Apparel products — t-shirts, hoodies, jerseys, tank tops — are the most common use case for product customization. This guide walks through configuring a garment product from scratch, covering views, color variants, print areas, and the settings that matter for apparel.

What makes apparel different

• Multiple views: Front, back, and optionally sleeves, each with its own print area.
• Garment colors: Customers expect to choose a shirt color that updates across all views.
• Constrained print areas: Designs must stay within the printable zone, which varies by garment size and style.
• Resolution matters: Customer uploads need sufficient DPI for the print area size.

Step 1: Create the product structure

1. Go to Chamevo → Products and create a new product.
2. Open the product in the Product Builder.
3. Create views for each printable side:
   • Front — the main design area
   • Back — the rear print area
   • Left Sleeve / Right Sleeve (optional)

For each view, set the stage dimensions to match the aspect ratio of your garment template. A common starting point is 600×800 pixels for a vertical front view.

Add the garment image

For each view, add an image element for the garment template (the blank t-shirt photo or illustration):

1. Add an image element with the garment graphic.
2. Position it to fill the canvas.
3. Set the element to not editable and not removable — customers should not move or delete the garment image.
4. Set Exclude from Export so the garment image does not appear in the print-ready file.
5. Move the element to the bottom of the layer stack.

Step 2: Define print areas

Each view needs a print area that matches the actual printable zone on the garment:

1. In the Product Builder, configure the print area for each view.
2. Set the print area dimensions to match your printer's specifications (e.g., 12" × 16" for a standard DTG press).
3. Set the output DPI (typically 300 DPI for DTG printing).
4. Position the print area overlay on the garment image so it aligns with the actual printable zone.

Elements added by the customer are constrained to this print area. The print-ready file outputs at the exact dimensions and DPI you configure.

Step 3: Set up garment colors