Create custom decoration area shapes

Three standard shapes are available to define the decoration area on a product: rectangle, circle, and rounded rectangle. These shapes determine the boundaries within which decorations can be applied. While they work well for most products, you may need to create custom decoration areas for items with irregular shapes. For example, you might offer star-shaped promotional products or Valentine’s Day items with heart-shaped printable areas that require a custom decoration outline.

Watch the following video for instructions on how to create and place custom decoration area shape masks.

In this article, you will learn how...

• To create a custom shape
• To apply a custom shape to a decoration area

To create a custom shape:

This tutorial details the procedure for creating a custom shape to be used as a decoration area mask.

1. Open a graphics application that supports transparency, such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
2. Create a new document with a transparent background.
3. Draw the shape that you require with a solid, uniform color fill.
4. Save the file in PNG format.

To apply a custom shape to a decoration area:

1. Log into your DecoNetwork Website.
2. Browse to Admin > Products.

   

   

3. Select a product to configure by either:
   • Clicking on the product code.
   • Clicking on the product name.
   • Clicking on the Manage button beside the product you want to configure, then selecting Edit Product.
     

   The product properties will be shown in the main work area with a menu at the left to select property categories. General will be selected by default.

4. Select Views & Decoration Areas from the product properties menu.
   

   The main work area contains configuration options for views and decoration areas.

   

   Click the image to enlarge.

5. Click the blue configuration wheel next to the view you want to place a custom decoration area on, then make sure the Allow Custom Decoration Areas (Advanced) option is selected.
   
6. Double-click on the view image.

   The Manage Product View popup is displayed.

   
7. Select the area you want to apply a custom shape to by clicking on its name in the decoration area table.
8. Click the Browse... button and upload your shape.
   

   Once uploaded, the shape will appear as an icon alongside the existing printable area shapes.

   For a complete tutorial on how to configure a decoration area, see the article, Configuring Product Views & Assigning Decoration Areas.

   • ⚠️ Please note that custom decoration areas may appear misaligned or shift when product images are updated, since the custom decoration areas are positioned relative to the original product image.

     When you configure a catalog product to use custom decoration areas, keep in mind that updates to the product image may alter its visual representation, causing the original placement of the custom decoration areas to no longer align correctly with the new image.

     After a product image update, you may need to manually adjust the position or size of your custom decoration areas to align with the new image. This may require visually reviewing the placement of decoration elements and modifying their scale to fit the updated product. It’s recommended to check custom decoration areas for proper alignment following catalog product updates.

   • When viewed in the Designer, decoration areas are displayed with a visible outline:

     • Rectangular and rounded rectangle areas show a solid border (with rounded corners for rounded rectangles).
     • Circle and ellipse shapes display a circular border.
     • Custom shapes (based on uploaded masks) show a dotted outline around the decoration area’s boundary.

Related Articles

• Manage Decoration Areas
• Configuring Product Views & Assigning Decoration Areas
• Enable a Decoration Process on Decoration Areas in Bulk