A print area is the part of the product that gets printed, such as the front of a shirt or the face of a mug. Each print area becomes a separate print file on every order, built from what the customer entered and sized for production. Use print areas when you or your print provider need a ready-to-print file. If you only collect information (for example a name for engraving), you don't need one.
Step 1: Choose the print file format
Click the option set name at the top left to open Settings, then pick a Format (PNG by default). All print files of this set are created in this format, and a change only applies to print files created after you save.
Step 2: Add a print area
In Options, click Add print area. In Print area settings:
- Name: What the file is called on orders, for example "Front" or "Back".
- Width and Height: The size of the print file. Use the size your printer or print provider asks for.
- Unit: The unit for width and height.
- PPI: The resolution (pixels per inch), up to 1200. 300 is a common choice for printing.
Click Create.
Step 3: Add options to the print area
Customix asks which option to add first. Pick one, for example Text, and click Add. Options inside a print area are what gets printed on that file.
Step 4: Design the print file
You're now editing the print file itself (the path at the top shows, for example, Preview 2 › Print area 1). Position and size each option on this canvas the way it should be printed. Click Done when you're finished.
Step 5: Place the print area on your preview
Back on the preview, the print area shows as a dashed frame labelled with its name. Drag and resize it so the design sits where it would be printed on the product. In Options, the print area is listed with its own options underneath; click Add print area option to add more.
Print area settings
Click the print area in Options to open its settings.
- Print file: Click Edit design to go back to the print file canvas, or change its Name, Width, Height and DPI.
- Previews: Tick the previews this print area appears on. The preview you're editing is marked On canvas.
- Perspective: Click Edit Perspective and drag the corner handles to match an angled surface, such as a mug or a framed print photographed at an angle. Double-click to exit, or click Remove to reset it.
- Transform: Fine-tune the position, size and rotation of the print area on the preview.
