When a customer personalizes a product and checks out, Composerie turns their design into print-ready files. This guide shows you where those files live on an order, how to download them, how to read the render status, and how to re-render a file if something looks off. It is for merchants who fulfill orders themselves or who want to check what gets sent to a print provider.
Where the print files live
Every personalized order has a Print files section on its detail page. Open the order from your Orders list, then scroll to that section. This is where the generated output lands once the design has been rendered.
You will see two files for a single-surface product:
- Print file · PNG 300 DPI: a raster image at 300 dots per inch, the resolution most print methods expect.
- Print file · PDF (vector): a vector PDF, which keeps text and shapes crisp at any size.
Each file has its own Download button. The download opens the file straight from storage, so you can hand it to a printer or save it for your records.
Under the first file you will see a short spec line. It reads the DPI, the pixel dimensions, and the format, joined together, for example 300 DPI · 4500×5400 · PNG. Use it to confirm the file matches what your print method needs before you send it anywhere.
If a product has more than one print area, Composerie produces one PDF per surface. A shirt with a front and a back, for example, gives you a separate file for each area. Each surface file is forwarded to your provider on its own, mapped to the right area. To learn how print areas are set up, see the Design Studio overview.
Read the render status
The Print files header carries a status pill that tells you where the render is. The pill shows the current state and uses color so you can read it at a glance.
- Queued (blue): the render job is waiting to start.
- Rendering (blue): the files are being generated right now.
- Completed (green): the files are ready, and the order has moved on to fulfillment.
- Failed (red): the render did not finish, and the order needs your attention.
When the status reads Completed, the PNG and PDF are final. For orders routed to a print provider, this is also the point where the order is dispatched, so you do not need to do anything more. To see that hand-off in full, read automatic fulfillment with a print provider.
When the status reads Failed, the files were not produced and the order will not advance until the render succeeds. Your first move is to re-render (see below). If it keeps failing, follow the steps in handle fulfillment errors.
Re-render a file
The Print files header has a Re-render button next to the status pill. It re-queues the render job and runs the same pipeline that produced the original files.
Re-render when:
- The design was changed after the first render and you want the file to match.
- A file looks wrong, has the wrong size, or is missing a surface.
- The render status is Failed and you want to try again.
Open the order and find the Print files section
Go to your Orders list, open the personalized order, and scroll to the Print files section. The header shows the status pill and the Re-render button.
Click Re-render
Select Re-render. The button is disabled while the request is in flight, so you cannot queue it twice by accident. The status pill moves back to Queued, then Rendering, and lands on Completed when the new files are ready.
Check the new files
Once the status reads Completed, the PNG and PDF in the section are the fresh versions. Download them again and confirm the file looks right.
Test orders behave differently. They generate the print files so you can inspect the output, but they are never submitted to a provider. Their fulfillment status stays at test_render_complete. That makes test orders a safe way to preview exactly what a real order would produce. To create one, see the order workflow overview.
Why do I see two files for one product?
Composerie always makes a 300 DPI PNG and a vector PDF for a single print area. Most print methods accept one or the other, so you can pick the format your printer asks for.
Why does my order have more than one PDF?
Products with multiple print areas, such as a front and a back, get one PDF per surface. Each file is forwarded to your provider mapped to its own area.
I re-rendered a test order. Was it sent to my provider?
No. Test orders render the files but are never submitted to a provider. Their fulfillment status reads test_render_complete.
The status says Failed. What do I do?
Try Re-render first. If it fails again, follow the steps in the handle fulfillment errors article.
Next
Once your files look right, see how they reach your printer in automatic fulfillment with a print provider.