Key Concepts #

Before you start creating customizable products, it’s important to understand how Product Designer App (PDA) is organized. Once you know these core concepts, setting up even complex products becomes much easier.

How Product Designer App Works #

Product Designer App (PDA) follows a simple workflow:

WordPress Product + Product base design → Add Design Template (If sell design template) → Customer add Customization (Or personalize with design template) on each Views (Front, Back, Left, Right...) + PDA calculation print price and combine with WooCommerce Product Price → Customer Buy → Print-ready Files

Each product is built from one or more Design templates/Customization. Every template contains one or more views, and each view is made up of multiple layers that define what customers can see and edit.

Product #

A Product is your WooCommerce product that customers purchase.

For example:

• T-Shirt
• Mug
• Business Card
• Phone Case
• Sticker
• Banner

The WooCommerce product handles original pricing, shipping, and checkout, while Product Designer App (PDA) provides the product customization experience and calculation print price.

Design Template #

A Design Template defines how a product can be customized (Customers can purchase the design template directly without making any changes, or customize it with simple edits based on the original design).

It contains everything required for the design experience, including:

• Product views
• Editable areas
• Images
• Backgrounds
• Masks
• Text placeholders
• Design settings

One template can be assigned to one or multiple WooCommerce products. For example, several T-shirt products with different colors can share the same template.

Views #

A View represents one side or one printable area of a product. Examples include:

• Front
• Back
• Left Sleeve
• Right Sleeve
• Inside
• Cover
• Page 1

Customers can switch between views while designing. Some products only have one view, while others may have many.

Layers #

Layers are the building blocks of every design. Each layer contains a specific visual element. Common layer types include:

• Product image
• Background
• Mask
• Shadow
• Editable text
• Placeholder image
• Decoration
• Overlay

Layers are rendered from bottom to top, just like in Photoshop or Illustrator. Proper layer order is essential for creating realistic product previews.

Editable Area #

The Editable Area defines where customers are allowed to place their designs. Anything placed outside this area can be:

• Hidden
• Clipped
• Restricted

This helps ensure that exported artwork matches the printable region of the product.

Product Image #

The Product Image is the base image of your product. Examples:

• Blank T-shirt
• Empty mug
• Phone case
• Canvas

Customers normally cannot edit this image. It provides the realistic product preview.

Mask Layer #

A Mask Layer controls which parts of the customer’s artwork remain visible. Masks are commonly used for:

• Curved surfaces
• Folded fabric
• Sleeves
• Wrinkles
• Transparent windows
• Product edges
• Camera of phone case

Masks help create professional and realistic mockups.

Shadow & Highlight Layers #

Shadow and highlight layers add depth to the preview (Setup as mask layer). These layers simulate:

• Fabric folds
• Light reflections
• Surface texture
• Depth
• Realistic printing effects

Although optional, they greatly improve the visual quality of the final preview.

Customer Design #

When customers open the designer, they can customize the product by:

• Adding text
• Uploading images
• Changing colors
• Moving objects
• Resizing
• Rotating
• Choosing product options

The design is displayed instantly with live preview.

Pricing #

Printing Types control how customization costs are calculated for Product Designer App products. Each Printing Type can define additional charges based on the selected product side, color, size, quantity, or other printing-related options. When a customer customizes a product, Product Designer App combines the WooCommerce base product price with the applicable Printing Type charges to calculate the final price in real time. You can create multiple Printing Types for different production methods, such as screen printing, embroidery, engraving, sublimation, or direct-to-garment printing, and assign the appropriate configuration to each Product Base.

Print-ready Files #

When an order is placed, Product Designer App automatically generates production files. Depending on your configuration, export formats may include:

• SVG
• PDF
• PNG

These files preserve the customer’s design and are suitable for professional printing workflows.

Design Assets #

Assets are reusable resources available inside the designer. Examples include:

• Fonts
• Clipart
• Icons
• Images
• Shapes
• Templates
• Color palettes

Assets can be shared across multiple products and templates.

Product Options #

Product Options allow customers to configure the product before or during customization. Examples:

• Size
• Color
• Material
• Print position
• Quantity
• Extra services

Options can also affect pricing and determine which design template or product view is displayed.

Layer Order #

Layer order determines how elements are displayed. Example:

Mask with Highlight & Shadow
↑
Editable Area and Customer Design
↑
Background Color or Product Image Background

Changing the order can significantly alter the appearance of the preview, so it is important to organize layers carefully.

Workflow Summary #

A typical workflow in Product Designer App looks like this:

1. Create a WooCommerce product.
2. Create a design template (If sell design template).
3. Add one or more views.
4. Build each view using layers.
5. Define editable areas.
6. Assign the template to the product.
7. Publish the product.
8. Customers customize the product online.
9. The plugin generates print-ready files after purchase.

Next Step #

Now that you understand the core concepts, continue to Quick Start to learn how to install the plugin, create your first design template, and build your first customizable product.