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Adding Your Design to Our Pattern Templates

This guide shows you how to take a flat design, drop it into one of our pattern templates, and turn it into a finished garment you can preview in 3D and order. We'll cover the same workflow in Adobe Illustrator and in Affinity, then upload the result to the 3D Product Customizer.

We'll use a short sleeve rash guard as the example, but the steps are the same for any product with a template.

Before you start​

You'll need three things:

  • A pattern template — downloaded from the product page (free for members; see below).
  • A vector design — the artwork you'll place into the template.
  • Adobe Illustrator or Affinity — either one works. Affinity is a free tool made by Canva, so you don't need to pay for Illustrator to follow along.

Step 1: Download the pattern template​

  1. On printondemand.com.ph, go to the product page for what you want to design — for example, the rash guard page, then the short sleeve rash guard.
  2. On that page you'll find a link to the Illustrator template. If you're a Print On Demand member, it's a free download.
  3. Add it to your cart, check out, and download the template to your desktop.

When you open the template, you'll see several panels — each one represents a different part of the garment (front, back, sleeves, neckband, and so on).

Step 2: Get a design to work with​

Before you can decorate the template, you need a design. A quick shortcut: browse stock artwork sites and download a pre-made vector design.

  • Why vector matters: vector files stay small in size and print crisp and clean at any scale.
  • In the video, the design comes from Magnific's stock section — alongside its AI mockup tools, Magnific has a stock library where you can download photos and vectors. Search the stock vectors for something like "jersey design", pick one, download it to your desktop, and unzip the file.

Bottom line: Always start from a vector design — it keeps your files small and your print quality sharp.

Step 3: Place your design — in Adobe Illustrator​

  1. Open the template in Illustrator, and open your downloaded vector design in a separate file.
  2. Clean up the design — delete any clutter or extra parts you don't need, leaving just the artwork itself.
  3. Select the design and cut it, then switch to the template and decide where it goes — for example, the front panel. Use Edit → Paste to drop it in.
  4. Create a clipping mask to embed the design into the panel's shape:
    • In the layer panel, drag your design so it sits below the panel you want it in.
    • Select both the panel and the design.
    • Go to Object → Clipping Mask → Make.
    • The design instantly conforms to the shape of the pattern piece.
  5. Resize as needed — hold the Shift key while scaling to keep the proportions locked.
  6. Repeat for the back panel: copy the design (Ctrl + C), paste it over the back, drag it below the back piece in the layers, then Object → Clipping Mask → Make again. Move it around to position it however you like.
  7. Fill the remaining panels (sleeves, neckband) with solid colors using the Eyedropper tool — for example, blue sleeves and a yellow neckband.

Step 4: Place your design — in Affinity​

Affinity follows the same idea, with one handy difference: you drag the artwork straight onto a panel instead of building a clipping mask.

  1. Open the same template in Affinity and press OK to the PDF options.
  2. In the layers, delete the logos and any layers you don't need. Select the main group of your design and cut it (Ctrl + X).
  3. Open the template so you can see all the panels, then paste (Ctrl + V).
  4. Find the panel you want — use toggle visibility to turn panels off and on until you spot the back panel.
  5. Grab your design and drag it on top of that panel — it drops instantly into the panel.
  6. Repeat for the other panel (copy with Ctrl + C, find the panel, paste with Ctrl + V).
  7. Fill the remaining panels with solid color using the Eyedropper tool — select a panel, eyedrop the color you want, and copy that color onto the neckband to finish.

Step 5: Export your finished design​

Save your work as a PDF — it's the preferred format because it keeps everything as vector.

  • In Illustrator: Save a Copy and choose PDF, then give it a name (for example, "design1").
  • In Affinity: File → Export → PDF, using the default options.

Watch your file size. Keep files around 10 MB or smaller — uploads get unreliable above that.

  • If your PDF goes over 10 MB, save it as a JPEG instead.
  • In Illustrator, export a JPEG with File → Export → Export As → JPEG, saved at high quality.

Bottom line: PDF (vector) is best, but if it tops 10 MB, switch to a high-quality JPEG.

Step 6: Preview it on the 3D Product Customizer​

  1. Go back to the short sleeve rash guard product page and click Customize this product. You'll start on a plain, blank mockup.
  2. Click the full screen button first, then use the right mouse button to move the model into place.
  3. Open the Graphics tab, then open the Upload from template section.
  4. Click Upload image and choose your exported PDF.
  5. Wait a moment — it can take up to 30 seconds — and your design appears on the 3D model.

Step 7: Customize and order​

With your design on the model, you can finish it off:

  • Take a screenshot of the 3D mockup to use later.
  • Add text: click Add Name → Add new text to put a name on the back.
  • Add a number if you want one.
  • When it looks right, click Order, set the quantity for your size, and Add to basket.

In a few weeks, the finished garment arrives in your hands — ready to wear, photograph, and feature on your store.

Bottom line: Design it in a template, preview it in 3D, and order the exact mockup you see. (A future episode will cover using AI to put your 3D mockup onto a real-looking model.)