Different option types appear as different kinds of personalization layers. This reference explains what each option type can do, and any special configuration steps.
Layer kind: Text
What it does: Customer text input appears as text on the product image.
Configuration:
Customer controls available: Change position, Rotate
Example: Mug engraving where customers type their name. Link it to a Font picker (customers choose font), Color swatch (customers choose text color), and Number input (customers set size).
Layer kind: None (doesn't create a visual layer directly)
What it does: Controls a text layer's size or any other numeric sizing.
In personalization: Link to a text layer's Font size setting so customers can resize text.
Example: A "Text size" slider (0–72). Link it to an engraving text layer. Customers move the slider to resize text on the preview.
Layer kind: Image or Background swap
Image behavior:
Configuration:
Customer controls available: Change position, Change size, Rotate
Example: A "Mug color" dropdown (Red, Blue, Green). Each shows a different colored mug overlay.
Layer kind: Image
Multi-select mode: Choose Slots (1–50, filled in order) or Per value (each value has a fixed spot)
Configuration:
Customer controls available (per slot/value): Change position, Change size, Rotate
Example: "Toppings" checkboxes (Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Olives). Use Per-value mode so each always appears in the same spot.
Layer kind: Image
Image behavior:
Multi-select support: Yes for manually configured swatches (use Slots or Per value mode). Image swatch options with Image source → Shopify product variants do not support multiple selections — each value maps to one variant.
Configuration:
For Color swatch, the selected color is automatically used if you're displaying an image layer with that color. For a manual Image swatch, the swatch's uploaded images are used unless you upload different per-value images in Step 4.
Shopify-synced image swatch — When Image source is Shopify product variants, each value's preview image comes from that variant's featured image. The Preview images per value mapping table is not shown — configure the option in Options & Pricing instead. See Option Basic Settings and Configuring Options.
Customer controls available (per swatch value): Change position, Change size, Rotate
Example: "Logo color" color swatch — customers pick a color and the logo overlay changes. Pattern image swatch synced from Shopify — each variant's featured image appears on the product preview when the customer picks that swatch.
Layer kind: Image
Multi-select support: Always (customers upload 1 or more files)
Multi-select mode: Slots (each file fills next slot) or Per value (not applicable; file contents are the values)
Configuration:
Customer controls available (per file slot): Change position, Change size, Rotate
Drag-to-reorder: On the storefront, customers can drag files between slots to reorder them.
Example: "Photo collage" with 4 slots in a 2×2 grid. Customers upload photos; each fills the next slot. They can move each photo and resize it. Drag photos between slots to reorder.
Layer kind: None (doesn't create a visual layer directly)
What it does: Controls text layer font family.
In personalization: Link to a text layer's Font family setting. When customers pick a font, text on the preview updates to that font.
Example: "Engraving font" picker with options like Arial, Georgia, Script. Link to a text layer. Customers pick a font and see text change in real time.
Layer kind: None
What it does: Controls text layer color.
In personalization: Link to a text layer's Font color setting. When customers pick a color, text color updates.
Alternative: Link a Color swatch instead for predefined color choices.
Example: "Text color" color picker linked to engraving text layer. Customers pick any color and see text turn that color.
Layer kind: None (typically not used for overlays)
What it does: Captures multi-axis measurements.
In personalization: Not commonly used as a layer itself, but can provide sizing data for other calculations.
Product List — Cannot be used in personalization layers.
Each layer ties to one option, but you can layer multiple options:
All stack on the base image, giving customers full customization control.