AI Sign Designer Guide

The AI Sign Designer converts a customer image into a vector SVG outline for sign production. Customers upload a PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF, SVG, or PDF. The AI makes a clean SVG file. Customers use this file immediately to configure and buy a sign.

This is different from a custom design form submission. With AI Sign Designer, customers get a result that they can buy after processing. Processing can take a few minutes. Without it, or when credits run out and you have set a fallback form, customers send a request. You process this request manually later.

What you receive per AI Sign Design conversion

Each successful conversion produces these items:

• The original uploaded file

• A vector SVG outline that is ready for sign configuration

• An EPS file, when EPS generation is on for the customiser

• An Illustrator-compatible PDF with an .ai filename, when AI generation is on for the customiser

The SVG appears immediately in the customiser.

Sign Customiser makes the EPS file and the Illustrator-compatible PDF in the background from the SVG. They appear on the AI design files page in the admin when they are ready. Your production team gets them with no extra steps. To turn on the extra formats, see How to enable/disable SVG, EPS, and Illustrator-compatible PDF files for manufacturing.

Supported upload formats

Customers and admins can upload PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF, SVG, and PDF files. An image or SVG can be up to 5MB. An AVIF image can be up to 8192 pixels on each side and up to 16,777,216 pixels in total. A PDF can be up to 25MB, because brand-guide PDFs are often larger.

For a PDF, the AI converts the first page to an image and processes that image. The result matches the first page of the file. If your design is not on the first page, save that page as a separate PDF. You can also export it as a PNG before you upload it.

The upload step shows these limits to the customer.

Supported Sign Types and Pricing Models

AI Sign Designer works with these sign types and pricing models:

• Neon signs: Frame Fit or Material Length (Advanced Letter) pricing

• Channel Letter signs (acrylic or metal letters): Frame Fit or Material Length pricing

• Metal cut-out signs: Frame Fit pricing

Fixed Width (Simple Letter) pricing is not supported. If your customiser uses the Simple Letter model, the AI Sign Designer (recommended) option is grey in the Custom designs card. On a plan that includes AI Sign Designer, its help text says: “This pricing model does not support AI Sign Designer. Use a Frame Fit or Material Length customiser.” Create a customiser with the Frame Fit or Material Length pricing model before you turn on AI Sign Designer.

When you create a customiser, eligible product types show an “AI Sign Designer” badge. Eligible pricing models show an “AI Sign Designer Compatible” badge. These badges show whether your setup qualifies.

Turning on AI Sign Designer

On the Custom Designs page, find the Custom designs card. Select AI Sign Designer (recommended). The Set up AI Sign Designer card then appears.

Complete each line in the Set up AI Sign Designer card:

• AI credits: The line shows your balance, for example 120 AI credits. If the balance is 0, select Get AI credits.

• Pricing model: Select a pricing model. A Material Length customiser needs a pricing model of type Material Length.

• Fallback form: Select a form that has a required Email field and a File Upload field. See “Configuring the Fallback Form”.

A check icon shows that a line is ready. An alert icon shows that it needs action. The text under the heading shows how many lines are ready, for example 1 of 3 ready. When all three lines are ready, the card shows 3 of 3 ready. Customers can use AI Sign Designer.

Below the card, these options are available:

• Send designs that cannot be made automatically to the fallback form. This option is on by default.

• Save design form. This option is optional. Customers can send their contact details in this form while AI Sign Designer makes their design. The list shows only Custom designs forms that have a required Email field. See “Processing Time”.

• Auto-process uploaded images with AI. This option is optional. Sign Customiser then automatically processes PNG, JPEG, and SVG files that customers upload with quotes. WebP and PDF files are not processed automatically. Each successfully processed file uses one AI credit.

Select Save to apply your changes.

Sign Dimensions for Material Length

If you use Material Length pricing, set two items in the Sign Dimensions card. This card is on the Custom Designs page.

Default sign size

Set the Default width and the Default height. This is the starting size for the base (1×) size tier. Sign Customiser fits the uploaded design in these dimensions and keeps the original proportions. A wide logo fills the width and leaves space above and below. A tall logo fills the height instead.

Larger size tiers scale up from this default. For example, the default width is 50 cm. A 1.5× tier then gives a sign that is 75 cm wide, with proportional height.

The admin shows a preview of how different logo shapes fit in your dimensions. Use it to check that your defaults work for typical uploads.

Minimum production height

This is the smallest height that the finished sign can have. If the design is shorter than this height at the selected size, the customer cannot add it to the cart. The customer must choose a larger size.

Set this value for your manufacturing method. The admin gives a reference table:

• Neon / LED neon: 5–6 cm (tube bend radius)

• Channel letters: 8–10 cm (return depth + LED clearance)

• Flat cut metal / acrylic: 3–5 cm (structural integrity)

• 3D / built-up letters: 6–8 cm (fabrication depth)

Frame Fit customisers do not use the Sign Dimensions card.

How Pricing Works for AI Designs

The pricing model of your customiser sets the price of an AI design.

Frame Fit: The price is based on the total area of the sign (width × height). Text-based Frame Fit signs use the same area calculation.

Material Length (Advanced Letter): The price is based on the material length of the design.

For Material Length, size tiers scale up from the default sign size. Each tier multiplies the base dimensions. The price changes to match.

For more information about Material Length pricing, see Pricing - Advanced letter model.

How UV Print Works for AI Sign Designer

From 1 October 2026, AI Sign Designer V2 does not add a UV print to new neon designs.

• Tube colours stay in your supported LED tube colours.

• When the order data shows a face colour that comes from the uploaded design, the name is Custom UV (#HEX). This name shows that the colour does not come from your UV palette.

Your manual UV print options do not change. Use the UV Colours page to set the UV print colours that customers can select. To hide these options from customers, clear Show manual UV print options to customers.

In short:

• UV palette swatches = optional manual presets

• New AI neon designs = no UV print

How Credits Work

When AI credits are available, each successful AI Sign Designer conversion uses one AI credit. A failed conversion does not use AI credits.

If Auto-process uploaded images with AI is on, Sign Customiser processes each PNG, JPEG, or SVG file that a customer uploads with a quote. WebP and PDF files are not processed automatically. Each successfully processed file uses one AI credit.

Where the Free Monthly Credits feature is on, current ladder plans include Free Monthly Credits each month. These credits reset on your monthly billing anniversary and do not roll over. A yearly plan gives the same monthly allowance as the equivalent monthly plan.

Your monthly allowance depends on your plan:

• Seed: 15 Free Monthly Credits

• Growth 10: 30 Free Monthly Credits

• Growth 20: 60 Free Monthly Credits

• Growth 30: 90 Free Monthly Credits

• Growth 40: 120 Free Monthly Credits

• Growth 50: 150 Free Monthly Credits

• Ultimate: 180 Free Monthly Credits

For an open cycle, the revised allowance starts at the next monthly reset. An eligible upgrade can apply the larger allowance immediately.

Sign Customiser uses Free Monthly Credits before AI purchased credits. AI purchased credits never expire.

Current pricing for AI purchased credits

• 40 AI purchased credits: $10.00 USD at $0.25 per credit

• 120 AI purchased credits: $25.00 USD at about $0.21 per credit, save 17%

• 400 AI purchased credits: $75.00 USD at about $0.19 per credit, save 25%

Checking Your Balance

For Shopify, select Subscription/Credit. For Universal, select Billing. If the page lists more than one Store, select Manage subscription for the Store.

When your Store has an active subscription, the Your Subscription page shows the AI credits card. This card shows Free Monthly Credits and AI purchased credits separately. It also shows the reset date of the Free Monthly Credits when this date is available.

Select Transaction history to see each credit grant, purchase, and use.

Two other places show your balance. The AI credits line in the Set up AI Sign Designer card shows it when AI Sign Designer is selected. The AI Converter card on the AI Design Files page also shows it.

Low Balance Warning

Sign Customiser sends a low-balance email when you have no Free Monthly Credits and one to four AI purchased credits. It sends this email at most one time in each Free Monthly Credits cycle.

Sign Customiser does not send this warning when your total balance is zero.

What Happens When Credits Run Out

When your balance is zero, the AI Sign Designer stops for customers. The effect is different in the admin dashboard and in the customer-facing customiser.

In the admin dashboard:

The AI Converter card shows your balance in red. It also shows a Get more AI credits link. Buy more AI credits before you test another image.

For customers:

If your Store has no AI credits when the customiser loads, the customiser hides the AI designer from customers.

• If you set a fallback form, customers see the fallback form. They use it to send a design request to your team. Each new fallback request includes the required email address of the customer.

• If you did not set a fallback form, customers do not see an AI designer step.

If the balance reaches zero while a customer uses the AI designer, the customer sees a “Credits Required” message. The message says that the Store has no AI conversion credits remaining. The customer cannot continue with the AI designer. Set a fallback form, so that the customer can send a request. To change this text, use No AI credits title and No AI credits message in the Language section of Custom Designs.

The difference matters. With AI Sign Designer, customers get an SVG that they can buy after processing. With the fallback form, customers send a request that needs your manual action.

Configuring the Fallback Form

Set the fallback form in the Fallback form line of the Set up AI Sign Designer card on the Custom Designs page. When you select AI Sign Designer (recommended), you must select a fallback form.

Requirements:

• The form must contain a required Email field.

• The form must contain a File Upload field.

• The form must exist before you select it.

If no form meets these requirements, the Fallback form line shows this message when no form is selected: “Select a form with a required Email field and a File Upload field.” Select Create a fallback form. The page creates a form named AI Sign Designer Form and selects it. Select Save to apply the selection. This form has the fields Email, First Name, Last Name, Phone, Project Description and Upload Your Logo. If other forms exist, the page also shows Edit my forms.

New forms include the required Email field. The merchant admin does not let you remove this field or make it optional.

Designs that cannot be made automatically

Some designs cannot be made automatically. The Send designs that cannot be made automatically to the fallback form checkbox controls what the customer sees. It is on by default.

• When it is on, the customer sees “We can’t make this one automatically”. Your fallback form then opens.

• When it is off, the customer can try again or use another image. The customer does not go to the fallback form.

The checkbox has no effect when you do not select a fallback form.

Fallback requests appear under Quotes. The Form Quote Type setting of the form (Custom designs or Quote Mode) sets whether each request appears as a Form submission or a Quote request. Each request uses the label of the fallback form.

To create a custom form, see Custom Design Forms.

To add fields to your form, see Add and Edit Custom Form Field Options.

Using AI Sign Designer in the Admin Dashboard

The AI Converter card lets you use the same AI Sign Designer for conversions in the admin. It is on the AI Design Files page. On Universal, this page is under Manage in the sidebar. On Shopify, open it from the app menu. Use it when you only want the AI image processing.

Upload an image or PDF. A PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF, or SVG can be up to 5MB. A PDF can be up to 25MB. For a PDF, the AI uses the first page. Before you upload, select a Style: Channel or Neon.

Processing can take a few minutes, depending on the complexity of the image. If processing takes longer than expected, the card shows a message and a Check Again button.

The card shows your AI credit balance and a Get more AI credits link. Each successful conversion uses one AI credit. Failed conversions do not consume credits.

Purchasing Credits

For Shopify, select Subscription/Credit. For Universal, select Billing. If the page lists more than one Store, select Manage subscription for the Store.

On the Your Subscription page, select Purchase AI credits. This button shows when your Store has an active subscription. Select a package and complete the payment.

For Shopify Stores: The purchase is a Shopify one-time app purchase.

For Universal Stores: Stripe processes the payment and creates a paid invoice for each purchase. To see invoices, select View invoices under Your Current Plan. For instructions, see How to find and download your invoices.

AI purchased credits appear in your balance after Sign Customiser confirms the payment.

Processing Time

Processing can take a few minutes, depending on the complexity of the image. While customers wait, the build screen shows “Reading your image”, then “Designing your sign”. You can change and translate most of the text on the build screen in the Language section of Custom Designs or in Settings → Languages.

When you select a Save design form, the form shows below the upload step while the design builds. The customer can enter an email address and then close the page. Sign Customiser links the request to the design. You get one email for each request. Sign Customiser sends it when the AI makes the design or fails, or after 10 minutes. It has the contact details and links to the original upload and the generated SVG.

The form stays after the design is ready. The button below the price shows as usual. When the customer sends the form after the design is ready, Sign Customiser also sends the options, the price and the preview images. Each saved design is a request in Quotes.

To change the colours of the form, use the Save my design form group on the Theme Colours page.

If the AI refuses the design and Send designs that cannot be made automatically to the fallback form is on, the fallback form opens. If the run fails for another reason, the customer sees Try again and Use another image. When you set a fallback form, the customer also sees Submit as a form request. See “Configuring the Fallback Form”. If the customer sent the Save design form, the fallback form does not open for that design.

For the details, read Set up the AI Sign Designer build screen and fallback form.

Check the size of an AI design

When AI Sign Designer completes a design, customers can compare the size of the design with a person. Customers select Real size in the Design | Real size switch.

The Real size view shows the design next to a person who is 170 cm tall. If the Store uses both units, the caption reads “The person is 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall. Change the sign size in the sidebar to see it here.” If it uses inches only, the height in the caption reads 5 ft 7 in.

The switch shows only when you select Show Real size view for the customiser. For more information, see Real size view.

Credits on Different Platforms

On Universal, all customisers in your Store share the credits. On Shopify, you can use purchased credits only for that Store.