eCustom.com allows you to design products using our on-line design tools. One can design a product by uploading images, adding text, and adding clip-art that we provide. The only pre-requisite needed is that you create a free username/password account with us. Once you design a product, you can save it and it will be available to you any time you come back to our site. These works you create are called "Projects" or "Designs". You can send links to these products to your friends and family and even make them completely public so others can order them and enjoy them.

Once we have an order from you, we custom create your product from your design and ship it out to you. No minimum quantity is normally needed on any of our products. You can order as few as 1 item.

Important Copyright Warning:
You must own any image or text you upload to use for a design. If you do not have full copyrights to the image, you may not upload it and use it. We review all designs and will refuse to create any design with obvious copyrighted images or text.

Some simple examples of what not to do:

* DON'T download an image from the internet, you likely do not own it!
* DON'T write the name of an NFL team on a product.
* DON'T upload an image of a superstar onto your design.
* DON'T upload or write anything that you don't think you solely own the rights to.


Some simple examples of what to do:

* DO upload pictures of your children you have taken with your digital camera.
* DO upload graphics that someone has created for your softball team shirts.
* DO write personal text like names and greetings.
* DO scan photos you have taken and upload them.

Getting Started
To get started creating products you first must create a free username and password on our site. This allows you to start and stop designing at any time. You will also be able to use the same images you upload more than once without having to upload them again. Once you have a login, simply choose the type of product you want to design and get started. We recommend that you use the latest version of Internet Explorer for the best results.

How to Add Images
Once you load the designer, simply click the "Upload" tab. This allows you to upload your photos and images. Once they are uploaded, they will always be available to you from the "My Images" tab. Click on the My Images tab, and then double click the image you want to add to the project. When loading images, you have three choices:

1. Load As Is
- Nothing is changed, the image is loaded even if it bigger than the design area. (Recommended)

2. Load Resized
- Image is proportionally resized to fit within the design area.

3. Load and Crop
- You can manually crop out an area of the image to put on the design area (for experts).

How to Add Text
Adding text to your image is easy. Click on the "Design" tab within the on-line design tool. Next click on the "Add Text" link at the top right of the tab area. The add text area will be displayed. You can choose from numerous different fonts and font sizes. You can change colors on items that allow for color. Please note that Laser Engraved items are designed in black and white only.

How to Edit an Image
Once you have an image on the designer, click the "Design" tab within the designer. At the top right, you will see a list of images and text that are on your design. Click the Edit button in the Actions column on the row of the image you want to edit. You will see the image editor appear. You can then change numerous things about the image. You can also select an image for editing by clicking it and dragging it within the design area.

How to Edit Text
Once you have text on the designer, click the "Design" tab within the designer. At the top right, you will see a list of images and text that are on your design. Click the Edit button in the Actions column on the row of the text you want to edit. You will see the text editor appear. You can then change numerous things about the text. If you change the font size, color, or the text itself, make sure you hit the "Update" button to actually update the design area with the new information.

How to Change Sizes and Colors of a Product
Inside the designer, click the "Options" tab. This tab will give you general information about the product you are designing. It will also give you drop down choices that are available for that particular product. For example, you will see Size and Color options for Laser Engraved Silicone Wristbands.

How to use the Gallery Images
Inside the designer, click the "Gallery" tab. You will see a drop down list of available Albums. Choose one of these albums from the list. Once you choose an album, thumbnails for that gallery will show. To add one of these to your design, simply double click it. Some Gallery images allow you to change up to 5 different colors within it!

How to Save a Design for Later
Inside the designer, click the Save button (disk) in the top menu. You can give your design a name and save it for later use. Always save your designs often, so you don't lose your work!

Using Photoshop or Illustrator
If you know what you are doing, you will create your T-Shirt or other product designs in Illustrator or Photoshop and will have little use for our on-line designer. This is the best way to design products because you have full control using top of the line software.

Once you have a design, simply export the design as a high quality JPG or PNG. You can then upload the image into the designer and locate it where you like. Save the project and add it to your basket and thats it. We use the high quality JPG or PNG image to create your T-Shirt or product.

Be certain that your white and black background colors are 100% white and black so they do not show up as gray on the product. You can also choose to have transparent backgrounds on your PNG images as they work especially well for black garments.

If you absolutely must give us a different type of file, please contact us about the details before sending it to us. We will help decide the best we to proceed with your design.

Design area size for certain products
T-Shirts: 1500px by 1800px (No bleed area)
Coffee Mugs: 400px by 450px (No bleed area)
Dog Tags: 275px by 425px (Will bleed over rounded edges, also has hole in top area)
Mousepads: 1042px by 861px (Will bleed over rounded edges)
Silicone Wristbands: 1050px by 117px (No bleed)

If you are using Illustrator or Photoshop, you should start with these pixel sizes when creating images. You can save them as 72dpi jpg or png files before uploading. We will images will be resampled appropriately depending on the type of printing we are doing. For example, some images will be sampled to 150dpi while others 300dpi.

What is a Bleed?
The image sizes above are all square or rectangular. Yet, the some of the products have rounded edges or are even different shapes. When you want the image to cover the entire area, some of the image will be lost around rounded edges. This is known as the bleed. For example, a custom poker chip is round. Yet, the image you give us will be square. The corner areas will bleed off and be lost.

You can see how this works by going into the designer and designing a custom Dog Tag. Upload a photo that covers the entire design area. Next, click and hold down the "Preview" button in the top menu. The designer will gray out the areas of the image that will be lost. That is considered the "bleed". Keep this in mind when designing images for products.

Basic T-Shirts
Our T-Shirts are high quality 6.1oz 100% preshrunk cotton from manufacturers like Gildan and Hanes. We offer White, Ash, and Black on-line at this time. If you are looking for other colors, please feel free to contact us.

We use direct garment digital printing to put your design on the shirt. The print should only fade slightly if any. It does not have the hard feel to it like screen-printing and will not crack or peal.

Direct printing on black shirts is still in Beta, as it is a more involved process. This is why it is more expensive to design a black shirt.

Size Chart for Basic T-Shirts (Men's / Unisex)

Size	Chest	Width*	Length**
S	34-36	18	28
M	38-40	20	29
L	42-44	22	30
XL	46-48	24	31
XXL	50-52	26	32

* Seem to seem across the chest
** From the point where the collar and shoulder seams meet to the bottom of the hem

Mousepads
Our mousepads are high quality 1/8 inch thick with a rubber back.

Dog Tags
Our color dog tags are 1.25 x 2 inches with a printable front side and aluminum back. These are a thin aluminum and come with a large ball chain.

Coffee Mugs
We have 11 oz and 15 oz coffee mugs and are currently only available in white. The mugs are ceramic and are printable on both sides. We are able to wrap an image all the way around the mug, but you must contact us for this ability as we do not allow it from within the designer.

Silicone Wristbands
Our laser engraved wristbands are made from silicone rubber. The adult size is about 8 inches while the youth size is about 7 inches. We offer a number of different colors. We use laser engraving machines to engrave your designs into the band. You can design both the front and back, but if you want engraving on the inside of the band, you must contact us for more information. All designs must be in black and white for laser engraved custom products.