A Kickflip configurator works by stacking image layers on top of each other. Each customizable part of your product is its own layer, and Kickflip shows, hides and recolours them as your customer makes choices.
Before you build anything, you need to turn one product image into several — one per customizable part.
On a t-shirt, that could mean the body, the sleeves and the neckline, for example. Your own product might have three layers or fifteen, depending on how much you want customers to control.
This work happens outside Kickflip, in Photoshop or in your 3D software.
From photos
If you're starting from photography, you'll cut each customizable part out of the original image using the pen tool, then save it as its own file.
From 3D renders
If you have a 3D model of your product, your 3D artist can render each part separately straight out of the software. No cutting required, since the parts are already separate in the model. The output requirements are the same either way, see below.
What every layer needs
Whichever route you take, the files you hand to Kickflip should be:
Transparent PNGs. Everything except the part itself needs to be see-through, so the layers below show through.
Identical in size. Every layer must have the same dimensions, or the parts won't line up when stacked. This is the single most common reason a configurator looks wrong.
Desaturated where you'll apply colour. Colours are applied on top of the image, so any layer you plan to recolour should be white or light grey. Layers that stay a fixed colour can keep their original appearance.
Around 1200×1200px and compressed. Large files slow your configurator down for customers. TinyPNG works well for this.
Learn by downloading our example images
Downloading these examples is a good way to understand what a finished image set looks like.
Shoe customizer — made from photos
These were cut out of product photography in Photoshop, with one set of files per view. You'll notice most of the parts are white. That's deliberate: the customizer applies colour to those images dynamically, so one white layer covers every colour option you offer.
Suitcase customizer — made from 3D renders
These came out of a 3D model, rendered as transparent PNGs.
Here there's a separate image for every variation of every part, and the customizer swaps between them based on what the customer picks. More files, but each one is an exact render rather than a colour applied on top.
Not doing this yourself?
Find an artwork expert or 3D specialist on our partner page to help you prepare your images. Many photo editing experts or 3D artists on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork can also help you with this type of work.
Whoever you work with, send them this page. The requirements above are everything they need.
Next step : Build your first customizer →