Catalog : Product Manager : Edit : Text Areas

Text Areas

This section of the platform is for adding and editing text based functionality.

What is a Text Area?

A Text Area is a fixed area for text personalisation on a Product. Products support 1 or multiple Text Areas for each available Print Area.

It is the Text Area that the end user interacts with (via the Smartlink) to customise the product prior to purchasing - how they interact is controllable based on the configured settings and options. This flexibility ensures that you can tailor the setup to suit specific functionality requirements and user journeys.

The most common use cases for Text Area functionality are:

to offer fully customisable text options
to offer formatted personalised text, eg to compliment a specific artwork design

How to Add a Text Area

By default, newly configured Products do not feature any text functionality.

New Text Areas can be added using the '+ Text Area' button

This adds a new Text Area row, with rollout menus that can be configured. The minimum requirements for a new Text Area are:

Name: Add a Text Area name
Print Area: Select which Print Area that the Text Area should be connected to

Connecting the Text Area to a Print Area triggers the interactive preview to display, with the Text Area represented via the word 'Text'. The static red box indicates the maximum Print Area position.

By default, the Text Area is added centrally to the full Print Area. The preview offers move capabilities to allow the position of the area to be changed interactively. A tutorial on this is available here

Click Save to confirm the Text Area settings.

To review the functionality, access Print Test via the Printer button

Use the 'Add Text' menu to add text and interact with the Product using the functionality available.

How to Edit a Text Area

By default, any configured Text Areas are shown in a list. Each row represents a separate Text Area, and features some basic top level settings which can be edited inline.

Click the arrow to open the Text 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 Text Area.

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

General: Basic area and position settings

Name: Display Name of the Text Area
Print Area: The Print Area that the Text Area is connected to (required)
Position x/y: The x and y origin position of the Text Area, in relation to the Aspect preview
Rotation: Used to apply a default rotation offset to text

Controls: Change what controls are available for the end user to interact with text.

Allow Input: Allows end user interaction / Add text function (enabled by default)
Allow Move: Allows text to be interactively repositioned (enabled by default)
Allow Rotate: Allows text to be interactively rotated (enabled by default)
Allow Resize: Allows text to be interactively scaled (enabled by default)

Behaviour: Changes the core text behaviour

Type: Change between standard text or Datepicker
Production Type: Change between normal text, or Embroidery simulation

Formatting: Options to control input text

Available Fonts: Change between standard text or datepicker
Default Font: Set a default font
Available Sizes: Add a range of preset sizes
Default Size: Set a default text size value
Available Colours: Add a range of preset colours
Fill: Applies a fill colour to text (On by default)

Fill Colour: Set using a Colour Picker, or input a hex value

Stroke: Adds a stroke around the text (Off by default)

Stroke Colour: Set using a Colour Picker, or input a hex value
Stroke Width: Set the thickness of the stroke (in px)

Force Casing: Any input characters will automatically change based on the relevant option
Alignment: Change the default text alignment

Validation: Changes the core text behaviour

User Input Required: User must add text before they can add to bag
Max Lines: Set a line limit (only applicable for Multiline text)
Max Characters: Set a character limit
Text Pattern: Control what characters can / can't be input

Advanced Options: Coming Soon

Placeholder Text: Add text that populates the area by default
Option Entries: Offers a word selection choice to the end user (line separated)
Sync From: Copy input text from another area to this one

Managing Text Areas

Actions: There are 2 clickable Actions for each listed Text Area;

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Duplicate: Makes a copy of the Text Area, carrying over configured settings
Delete: Removes the Text Area and all settings from the Product

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

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Moving: When using multiple Image Areas, the listed rows reflects the end user interaction order, whatever is displayed first (top) is the area that will be interacted with first within the Smartlink. Each Image Area row can be clicked and dragged to change the listed order, which then translates to control the user journey accordingly.

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Using Print Test

It is recommended as best practice, that any newly added or amended functionality is tested using Print Test. This provides immediate feedback based on the configured settings, showing how the 'end user' can interact with the product.