Templates or Smart Images in the Image Editor provide a foundation for consistent and efficient asset creation. This guide explains the steps to create a new template and define placeholders for dynamic content.
Steps to Create New Templates / Smart Images
1. Open the Image Editor
- Log in to your Brand Channel account.
- Navigate to the Image Editor via the main menu.
- Click "Create new" to start a new template.
- Set a Name.
- Select one or multiple resolutions.
Tip: If you work with placeholders, we recommend that you only add additional resolutions once the main resolution has been completely created.
2. Add Elements to Your Template
- Images:
- Select images from your Brand Channel library.
- Use tools to crop, rotate, and adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation.
- Apply filters, overlays, and shadows for enhanced visual effects.
- Text:
- Add text boxes to your asset.
- Customize font style, size, color, alignment, and spacing.
- Apply effects like shadows or outlines for emphasis.
- Shapes:
- Choose from predefined shapes (e.g., circles, rectangles, polygons).
- Customize shapes by adjusting fill color, stroke color, opacity, and gradients.
3. Save Your Work
- Save: Saves your template. You will be prompt to select a folder for this. This allows you to modify it or use it for future projects.
- Save as New: Saves your existing template as a new asset.
Define Placeholders
Placeholders in a template allow for dynamic content replacement, making templates versatile and reusable.
1. Add Placeholder Elements
- Select an element (e.g., image, text) that should act as a placeholder.
- Open the Placeholder Settings from the element's properties menu.
2. Configure Placeholder Properties
- Set Content Type: Define the type of content that can replace the placeholder:
- Text: Specify character limits and formatting rules.
- Image: Set size or resolution constraints for replacement images.
- Shapes: Define acceptable color or size variations.
Recommended Placeholders
When setting up placeholders, it is recommended to use the following configurations for optimal usability:
- Text:
- Allow to Change Fill: Allows to change the color or to hide the text.
- Allow to Edit Text: Allows to edit the text.
- Act as Placeholder: Shows the image as a placeholder when using the template.
- Allow to Style Text: E.g. to change the font or size of the text.
- Image:
- Allow to Change Fill: Allows to replace or hide the image.
- Allow to Change Fill Type: Allows to replace the image with color.
- Act as a Placeholder: Shows the image as a placeholder when using the template.
- Shape:
- Allow to Change Fill: Allows to change the color of the shape.
- Allow to Change Fill Type: Allows to change the content of the shape with an image.
Note: Other placeholders should be used with caution, especially those impacting alignment across different resolutions (e.g., Move, Crop). Ensure to test thoroughly before deploying such placeholders.
Unsupported Placeholders
The following placeholder types are currently not supported by the sharing-feature in the Image Editor:
- Duplicate
- Delete
- Adjustments
- Filter
- Effect
- Blur
Note: This only effects sharing dynamic templates. You can still use e.g. Filters and Effects to edit your assets and templates.
Add and Remove Resolutions
The Image Editor allows you to manage resolutions for templates to ensure compatibility across various use cases.
- Open your template in the Image Editor.
- Click "Template Options" and "Edit Resolutions"
- Add or remove resolutions.
- Save.
Tip: Ensure you test all added resolutions to verify that design elements scale appropriately.
Tips for Effective Template Creation
- Design templates with reusability in mind by using flexible placeholders.
- Regularly preview and test templates (especially different resolutions) to ensure compatibility with dynamic content.
- Maintain consistent design elements to align with your brand guidelines.