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Building Templates ​

Templates consist of one or more layouts which are shown in the designer, and one or more production files which are typically graded sewing patterns. Templates have zones where decorations such as logos can be placed, and template layers that can be re-colored by the user.

By creating layout and production files that have the same layers and zones, the designer can translate a user's design into production-ready print files.

💻 Software Requirements

This documentation assumes you are using Adobe Illustrator 2022 version 26.5 or higher. Other vector design applications may work, but are not currently supported.

Layout Files ​

Layout files are shown in the user's browser when using the designer. If multiple perspectives are being shown, they should each be in their own artboard in the same file. Artboards must be 2000x2000 pixels. Art should extend as close to the edge of the artboard as possible (padding will be added automatically in the designer).

💡 Multiple Perspectives with Narrow Garments

If the layout contains the front and back of a very narrow garment such as socks, it can be useful to place both perspectives side-by-side in the same 2000x2000 pixel artboard. This is acceptable and the designer will accomodate this with no additional configuration.


Layout Layers ​

Be strict with your layer naming and ordering. Use one top level layer group for each perspective. Each perspective should have one group for zones, one group for static elements, and one group for template elements.


Zones ​

Zones are areas that can have a decoration applied to them. Decorations can be logos or player names/numbers. We create zones in the layout file so that the designer knows where a user can place a decoration, how to rotate the decoration (if applicable) and how to re-apply this decoration to the production files.

Zone Shapes

Zones that support image or free-form text decorations must be rectangles. This ensures that the decorations cannot be dragged outside of the zone, and allows the designer to calculate their size relative to the print file that they will ultimately be placed on. Since the placement of a user's decorations is translated from the layout onto the print files, these zone rectangles should be the same size and must have the same aspect ratio across the layout and print files. For example, a "Full Front" zone on a garment that includes sizes from Youth X-Small to Adult 5X-Large will need to scale appopriately across the print files. This will work as long as the aspect ratio of this rectangle is identical across all files.

Zones that support player names/numbers can be rectangles or lines. If the zone is a rectangle, the decoration will be scaled to fit within the boundary. For example, a 10" tall player name in an 10x8" rectangle zone will be scaled down to fit within the rectangle. A 10" tall player name in a 10" wide line zone will be printed at 10" tall.

Zone Layer Names

Zones must have the same name in the layout and production files. If multiple zones have the same name, the decoration will be added to all of them.

💡 Rotated Zones

If the zone represents an area that will be rotated – either a purely visual rotation on a layout file, or a "real" rotation on a production file (e.g. a sleeve) - they must be rotated in Illustrator.


Static ​

The static layer group is for elements that will not change. They are not re-colorable by the user, they cannot have decorations applied to them, and they cannot be interacted with in the designer. This is the appropriate place for tags, labels, outlines, laser cut lines, or even parts of the garment that should block objects behind them, such as the "inside view" of a collar.


Template ​

The template layer group contains the elements that the user can re-color in the designer.

Shape layers should be grouped by component (front, back, left sleeve, right sleeve) and will usually contain a clipping path of the component's outline.

These shape layers must share the same name across layout and production files.

💡 Component Layer Groups

Using layer groups and clipping paths for each component allows you to easily double-click on an element to work on its shapes.

Production Files ​

Production files are used to generate re-colored, print-ready files that contain the user's decorations. These files will typically be your graded size patterns, and should be scaled to size.

The layer structure is identical to layout files (Zones, Static, Templates), the only exception being that there are not different perspectives at the top-level.

Production files are never seen by the user. They can contain guides, component labels, and anything else that is helpful for your art, production, or quality control processes.

Naming Layers ​

The designer will produce print-ready production files based on the layers that the user re-colors in the designer. In order to do this, the layout and production files must use the same names for layers that can be recolored. Layers that do not get recolored such as sew lines, labels, or outlines, do not have any naming rules and are ignored by the designer.

💡 Capitalization

Ensure you are using consistent capitalization when naming layers. "front" should be "Front", "stripes 1" should be "Stripes 1".

For simplicity, refer to these naming conventions when deciding on what to name a template's layer:

  • Jersey for the main jersey front and back.
  • Sleeves or Left Sleeve/Right Sleeve if the user should be able to color them differently.
  • Stripes 1/2/3 or Inner Stripes/Outer Stripes, depending on which is more applicable to the template.
  • Collar for the jersey collar.
  • Shoulders if the jersey has an additional shoulder component.

Demo ​

Watch the demo below where we take a layout and re-create the template on a graded production file. You can download the sample files to follow along.