Collect customer files for custom orders in five steps
Five steps for collecting customer artwork for custom orders, from file rules to a clear approval.
Selling personalised or print-on-demand items means every order waits on a file you do not control. To collect customer files for custom orders, you need five habits: say what you need before the order, collect the files in one place, name them by order, send a proof, and keep a clear approval. This article walks through each step, so a one-person store can run it without extra staff.
Most of the trouble comes from files that arrive in the wrong form, or from a yes that nobody wrote down. The fix is a short process.
Tell customers what files you need before they order
Most bad files come from customers who were never told what a good file looks like. Put the rules on the product page, where the customer decides, and repeat them wherever they upload. A rule is only useful if it is specific: "PNG or PDF, at least 3000 pixels on the long side, transparent background if you can" beats "high resolution".
Decide the rules from your printer or production method, not from guesswork. If your print partner needs vector artwork for embroidery, say so. If a photo under a certain size will print blurry, give the number and tell customers what happens if they upload less.
Give customers this checklist on the product page and again at the upload step:
- Accepted file types (for example PNG, JPG, PDF) - Minimum size in pixels, or minimum size in MB for photos - Whether a transparent background is needed - What to do about fonts: outline the text, or send the font name - Where to type the order number or the name on the item - What happens next: you send a proof and print only after they approve it
Collect customer files at order time, in one place
Ask for the file while the customer is still thinking about the order. Waiting until they find an email days later means a delay you pay for.
A file request fits this job. You create a link with a title and instructions, choose the folder the files should land in, and send the link. The person uploading never needs an account, and you get an email when files arrive. Paste the link into your product page text and into the message you send after the order, and put your checklist in the request instructions, so the rules sit next to the upload.
On the Free plan, an organization gets 1 active request and 50 submissions a month, so check that against your order volume. Pro is unlimited, and it also adds a custom link and an embed for your own website.
Name and sort customer files by order
A folder of files called IMG_4021.jpg and final-logo.png is a production error waiting to happen. Pick one naming rule and use it every time. A pattern such as 1042-smith-front-artwork.png (order number, customer, what the file is) sorts itself and tells you what you are looking at.
Ask customers to put their order number in the file name, and rename on arrival when they do not. Keep one folder per order if your volume is low, or one folder per week with order numbers in the file names if it is high.
On the monthly or yearly Pro plan, the AI assistant (Beta) includes smart file names. Smart names can tidy a messy file, but they are no substitute for the order number.
Rename the file the moment it arrives, before you open it in your design tool. Add the order number first, so a search for 1042 finds everything about that order.
Send a proof the customer can answer in one line
A proof is a picture of what you will make, shown before you make it. Make it easy to judge: show the item mock-up, the text exactly as it will print, and the size. Spelling is the most common reason for a reprint, so write the personalised text out in the message as plain words too.
For an image or a PDF, client feedback turns an image or a PDF into a review board that clients comment on and approve with one link. The customer needs no account. Client feedback and approval is included on the Free plan.
Then ask for one clear answer. "Looks good" is not approval, because a customer may mean the layout and not the spelling. For a proof sent any other way, ask the customer to reply with the word "Approved" and the order number, and say in advance that printing starts only after that reply. If they want changes, they say what to change in one message.
Handle revisions without losing the right file
The second proof is where stores get into trouble. There are now three files called final, and nobody is sure which one the customer approved. Label every proof with a version number: 1042-proof-v1, 1042-proof-v2. Never overwrite an approved file; save the next one beside it.
On the Pro plan, file versions keep the history. Upload a new version of a file, see the history and go back to an earlier one. Agency includes everything in Pro. Whatever plan you are on, keep the v1, v2 habit for proofs. For a longer look at the problem, read how to send updated files to clients without version confusion.
Keep the record
If a customer says "I never approved that", you want an answer in a minute. Keep the final approved proof, the customer's original file and the approval message together in the order's folder, or in a note you can find by order number.
Do not treat any one place as your archive forever. Deleted items wait in a recovery bin, 30 days on Free and 90 days on Pro. Decide how long you keep order files, and save what you need to keep for longer. The activity log is a searchable record of what happened across your workspace, with export, if you want a second source.
When an order ships, move its folder to a "Done" area and write the ship date in the folder name. Clearing finished orders keeps your active list short and makes a dispute easy to answer.
Set this up today
Write your file rules (types, sizes, background, text) and add them to your product pages.
Create a file request with those rules as the instructions, and choose a destination folder.
Add the request link to your order confirmation message.
Pick one naming pattern, with the order number first.
Write a proof message that asks for the word "Approved" and the order number.
What to remember about Tarkle
Tarkle's file request gives your customers one link to upload their artwork, with no account, into the folder you choose. The Free plan includes 1 active request and 50 submissions a month, and Pro is unlimited. You still set your own file rules, naming pattern and proof wording. Start on the Free plan and create your first file request.