Catalog : Product Manager : Edit : Print Areas

Catalog : Product Manager : Edit : Print Areas

Print Areas

This section of the platform is for configuring and editing print specific settings on your Product.

What is a Print Area?

A Print Area defines a fixed printable area on a Blank Product. They are configured to match Fulfillers print specifications / production requirements to ensure 'production ready' status for on demand fulfilment.

A Print Area has two fundamental settings that connect the Fulfillers print specification with the live preview solution:
  1. Print Size: The physical size of the area (in mm) - determines the size of the artwork file that the system will generate when an order is placed
  2. Preview Size: The on-screen representation of the printable area (in pixels), relative to the size of the Product preview image (Aspect).
Blank Products support one or multiple Print Areas for each available Aspect.
Print Areas do not offer user functionality themselves, instead they act as a 'template' on the product for artwork / image and text functionality to be added within.
Note: Blank Products support Print Areas up to 1000x1000mm at 300dpi. Larger Print Areas are possible but only at reduced dpi value, eg: 2000x2000mm at 150dpi

How to Add a Print Area

By default, newly configured Blank Products do not feature any Print Areas. New Print Areas can be added using the '+ Print Area' button


This adds a new Print Area row, with rollout menus that can be configured. The minimum requirements for a new Print Area are:
  1. Name: Add a Print Area name that is relevant to the Product / Print Location, eg 'Front', 'Back', 'Left Chest' etc...
  1. Preview Aspect: Use the dropdown menu to select which Aspect that the Print Area should be connected to.
Connecting the Print Area to an Aspect triggers the interactive preview to display, with the Print Area represented as a red square.

  1. Print Size: Input the physical size of the maximum printable area (mm). For a DTG garment, this would be the pallet size.

  1. Preview Size: The goal when setting the Preview Size is to match the Print Size Ratio value (within 0.05) - this connects the onscreen preview with the physical output. This can be achieved in 2 steps:
1. Copy the mm values into the Preview Size W and H fields to get a Ratio match. 

This will change the onscreen Print Area preview (red box) - the scale / position of the area will likely be incorrect by default.
2. Use the interactive tools to position and scale the area so that it 'fits' the preview desirably. Uniform scaling retains the Ratio value.


Click Save to confirm the Print Area settings.

To review the Print Area, access Print Test via the Printer button
The blue dotted line represents the configured Print Area 

Use the 'Generate Artwork' button to generate an example output file in multiple standard formats, at print resolution.
Tip: By default, the output file will be blank, but sized accordingly. You can add temporary Artwork files against the Print Area, to generate output files featuring an image. 


How to Edit a Print Area

By default, any configured Print Areas are shown in a list. Each row represents a separate Print Area, and features some top level settings which can be edited inline using the text/input fields.

Click the arrow to open the Print Area settings:

The main rows are nested, which means they expand to reveal all associated rollout menus, configuration settings and the interactive preview tool for each Print Area. 

Note: The settings listed below can be clicked to access dedicated videos / articles with more information 

General: Basic area and position settings
  1. Name: Name of the Print Area
  2. Print Size: The physical print width / height in mm
    1. Print Ratio: Automatically determined by Print Size values
    2. Resolution: The dpi of system generated artwork files (300 is default)
  3. Preview Size: The onscreen print area width / height in pixels
    1. Preview Ratio: Automatically determined by Preview Size values
    2. Preview Position: The onscreen print are x/y position in pixels

Artwork: Used to apply production artwork to Blanks, or print ready artwork to Virtuals.
  1. Artwork Image: Slot for artwork image file to be uploaded
  2. Type: Change the Artwork type to support different production requirements
  3. Fit Mode: Changes how the uploaded Artwork is scaled to fit the Print Area
  4. Virtuals: Allows 'production based' artwork files to be retained in any subsequent Virual Products created from this Blank (eg. applying cutlines)

Mask: Changes the default shape of the generated artwork file to any custom shape
  1. Mask Image: Mask Image upload slot. Uploaded files should be Print resolution / size and PNG format.

Print Output: Changes the output generation settings
  1. Transparent Fill: Applies transparency by default
  2. Print Arc Angle: Distort the output file
  3. Apply Effects: Enable / Disable effects on output file generation (requires a Print Effect to be defined)
  4. Apply Colour: Adds a fill colour to the background of the output file (Requires Colour Areas)
  5. Flip: Flip the generated output file horizontally / vertically
  6. Barcode: Add a preset Barcode to the output file at a specific location
  7. Print Effect: A list of effects that change how the output file is generated
  8. Surface Number: Legacy

Managing Print Areas

Actions: There are 2 clickable Actions for each listed Image Area; 
  1. Duplicate: Makes a copy of the Print Area, carrying over configured settings
  2. Delete: Removes the area and all settings from the Product

Selection: Serves as a mechanism to perform bulk Duplicate or Delete actions for multiple Print Areas. Specific Print Areas can be 'selected' using the individual selection boxes against each row, or alternatively, Select All will auto-select all listed Print Areas.

Using Print Test

It is recommended as best practice, that any newly added or amended print configuration is tested using Print Test. This provides immediate feedback based on the configured settings so that changes can be made as necessary.


Further Reading
What is a Print Area?
Tutorial: Configuring a Print Area - Ratio and Interactive Positioning
Tutorial: How to add Bleed
Tutorial: Artwork - How to add cut lines and registration marks to your output 
Print Area Articles


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