Upload tool

The Upload tool allows your customers to upload their images and files to the customizer to personalize your items.

Summary

1. Tool intro
2. Sources for images and files
3. Supported formats
4. Image editing
   4.1 Image stretch
   4.2 Editing tools and filters
   4.2 Masks
   4.3 Other effects
5. Quality check
6. Further details

1. Tool intro

The tool is activated by default but you can change the way your customers use it or even totally disable it from the Printing Methods.

2. Sources for images and files

Customers can:

• Upload multiple images from local storage or mobile image gallery;
• Import images from Facebook;
• Pick images from Premium Photos, a database of over 140 million high-quality images and artworks. Read more here.
• Your custom source: Zakeke allows you to integrate a third-party service as a source for images and files. Read more here. 

3. Supported formats

When you allow customers to upload their own images in the Customizer, Zakeke supports a specific set of file formats: JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF, EPS, and AI.

The behavior of uploaded files depends on the file type, size, and optional features:

• Regular files (up to 50 MB) are processed normally according to their format (vector or raster).

• Large files (over 50 MB) are handled using the Large Files feature, which optimizes upload and processing while preserving content integrity. Learn more.

• Vectorizer feature (optional) can convert raster images into vector upon upload, affecting how the file is rendered and exported in the final print file. Learn more.

This section details the default behavior for standard files. Management of Large Files and Vectorizer is described in their respective guides.

Standard Files (≤50 MB)
Format	Behaviour in UI	Final Print-Ready File
JPEG/PNG	Files are applied as they are, remaining raster.	Final print-ready file includes the original uploaded file.
SVG	SVG files are applied as they are: Vector elements remain vector. Embedded raster images (e.g., JPEG or PNG) remain raster.	Final print-ready file includes the original uploaded file.
PDF	PDF files are handled dynamically based on their internal content: Fully vector PDFs are generally converted to SVG in the Customizer UI to keep them as vector. However, if the PDF is complex, the SVG conversion may introduce elements such as masks, filters, or effects that cannot be preserved when reconverting back to PDF for output. In such cases, Zakeke may rasterize the file (into PNG) to ensure the design remains accurate. Fully raster PDFs remain raster. Mixed PDFs (containing both vector and raster elements) are fully rasterized upon upload. Any color profile is lost during the upload, but any effects are preserved.	In the final print file, the PDF content is embedded according to its type: Vector content is included as SVG elements. Raster content (from fully raster or rasterized PDFs) is included as PNG images.
EPS / AI	The file gets rasterized when uploaded.	Final print-ready file includes the rasterized file.

Pro Tip: If the file is in SVG format, customers can change the colors of the artwork. See this.

Large Files Management

Zakeke allows you to upload and manage large files, from over 50 MB up to 1 GB, using a dedicated feature that optimizes the upload and processing experience. This means you can seamlessly receive print-ready files for large-format products without being restricted by the standard 50MB limit. Learn more about Large Files.

Vectorizer Tool

The Vectorizer feature converts raster images into vector format automatically. It works both with images uploaded by the customer and with files that Zakeke converts into raster format automatically, such as PDFs. This ensures high-quality, scalable designs ready for printing. Learn more about Vectorizer.

4. Image editing

4.1 Image stretch

Enable customers to distort an image in one direction only, instead of only having the option to resize it proportionally.

 

4.2 Editing tools and filters

Zakeke provides you with an advanced image editor which empowers your customers with editing tools,  effects and filters.

In particular, they can use the following tools to edit an image:

• Transform
• Filters
• Adjustments
• Focus
• Brush
• Frames
• Overlay

Customers access those tools by clicking the "edit & filters" button when they upload the image:

4.2 Masks 

Zakeke provides you with a dedicated tool to create a gallery of masks that your customers can use with the images they upload. Read more here.

4.3 Other effects

For those who sell engraved products, Zakeke offers a specific feature to automatically convert images and artworks (along with texts) to simulate engraving. See this.

The tool is very flexible and can also be used by those who do not sell engraved products to apply automatic effects on images, such as:

• Greyscale
• Black and white
• Black and transparent
• Silhouette
• Dark and light
• Blend modes

5. Quality check

Zakeke automatically checks if the quality of the uploaded image is good enough for printing. The quality check calculation is based on the size of the entire print area and the DPI value that you require (by default, the DPI required is 300 but you can change it by creating a Printing Method). When the quality is not good, the customer is informed by a warning message that suggests uploading a better quality image.
You have control over the message and you can:

• Change the message content;
• Totally disable it;
• Keep it but allow customers to ignore it and still be able to add the product to the cart.

You manage it from Settings > Messages and Alerts in your Zakeke back-office.

6. Further details

• Uploaded images are stored in the image gallery for reuse. When customers access the customizer from the same browser, they find the images they've previously uploaded in the Upload section.
• Autofit: you can set an option to get the uploaded image automatically resized to fit the full print area. Read more here.