You don’t need design software—or design experience—to create a personalized award or deal toy.
Altrum’s online customization tool lets you start with a professionally designed template, add your own content, preview and share the result, and place your order online. Here’s how to use it.
1. Choose Your Product
Start by browsing our collection and selecting the product you’d like to personalize.
Choose your preferred size, color, shape, or other available variation, then click Customize to open the customization tool.
Most products include a pre-designed template with placeholder text and images. These professionally created layouts give you a production-ready starting point while leaving plenty of room to make the design your own.
2. Explore the Customization Tool
The central workspace shows your product and design as you work. The available tools allow you to edit text, upload artwork, add design elements, and adjust the layout.
Depending on the product, you may be able to:
- Edit or add text
- Upload logos, images, and graphics
- Choose from built-in images and clipart
- Change fonts and colors
- Move, resize, and rotate elements
- Customize multiple print areas
- Preview the finished product in real time
The available options may vary by product and printing method.
3. Move Between the Print Areas
Some products have more than one customizable area, such as a front, back, top, or base.
Use the available view or side controls to move between them. Be sure to review every print area before completing your design—even if you only intend to personalize one side.
The outlined design area shows where your artwork can be printed. Keep important text, logos, and images within this space to prevent anything from being cut off.
4. Personalize the Text
Select an existing text element to replace the placeholder copy, or use the text tool to add something new.
Depending on the template, you may be able to adjust:
- Names, dates, titles, and messages
- Font style and size
- Text color
- Alignment and spacing
- Position, rotation, and scale
Keep the physical size of the finished piece in mind. Text that appears large on your screen may be much smaller when printed on an award.
Before ordering, carefully check all names, dates, figures, punctuation, and spelling. Your product will be manufactured using the information you submit.
5. Upload Your Logo or Artwork
Use the image tool to upload a company logo, graphic, photograph, or other artwork.
For the best printed result:
- Use vector files such as SVG, EPS, AI, or vector PDF whenever possible
- Upload raster images at a minimum of 300 DPI at their final printed size
- Avoid low-resolution images copied from websites or email signatures
- Avoid JPG files when a higher-quality format is available
- Keep the original proportions when resizing logos to avoid distortion
Once uploaded, you can position, resize, and rotate your artwork within the available print area.
The tool may display a warning if an image has insufficient resolution or extends beyond the printable area. Don’t ignore these alerts—they can identify issues that may affect the finished product or delay production.
6. Use the Built-In Design Elements
Depending on the product, you may also have access to built-in:
- Images and clipart
- Shapes and graphic elements
- Fonts and colors
- Backgrounds
- Layouts and templates
These elements have already been prepared for production, making them an easy and reliable way to complete your design.
If you’re working with a tight timeline, using the existing template and built-in design assets can also reduce the chance that your artwork will need to be corrected before production.
7. Arrange and Review Your Design
As you customize, use the on-screen controls to move, resize, rotate, duplicate, or remove elements.
If multiple objects overlap, select the element you want to adjust and change its position within the design. Keep your most important information prominent and leave enough space around text and logos for the layout to feel balanced.
Simple layouts often produce the strongest results. You don’t need to fill every available space.
Before continuing, check:
- Is everything inside the printable area?
- Are all names, dates, and details correct?
- Is the logo sharp and correctly proportioned?
- Is the text large enough to read?
- Have you reviewed every customizable side?
- Does anything overlap unintentionally?
8. Preview Your Finished Design
Use the preview options to review your work before ordering.
Depending on the product, you can:
- Review a flat view of each printed area
- Generate a PDF showing the complete design
- View the personalized product in 3D
- Rotate the product to inspect different sides
- Use augmented reality to visualize select products in your space
The flat-view PDF is particularly useful for checking text, artwork, positioning, and scale. It can also be downloaded and shared with colleagues, clients, or approvers.
Remember that the preview is a digital representation. Screen settings, material finishes, and the conversion from RGB screen colors to CMYK print colors may cause slight differences in the finished product.
9. Save Your Design
Want to return later, reorder, or apply your design to another product? Log into your account before saving.
- Select the Save icon in the bottom-right corner, directly above Add to Cart.
- Give your design a clear, recognizable name.
- Select Save again to confirm.
Your saved designs can be accessed from My Saved Designs inside the customization tool.
Saved designs are not limited to the original product or variation. You can apply a saved design to another product, color, shape, or size.
Just remember that print areas and proportions vary between products. If you reuse a design elsewhere, carefully review the placement and scale of every element and make any necessary adjustments before ordering.
For the best account experience, use the same work email address for each order. This helps keep your order history and account support connected to the correct customer and organization profile.
10. Share Your Design
Need feedback or approval before ordering? Use Share Design to send your work to a colleague, client, or approver.
The preview and sharing options allow you to:
- Share a link to the personalized design
- Share or download an image of the product
- Generate a PDF with flat views of the complete design
- Preview the product in 3D
- Use augmented reality on select products
A shared design link allows others to review the design and, where appropriate, continue customizing it or place an order.
The PDF option is especially useful when:
- A client needs to approve a deal toy
- A manager needs to review an award
- Several stakeholders are checking names or transaction details
- Your procurement team needs a design record
- You want to compare multiple options before ordering
Before sharing or downloading, save your latest changes and confirm that the link, image, or PDF displays the correct version.
11. Add Your Design to the Cart
Once you’re happy with your design, select Add to Cart in the bottom-right corner.
If the tool displays an artwork warning or confirmation message, review it carefully before continuing. You may need to improve an image, move an element inside the print area, or confirm that you have reviewed the design.
In your cart, check:
- The product and variation
- The design preview
- The quantity
- The shipping destination
- Your required delivery date
If you need to make a change, return to the customization tool and update the design before completing checkout.
Once everything is correct, proceed to checkout and place your order. Your confirmation and order updates will be sent to the email address associated with your account.
Before You Order: A Final Checklist
Take one last look before completing your purchase:
- Correct product, size, color, and variation
- Correct spelling, names, dates, and figures
- High-resolution logos and images
- All elements contained within the printable area
- Every customizable side reviewed
- Correct quantity and shipping address
- Enough time allowed for production and delivery
Most online-store products require 5–10 business days for production once the artwork is confirmed as print-ready. Shipping time is additional and varies by destination.
If you’re ordering for an event, check the estimated production timeline on the product page and allow time for both production and shipping.
Start Creating
Our customization tool brings professional design and online convenience together. Start with a curated, production-ready design, make it your own, and see the finished piece take shape before you order.
Browse Customizable Awards & Deal Toys
Watch the Customization Tool Tutorial
