Many designs are offered online that can be customized. What I will share with you here are some tips about customizing products on Zazzle, an online Print on Demand company. First, not all designs are customizable. The person that put the item for sale on Zazzle, decides whether that item can be customized or not, before it is published. If they have selected for the item to be customizable, there will be a Customize button that shows underneath the product, when viewing that specific product.
Secondly, not all images can be customized the same way. The designer that uploaded the image onto the product, may or may not have included background in the image. For instance, if an image has had the background area erased (which is an option depending on the software program used when creating the image), then customers could actually move the specified image around, and it wouldn't move other items on that product with it. To explain it another way, an image on a product could be made up of many small images, all added separately; or be one big picture that was added all at once.
Some designs are made using a template form. If a product has a template form, then one can easily type in new text, and/or replace any images by clicking on the appropriate field on the template.
If further customizing is desired, or if there is no template form, the first thing that the customer should do is to click on the Customize It button.
From there, a new screen will appear. There will be a Customizing Box that appears to the right of the product, and corresponding views of the product below the main product, if there is more than one. (i.e. There are two pages for postcards, four for greeting cards, one for postage stamps.) First, click on the view of the product that you are customizing, if there are more than one to choose from.
Adding and Changing Images:
To add an image, Click on "Add Images" from the menu bar above the Customizing Box.
To change an image, Click on the Title of the image and Click on "Change image" in that Title Box.
Once you have done either of the above, then Click on My Computer.
Click on Select Images to Upload.
Go to your picture pile on your computer.
Click on image to Upload.
Click on OK.
If the image fills the whole background, add it first so that it won't cover any text or smaller images that you may add.
Adding or Changing Text:
To add Text, Click on Add Text from the menu bar above the Customizing Box. Type in the text, including any returns you want. Click on OK.
To change a field of text, Click on the Title of the Text and Click on "Change text" in that Title Box.
Replace the text in the pop up window that appears.
Click on OK.
The font size can also change the layout of text. You'll learn how to adjust font size later.
For each image and/or text field that has been added, there will be a Title in the Customizing box that corresponds to it. Once you click on a particular item's title, and/or the image/text on the product, you will then be able to move it, rotate it, replace it, re-size it, and/or delete it.
Each title in the Customizing Box works as a toggle switch for two different editing fields. The editing field that starts with a big plus sign with four arrows in it, we'll call Field 1. The editing field with two snapshots in it, we'll call Field 2. By clicking on the title box, the field will change between Field 1 and Field 2. Field 1 is different for text than it is for images, but they both start with a big plus sign with arrows and a circle in it. Field 1 is the one you'll be using the most, whether for text or for images.
Moving an image or text:
To move an item, you can click on that item directly on the product image and drag it; or you can use Field 1.From field one, you can click on the arrows in the plus sign to move that item up and down, and left and right. You can also click on the center circle in the plus sign to center that object.
You can also Click on Arrange in Field 1, to center horizontally or center vertically.
Rotating an image or text:
To rotate an image or text, you will need to click on the title of that field in the Customizing Box, toggle to Field 1, then click on the Curved Arrow. Each time you click on the Curved Arrow, the item will rotate another 90 degrees.
Deleting an image or text:
To delete an item, one can Click on the item on the Product Image, or the corresponding title located in the Customizing Box. You will need to be toggled to Field 1, then Click on the Edit word, then from that menu, click on Delete.
Resizing an image:
To re-size an image, one can click on either the title in the Customizing Box, or click on the image on the product. On the product, you can either use the little re-sizing squares or you can use the magnifying glass controls in the Customizing Box to decrease or increase the size.
Choosing Font Style:
Click on the appropriate title and toggle to Field 1. Click on the letter f. Scroll on the drop down menu options and click on your choice. You can pick other choices to see how they look. Click on close when done.
Resizing Text:
For text resizing, one can again use the re-sizing squares on the product, or they may use Field 1. To use Field 1, begin by clicking on the corresponding title in the Customizing Box. Toggle the title to get to Field 1. From the rectangle box with a number in it, you can either highlight and type over the number, click on the plus or minus sign to increase or decrease the size, or click on the arrow next to the box to select a number from the drop down menu.
Choosing Font Color:
Click on the appropriate title in the Customizing Box and toggle to Field 1. Click on the color box. Click on your color choice from the drop down menu.
Selecting Background and/or Border Color:
From Field 1, Click on Edit in the Customizing Box. At the bottom of that drop down menu will be options related to that product of background, or background and border options. Click on the option and click on the color of your choice.
Background color being applied will vary depending on how the design was made and also on what product is being customized. If the background color is part of the whole original image, it can't be changed this way. You would need to contact the artist to see if they can change that for you. Not all products have a border color option. If they do, the option will show up on the Colors drop down menu.
Choosing Orientation
Some items have two different options for how the product is displayed, as in portrait and landscape. From Field 1, there will be an option to check on Vertical or Horizontal, if that applies to that particular product.
For instance, a design on a postcard, greeting card, or postage stamp, can be shown as landscape or portrait style.
Cheryl Paton creates and promotes good feelings with art. She paints primarily in acrylics and uses non-toxic acrylic and watercolor paints. People purchase her designs online at http://www.zazzle.com/CherylsArt*/
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Contributor's Note
If you have ever wanted to customize a product online, on Zazzle, I hope this helps you. If you have any questions, you can ask them here or on http://www.squidoo.com/customized-products, and I will do my best to address them. Most of the items that are in my store on Zazzle, which includes wedding and birthday invitations, and color in tees, and more, are customizable.
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