My design looks different in the render than in the editor

This article explains why your final render may look different from your editor canvas, and what to do about each cause.

Fonts render as a different face or fall back to a generic sans

The most common reason rendered text looks wrong is a font that the renderer cannot load correctly.

Uploaded custom fonts. Some uploaded fonts have internal metadata (weight or width fields) that don't match how you selected them in the editor. Templified's renderer normalizes this automatically for fonts uploaded after the fix (June 2026). If an older uploaded font still renders incorrectly, delete it from the Font Manager, re-upload the file, and re-assign it to the text layer.
Edited or renamed font files. If you uploaded a modified version of a font that shares its internal family name with the original, the renderer may load the wrong face. Re-upload under a distinct filename so the two faces don't collide.
Google Fonts. Google Fonts referenced in the editor load correctly in renders as of June 2026. If you're on an older template, try opening and re-saving it so the font reference is refreshed.

To confirm the font is loading: open the template, switch to a text layer, click the font name to open Font Manager, and verify the correct font is selected.

Text appears scaled, stretched, or a different size than expected

Several text properties affect the rendered size and shape of text:

Auto Scale. When Auto Scale is on, the font size adjusts to fit the layer's frame. If the dynamic text value at render time is longer or shorter than the sample you used in the editor, the rendered size will differ. This is normal — the text is filling the same frame regardless of content length.
H Scale / V Scale. Horizontal and vertical glyph stretch apply in both the editor and the render. If the rendered text looks squished or stretched differently than the canvas, check that H Scale and V Scale are set to the values you intended (100% is neutral).
Word Wrap. With Word Wrap off, text stays on a single line and Auto Scale shrinks it to fit. With Word Wrap on, text breaks across lines. If you see fewer lines in the render than in the editor, check whether Word Wrap is toggled differently on that layer.

The editor and renderer use the same layout math for all of these controls. If the values match, the output should match.

Pattern fills look stretched or distorted

Text layers can use a pattern (image) fill — set with the pattern option under Fill in the text properties panel. In older renders, the pattern image could be stretched non-uniformly when the text layer's proportions didn't match the image's. Templified now uses cover-fit for pattern fills, so the image keeps its proportions in the output. If you see a distorted pattern on a render produced before June 2026, re-render the design to pick up the fix.

Face-placed photos look bigger or smaller than expected

When a photo layer has face placement enabled, the rendered size of the photo is determined entirely by face math — not by the dimensions of the layer frame. The renderer scales each photo so the detected face lands at the face-target box you set on the template. As a result:

A photo where the face fills most of the frame will render the subject smaller overall (less up-scaling is needed to seat the face at the target).
A photo where the face is small in the frame will render the subject larger (more up-scaling is needed).

This is intentional: face placement makes faces consistent across a team, not body framing. If the face is landing at the right position on the canvas but the overall photo scale surprises you, the source photo's crop is the variable — a closer or wider camera crop changes how much scaling is needed.

If the face position in the render doesn't match the editor overlay:

Confirm the template is saved. The render uses the last saved state, not your live canvas.
If the template is publish-protected (see below), confirm you have clicked Publish after your last set of changes.
Click Edit face placement on the layer, verify the face-target box and max content line are positioned where you expect, and save.

For a full explanation of face placement behavior, see Consistent team faces: what face placement does and when to use it.

Your edits look right in the editor but the render shows an older version

Once a template is used for real output, Templified freezes a published snapshot of it. Production renders always use that snapshot — not whatever is currently on your editor canvas. Your edits accumulate as a private working copy and only go live after you click Publish.

Signs you're in this situation:

The editor shows an amber banner: "You have unpublished changes. Saving keeps them private — they go live only when you Publish."
There is an Unpublished changes pill in the editor header.

To make your working copy live:

Review your changes on the canvas.
Click Publish in the editor header or in the amber banner. The snapshot updates immediately and all subsequent renders use the new version.

If you want to discard your working copy and go back to the current live version, click Discard next to the Publish button. For more detail, see Publishing or discarding template changes.

Note: this applies to templates only. Studio designs save and render directly — there is no snapshot step.

A layer is visible in the editor but missing from the render

Check the Include in render toggle on the layer. When this toggle is off, the layer shows on the editor canvas (so you can use it as a guide or reference) but is intentionally excluded from the final image. Select the layer and look for Include in render in the properties panel — turn it on if the layer should appear in output.