own page, with it's own size and print area.
   a. Click to add an extra page
   
   b. Enter the new page dimension
   
   c. You'll see both files displayed on the Layer Panel. When selecting them, the according page will load in the design studio so you can work in them independently. You can add as many print files as needed for your product base.
   
5. Configure print file settings
   In the right-hand panel, choose how your print file should be exported:
   - File format: PNG, JPG, PDF, EPS, Adobe Illustrator (AI), DXF, or OFM
   - Resolution (available for image formats)
   - Color mode (available for PDF and vector formats)
   - Mirroring if needed (e.g., for heat transfers)
   
   When your print file is configured, click next to move on to the mockup creation, which is what shoppers will see when they browse your product in your store.

6. Set up your mockup 
   Click Upload Product Images to upload a blank image of your product.
   
   If your product comes in multiple colors or materials, you can upload all the color variants here. Make sure all images are the same (or very similar), as the print area will be positioned once and reused across all images.
    

   Pro Tip

   Name your image files with the exact variant names you want (e.g. baby pink, powder blue, white, etc.). Customily will automatically use those names when creating the product variants.

   Learn how to set up product images for the best results here.

7. Position the print area
   Drag, resize, and rotate the print area so it fits perfectly over the product image. This ensures the designs will appear exactly where it they will be printed in real life.
   You're working with the same print area you defined earlier — now you're placing it visually on top of the product photo.
   

8. Optional - Add a mask
   Masks let you place a texture or shadow above the design, to make your mockup look more realistic.
   You can use masks to simulate wrinkles, lighting effects, or cutout shapes — helping the final product feel more polished and accurate. To add a mask, simply click the Add mask button.
   
   Masks will always sit on top of the print areas, to make sure they go over whatever design you then place on the product.

   Learn more about when and how to use a mask here. 
    

   Keep in mind

   Masks are coordinated with your product images, so if your product has multiple color images, you will need to add a mask for each image. For example, if your product comes in 4 colors and you have uploaded 4 product images in your previous step, you will need to upload 4 masks (even if it's the same mask, upload it 4 times).

9. Review and finalize your product base
   After configuring the mockup, click Next to go to the final review step. Here, you’ll see a side-by-side view of:
   - The print file: what will be sent for production
   - The mockup: the live preview shoppers will see in your store
   This is your chance to double-check everything before saving.
   
10. Configure product variants
    When you click Save, a modal will appear showing the product variants.
    
    If you uploaded multiple background images (e.g. different product colors), a “color” variant will be created automatically. The variant values will match the names of the image files you uploaded.
    You can rename both the variant and its options directly in the modal.
    
    You can also add more variants manually — for example, size or including a gift box. These variants don’t affect the mockup or print file, but they’ll show up as options for shoppers on your storefront. Common use cases include apparel sizes (S, M, L, XL) where the print file stays the same, or offering a product with or without a gift box. 
    Other examples of variants that don’t affect the print or preview include: Stand included, Mounting hardware, Pillow inserts included.
    
    Add the variant values separated with a comma.

11. Save or add another print size
    At the bottom of the modal, you’ll see two options:

    • Save Product: This finishes your product base setup. You’ll find it listed under my product bases, ready to use with any design.
    • Save and add another print size: This adds a new variant (usually called size or shape) and starts the setup process again so you can create another version of the product with different print dimensions.
      This is useful when a change in size or shape also changes the print file — for example: 
      - Canvases with different dimensions (e.g. 4×4", 5×7", 8×10")
      - Ornaments in multiple shapes (e.g. circle, scallop, diamond)
      You can repeat this process as many times as needed to cover all print file variations. Each option will appear as a variant shoppers can select when buying the product.

    

    Want to offer the same product in different sizes or shapes, each with its own print file?

    Learn how in our guide: Creating multiple print sizes for a product base