This article shows you how to get photos into a design: which layers accept photos, the two ways to add or replace a photo, which file types work, and how to choose the right fit mode.
Photo layers vs. static graphics
A design contains two kinds of image layers, and only one of them is meant for your photos:
- Photo layers — the slots that hold a different photo in every design. Select one and the properties panel shows a Dynamic Image heading with an amber Dynamic badge. These are the layers you fill with each customer's or athlete's photo.
- Static graphics — fixed artwork that's part of the template itself: backgrounds, logos, frames, decorative elements. The panel heading for these is Graphic. They stay the same in every design, so you normally leave them alone.
When you drop photos into a design, Templified only fills photo layers — static graphics are never overwritten by a drop.
Add a photo by drag and drop
The fastest way to add a photo is to drag the file from your computer straight onto the canvas.
- Open the design in the editor.
- Drag a photo file from your desktop or a folder over the canvas. The editor shows a Drop images here overlay.
- Drop a single file directly on a photo layer to fill (or replace) that layer. A confirmation appears, e.g. Replaced image on "Player Photo".
- Drop multiple files at once and the editor fills the design's photo layers in order — files are matched to layers alphanumerically by file name and layer name, so naming your files
01.jpg,02.jpg, … gives you predictable placement.
If the layer uses face placement, dropping a photo also detects the subject's face automatically and positions the photo for you — no extra clicks.
Upload or replace from the properties panel
You can also manage a layer's photo from the panel on the right:
- Select the photo layer on the canvas (or in the layer list).
- In the properties panel, find the Placeholder section. It shows a thumbnail of the current photo.
- Click Replace to pick a new photo, or Upload Placeholder if the layer is still empty. The × button next to Replace clears the photo.
Why "Placeholder"? On a template, the photo you upload here is a stand-in that gets replaced per design. In a design, it's simply the photo that will appear in the final render.
Supported file types
Photo uploads accept JPEG and PNG files. Other formats are rejected with a message like "…is not a supported image type (JPEG/PNG only)". For size and quality recommendations, see Supported file types & image guidelines.
Fit modes: how the photo sits in its frame
Every photo layer has a Fit Mode that controls how the photo is scaled inside the layer's frame:
| Mode | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Cover | Scales to fill the frame, cropping edges that overflow. | You want the frame completely filled and don't mind losing the edges. Supports manual cropping. |
| Contain | Scales the whole photo to fit inside the frame, no cropping. | The entire photo must be visible (may leave empty space). |
| Fill | Stretches the photo to the exact frame size. | Rarely — it distorts the photo unless the aspect ratios already match. |
| Face placement | Sizes and positions the photo so the subject's face lands at a consistent height and scale. | Team products where every athlete's face should line up across photos. |
For a deeper look at Cover, Contain, and Fill, see Photo fit modes explained. For what face placement does and when to choose it, see Consistent team faces: what face placement does & when to use it.
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