Vector | Adding a Vector Artwork Design to Virtual Products

Vector | Adding a Vector Artwork Design to Virtual Products

Overview

The fastest and simplest way to add a vector design / artwork to your Virtual Product is via a restricted Image Area. This is slightly different to the general approach for adding Raster based artwork where the file is uploaded directly against the Print Area on the product. Whilst Vector Artwork files CAN be uploaded against the Print Area, this approach does not apply the artwork design to the preview automatically, and is therefore not considered to be the most effective approach when using Vector files.

Important Note: This article is written on the presumption that the user has a general understanding of Blank and Virtual product creation processes.

THE TECHNICAL BIT:

For best results when working with Vector products on CPP, we advise using .PDF version 1.4 or older. Newer PDF formats can be uploaded but may lead to compatibility issues.
.Ai and .EPS format files can be uploaded but may have limited support due to file setting variations and version compatibility.

Ideally, uploaded Vector Images should have the same Aspect Ratio as the Image Area to avoid undesirable results, eg scaling / cropping.

Process
  1. Create a Virtual Product from your selected Blank as normal. If needed you can refer to this document: Create Your First Virtual | Manual >>
  2. Go to 'Functionality' > 'Images' and then click to '+Create an Image Area'


3. Give the area a relevant Name, eg Artwork
4. From the dropdown, Select the Print Area that you want this artwork to apply to. This will automatically set an Image Area that matches the size of the Print Area in full.



5. Open the Options rollout menu and disable all of the default interactive options. This is necessary because we want the design artwork to be static / un-editable to the end user.
6. Upload your Vector artwork file to the 'Placeholder' slot. Once uploaded, enable the 'Use in Artwork' toggle. This means that the uploaded vector placeholder will automatically generate in the system generated output.



7. You can then print test your product to ensure you are happy with how the product previews, and see how the file generates as a vector pdf.




Top Tip: You may find it difficult to position complimentary Text Areas against the design, because placeholders don't appear in the interactive setup preview. A great solution to this is to temporarily upload a raster version of your design file to the Print Area - this gives you a visual guide to position your text areas Interactively. Once done, you can then remove the raster file from the print area!

Want to know more about using Vector format?

For more information on our Vector Output solution, please see:


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