This guide shows you how to create a new product in Composerie. A product is the personalizable item your shoppers buy and customize on your store. You can start one in three ways, and this article walks through each. It is written for store owners setting up their first products as well as anyone adding more.
Three ways to start a product
When you create a product, Composerie gives you three starting points. Pick the one that matches where your base item comes from.
- Catalog: Pick a base product from a connected print provider, like a t-shirt, mug, or poster. This is the default screen when you start a new product. The provider handles printing and shipping.
- Custom product: Design your own blank from scratch. You set the canvas size, the print sides, and how the order is fulfilled. This is a good fit when you print or ship the item yourself.
- Template: Reuse one of your saved designs as the starting point. This option only appears when your workspace already has at least one template.
The catalog path needs a connected print provider, and the template path needs at least one saved template. If neither exists yet, those cards are shown but disabled, with a short note explaining why. You can still start a custom product at any time.
Create from a print provider catalog
This is the fastest way to start when a print provider already stocks the item you want to sell. You browse their catalog, pick a base product, and Composerie sets up the rest.
Open Products, then click Create
Go to Products in the left navigation, then click Create. You land on the print provider catalog browser by default.
Browse or search a provider's catalog
Use the sidebar to switch between providers, then browse or search for the item you want. Click a product card to open its detail view and see the available variants.
Add the base product
Add the base product from its detail view. Composerie creates a draft for it and opens the design editor so you can start placing text, images, and graphics.
If your catalog is empty, you have no provider connected yet. Head to connect a provider first, then come back and start again from the catalog.
Create a custom product from scratch
Choose this path when you supply and fulfill the item yourself, or when no provider stocks what you need. The custom product studio opens full screen, with a live canvas preview on the left and a specs inspector on the right.
Choose Custom product
From the catalog browser sidebar, choose Custom product. The studio opens with one variant and a Front side already in place.
Enter a product name
Type a name for the product in the Product name field at the top of the inspector. This is the name you and your shoppers will see.
Set the canvas size
Open the size preset picker to choose a standard format, such as A4, A5, a postcard, or a poster. You can also key in your own width and height. Set the DPI for print quality, plus the safe margin and bleed for the print edge.
Add print sides and variants
Add print sides if your item has more than one printable face, like Front and Back. Each side gets its own size and settings. If you sell the same design in more than one option, add variants and mark one as the primary variant.
Pick a fulfilment method
Choose how the order is handled. Select I print and ship it if you produce and ship the item yourself, or Customer downloads it if the buyer receives a downloadable file instead of a physical product.
Create the product
Click Create product. Composerie saves it as a draft and opens it in the design editor, ready for you to design.
Create from a saved template
If you have built reusable designs, you can start a product from one. This option appears in the sidebar only when your workspace has at least one template. Choose Templates, pick the design you want, and Composerie copies that design into a new draft product, then opens it in the design editor. To learn how to build and store these, see product templates.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the Catalog or Templates options greyed out?
Catalog needs at least one connected print provider, and Templates needs at least one saved template. When either is missing, that card is disabled with a short note. You can always start a custom product instead.
Does creating a product publish it to my store?
No. Every starting method saves the product as a draft and opens the design editor. It stays private until you publish it to your storefront.
Can I change the canvas size after I create a custom product?
You set the canvas, sides, and fulfilment method during creation. After that you work in the design editor and on the product page to refine the design and details.
What is the difference between print and ship and customer downloads?
I print and ship it means you produce and send the physical item. Customer downloads it means the buyer receives a downloadable file rather than a shipped product.
Next
Once your product exists, see manage your product list to find, sort, and open it again.