Customizer Tips and Tricks

Upload Tips

Upload Tips

•Acceptable formats: TIF, JPG, PNG
•Files must be less than 35MB (150 DPI recommended)
•Please ensure that you have the right to use your design
•Log into joann.com to save your image to your account

JOANN does not edit or correct your designs, so any errors in your file will show during printing.
null
Scale

Scale

Your design can be any sized rectangle. Our standard repeat widths are factors of 54 inches. If you wish to achieve a specific size, create your design at 150 ppi, and ensure that it perfectly fits into one of our standard repeat widths (54,” 27,” 18,” 13.5,” 10.8,” 9,” 6.75,” etc.). Otherwise, your design will automatically scale to the next standard repeat size smaller.
null
Repeat

Repeat

Only upload a single repeat or motif of your design; our Customizer makes it easy to customize your repeat style and scale.


We offer 4 repeat options.


•Basic: Also referred to as a block repeat, this is the simplest repeat style. Your design is repeated in a simple grid across the length and width of the fabric.
•Half-brick: This repeat style most closely resembles a brick wall. Your design is repeated in horizontal rows, with each row stepping back halfway.
•Half-drop: Similar to a half-brick repeat, your design is repeated in vertical columns, with each column stepping down halfway.
•Mirrored: This repeat style mirrors your design both vertically and horizontally, creating an entirely new look.
null
Color Customizer

Color Customizer

Designs containing only flat areas of color may be color editable on our site. Designs containing many colors (like photos), or designs containing gradients, are not good candidates for color customization.


Only designs properly color reduced to 12 colors or less can be color customized on our site. We’ve broken down the suggested program specific processes for preparing your files for color customization.


Adobe Photoshop

Use Indexed Color mode to quickly color reduce the number of colors in your design: Image > Mode > Indexed Color


Make the following choices:


  • •Palette: Local (Perceptual)
    •Colors: Choose a value that best represents the number of colors in your design. *
    •Forced: None
    •Transparency: (unchecked)
    •Matte: None
    •Dither: None
    •When done, click “OK.”

*It may be necessary to pick a higher value at first, and later combine similar colors in the Color Table (by copying and pasting hex values between color chips). After this process, color number can be checked by switching to RGB color mode, and then immediately back to Indexed Color mode. This also clears any duplicate colors from the Color Table.


While in Indexed Color mode, clean-up your design to remove any stray or out-of-place pixels, and to smooth any edges as needed. Note: your design may look stair-stepped without anti-aliasing, but as long as the “steps” are only one pixel in size, your elements will look smooth when printed.


Save your design as a TIFF file: File > Save As > TIFF (use LZW compression).


Upload to JOANN.com.


Adobe Illustrator

Export your design as a PNG: File > Export > Export As > PNG > Export



Make the following choices:


•Resolution: Medium (150 ppi)
•Anti-Aliasing: None Background Color:
•White Upload to JOANN.com.
null
Inkscape

Inkscape

Export your Inkscape file as a PDF (to avoid anti-aliasing): File > Save As > PDF > 150 dpi

Next, you’ll need to convert your PDF into a TIFF file. You can do this with any raster application. The following directions are specific to GIMP, which is an open source raster program.

Take this PDF into GIMP - Launch Gimp and open your PDF file with the default scale and resolution choices. Anti-Aliased not checked.

Export your file as a TIFF - File > Export As > TIFF (You will need to type the appropriate file type suffix: “.tif” onto the end of your Design Title). Click “Export.”

Choose the following TIFF settings:

•Compression: LZW
•Click the box for “Save color values from transparent pixels”

Upload to JOANN.com.
null
GIMP

GIMP

Use Indexed Color mode to quickly color reduce the number of colors in your design: Image > Mode > Indexed…Choose 12 or fewer (Choose a value that best represents the number of colors in your design).

Since preview isn’t an option while reducing colors in Gimp, it may be necessary to toggle between RGB and Indexed color modes to avoid losing important colors. If Gimp wants to combine colors that you want to keep separate, use the Fuzzy Select tool and the Paint Bucket to help you differentiate those colors beforehand.

Export your file as a TIFF - File > Export As > TIFF (You will need to type the appropriate file type suffix: “.tif” onto the end of your Design Title). Click “Export.”

Choose the following TIFF settings:

•Compression: LZW
•Click the box for “Save color values from transparent pixels”

Upload to JOANN.com.
null
Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer

Export your file as a PDF - File < Export

Make the following choices:

•PDF (click icon)
•Raster DPI: 150
•Area: Whole Document

Click “More.” Make the following choices:

•Color Space: RGB
•Color Profile: sRGB IEC61966-2

Click “Export.”

Next, you’ll need to convert your PDF into a TIFF file. You can do this with any raster application. The following directions are specific to GIMP, which is an open source raster program.

Take this PDF into GIMP - Launch Gimp and open your PDF file with the default scale and resolution choices. Anti-Aliased not checked.

Export your file as a TIFF - File > Export As >TIFF (You will need to type the appropriate file type suffix: “.tif” onto the end of your Design Title). Click “Export.”

Choose the following TIFF settings:

•Compression: LZW
•Click the box for “Save color values from transparent pixels”

Upload to JOANN.com.
null