Internal walkthrough
June 25, 2026
Art Checker

The New Designer Workflow

How we make sure every jersey gets made exactly as it was ordered — with the computer catching the data mistakes, so designers can focus on the art.

Prepared for  Matt Brad Ellen
The problem

Sometimes what gets made doesn't match what was ordered.

A wrong name, a flipped number, the wrong size or product, or art built on an out-of-date template. Today the only thing standing between those mistakes and the printer is a person manually cross-checking against a spreadsheet — over and over, for every order.

Manual
Every order checked by eye against a tracking spreadsheet.
Repetitive
The same name/number/size checks, done by hand, every time.
Easy to slip
One mis-copied file or stale template and it ships wrong.
The big idea

Let the computer catch the data mistakes. Keep people on the art.

There are really two different kinds of mistakes — and only one of them needs a human.

🔢

Data mistakes Computer catches these

Things that are simply right or wrong against the order:

  • Wrong name or number
  • Wrong size or product
  • Wrong pronoun / spec
  • Built on an outdated template

No judgment needed — just a match check. Perfect for automation.

👁️

Visual mistakes People still own these

Things that need a designer's eye:

  • Name running off the edge
  • Spacing & kerning
  • Art placement & balance
  • Overall looks right

This stays a human sign-off — for now. Automating the look is a later step.

Today

How it works now — and where it goes wrong

Designers start from a blank base template, save their own team copy, design on it, then run the script. The risky moment is in the middle.

STEP 1

Find the base

Hunt for the right blank template (right product + size).

STEP 2

Save a team copy

Save-As & rename it for the team, by hand.

⚠ Easy to slip
STEP 3

Add the art

Design the jersey in the copied file.

STEP 4

Run the script

Generate the print files.

Where mistakes sneak in

  • Wrong blank picked — easy to grab the wrong product or size.
  • Outdated template — an old blank gets reused on a reorder after specs changed.
  • Hand-renaming — a typo or a stray "/" in a name spins off junk folders (the bug Ellen flagged).
The change

The system sets up the files. The designer just designs.

When an admin moves a batch of orders into “In Design,” the system looks at what was actually ordered and lays out the correct, ready-to-go files in the team's folder — already named, already the right version. The designer never hunts, copies, or renames.

STEP 1

Orders → “In Design”

Admin grabs a batch of orders to be designed.

STEP 2

System makes the files

Correct blank per product + size + colorway, dropped in the folder for you.

✓ No wrong picks
STEP 3

Designer adds art

Open the file that's waiting, design it.

STEP 4

Script double-checks

Confirms it's the right, current file — then runs.

✓ Safety net

Only missing files get created, and any existing file is checked to make sure it's still the current version — so reorders and re-runs are safe, and in-progress work is never overwritten.

How it knows

Every file carries its own “care label.”

BAR NONEProduct 111
Size LG · Dark
Template v3

Just like a care label sewn into a garment, each design file quietly carries a tag that says what product it is, what size, what colorway, and which template version it came from.

Because the tag lives inside the file (and is mirrored in the file name as a backstop), the script can glance at it and instantly confirm: “Yes — this is the right file, and it's the current version.” If something's off, it stops before anything ships. The designer never has to set or manage the tag — the system stamps it automatically.

Who does what

Clear lanes — less on people, more on the system

⚙️ System
  • Creates the correct files when orders move to “In Design”
  • Stamps each file with its product / size / colorway / version tag
  • Checks the data (name, number, size, product) against the order
  • Flags anything that doesn't match
🎨 Designer
  • Opens the file that's already waiting — no hunting or renaming
  • Adds the artwork
  • Reviews any flags, fixes or confirms them
  • Signs off on the visual look, then runs the script
✅ Matt & Brad
  • Review attested designs at a glance via thumbnail
  • Attention goes to flagged / changed items — clean ones flow through
  • Final approval to production
The split

What gets caught automatically vs. what people still own

✓ Caught by the system

  • Name matches the order
  • Number matches the order
  • Right size & product
  • Right colorway
  • Current template version (no stale reorders)
  • Right file for the job

👁 Human sign-off

  • Does the art look right?
  • Does the name fit the space?
  • Spacing, placement, balance
  • Anything the eye should catch

Over time, more of the visual checks can move left into the “automatic” column. For now, the goal is simple: the computer guarantees the data is right, so people can trust it and spend their attention on the look.

Reorders

No more accidentally using an old template

When a team reorders and we've since changed a template (a sleeve length, a guide), the system notices the file in the folder came from an older version and flags it — so the design gets re-applied to the current template instead of quietly shipping on the outdated one.

What's next

Rollout plan

1 · Bring in the base templates. Ellen's “Production” template library becomes the single source of truth the system pulls from.
2 · Test the script with Ellen. A short working session to run the updated script on real files and confirm the checks catch what they should.
3 · Demo end-to-end. Walk the whole flow — orders in, files created, design, checks, review — for the group.
4 · Roll out to the other designers. Once it feels intuitive.

The bottom line

The designer's job gets simpler — open the file that's waiting, do the art, run the script. The computer quietly guarantees the order details are correct and the right, current file was used. People stay focused on what only people can judge: whether it looks great.

🎯  Fewer manual checks · fewer wrong-template mistakes · faster, more trustworthy approvals