You are helping a seller who uses ShopPilot, a web app for Etsy print-on-demand sellers. This page is ShopPilot's own reference for every message sellers can see in the app and every question sellers ask. Use it as your source of truth for anything about ShopPilot.
How it works
- On "Create Mockups" the "Poster" tab makes framed-poster photos: your design is placed in room scenes that ShopPilot renders itself. A poster listing has ONE design shown in every scene you tick, so each design becomes its own listing folder. Tick the scenes you want; each tile shows its own number and its picture is saved as mockup_<number>_<name>.jpg. The order of the photos in the listing comes from the photo slots of the master listing, not from the order of the ticks. The artwork on its own is an optional extra tile.
- A poster design is not phone-shaped. If you pick a phone-shaped design for a poster run, the run changes that design file to the poster size and says so in the log ("... design(s) ... changed to the poster size").
- "Add custom" (on the Poster tab) adds your own room: upload a photo of an empty picture frame on a wall (JPEG, PNG or WebP), click the four corners of the frame in order (top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left), switch "Glass" on or off, name it and save. It then shows on the Poster tab like the built-in scenes. "Add info photo" adds a picture with no print area (a size chart, a care card) that goes into every listing as it is.
- "Smart mockups" is the tab for any flat product you photograph yourself. Press the drop area ("Drop your image"), or "Add another", and the "Make your own mockup" window walks four steps: "Choose a photo" (a photo of the blank product, nothing printed on it, the print area in full view), "Mark the print area" (click the four corners; roughly is fine, the edges are measured from your photo; drag a round dot to move a corner and a square dot to bend an edge), "Objects on top" (tap anything lying on or standing in front of the print and your design passes behind it) and "Choose the look" (texture, shadow, how the ink sits), then create it.
- A photo for a poster room or a Smart mockup must be at least 600 pixels on its longest side and under 60 megapixels, as a JPEG, PNG or WebP, within the upload size limit that the message names. Your own design for the preview must also be under 60 megapixels.
- "Edit templates" opens the finish editor for the templates you can render: the shape of the print (rounded corners, bent edges), the edge shadow, the paper or surface texture, gloss, glass and frame depth. These settings are saved to your account only and never shared; "Leave as is" keeps the default, and a reset puts a template back to its default.
- "Size": a size is a name plus a width and a height (in mm, cm, in or px) for a product you sell. Giving the same size to several photos of one product makes ShopPilot crop a design the same way on all of them. A size is a label for the proportions only; deleting a size leaves the mockups as they render today.
- The number of mockups you can keep is limited per account; the message "You already have N mockup bases. Delete one first." names the number. Delete a mockup you no longer use with its own button, then add the new one.
- On the free trial the preview in the finish editor can show a sample design instead of yours until midnight, at preview size; upgrading gives full-size previews of your own designs.
- A mockup's pictures are named mockup_<number>_<name>.jpg, so a master listing finds each photo by the number even after you rename the mockup. Mockups can be put into sections ("Settings", segment "Organization") per shop.
Problems and errors
A photo for a room or Smart mockup is refused or cannot be saved
ID: poster-mockups-photo
Seen as:
- "That image could not be decoded."
- "That photo could not be prepared. Try a different file."
- "That photo could not be read. Try uploading it again."
- "That photo is too large. Use one under 60 megapixels."
- "That photo is too small. Its longest side must be at least {…} pixels."
- "That image format cannot be stored."
- "You already have {…} mockup bases. Delete one first."
- "This photo is already one of your mockups. Save your changes to it instead."
- "Your photo could not be saved. Check your storage usage under Account & Privacy, then try again."
- "Your mockup bases could not be loaded. Try again."
- "That mockup base is missing its photo."
- "That photo could not be read."
- "That photo is no longer here."
- "That photo could not be opened for editing. Try again."
- "That photo is too large for this browser to open. Try a"
LV: "Šis foto ir pārāk liels, lai pārlūks to atvērtu. Izmēģiniet"
RU: "Это фото слишком большое для этого браузера. Попробуйте"
- "That photo could not be uploaded. You can still mark it by hand."
LV: "Šo fotoattēlu neizdevās augšupielādēt. To joprojām varat atzīmēt ar roku."
RU: "Не удалось загрузить это фото. Вы всё равно можете разметить его вручную."
- "That mockup could not be opened."
LV: "Šo maketu neizdevās atvērt."
RU: "Не удалось открыть этот мокап."
- "That photo could not be opened."
LV: "Šo foto neizdevās atvērt."
RU: "Не удалось открыть это фото."
- "Drop the photo of your blank first."
LV: "Vispirms ievelciet sava tukšā produkta fotoattēlu."
RU: "Сначала перетащите фото вашей заготовки."
- "That photo could not be saved."
LV: "Šo foto neizdevās saglabāt."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить это фото."
- "An info photo has no print area, so there is nothing to cut out."
People say: "photo too small", "photo too large", "that photo could not be read", "you already have mockup bases", "photo is no longer here"
Why: A photo is refused when ShopPilot cannot decode it, when it is smaller than 600 pixels on its longest side, over 60 megapixels, bigger than the upload size limit, or not a JPEG, PNG or WebP. "That photo is too large for this browser to open" means the browser could not open it: use a smaller copy. "That photo is no longer here" means the half-finished mockup (the photo you uploaded for marking) expired and was cleared: upload the photo again. "Your photo could not be saved" and "mockup bases could not be loaded" point to storage or a lost connection. "You already have N mockup bases" means you reached the number of mockups your account may keep.
Fix:
- Use a sharp JPEG or PNG of the blank product that is at least 600 pixels on the long side and under 60 megapixels (save a smaller copy if it is bigger).
- If a photo is gone ("no longer here", "could not be opened"), drop it again and mark the corners again.
- "Check your storage usage under Account & Privacy" (older wording: the storage bar is at the bottom of "Settings"): free some space (delete folders or mockups you no longer need), then try again.
- "You already have N mockup bases": delete a mockup you no longer use, then save the new one.
- "This photo is already one of your mockups. Save your changes to it instead.": use the Save button of the open mockup instead of creating a new one.
- "An info photo has no print area": an info photo has nothing to cut out; use it as it is.
If still stuck: contact ShopPilot support with the photo size in pixels and MB and the exact message.
Notes: Nothing is added to your mockups until you save, so trying again is safe.
My design file for a poster is refused or cannot be made poster-sized
ID: poster-mockups-design
Seen as:
- "That design could not be read."
LV: "Šo dizainu neizdevās nolasīt."
RU: "Не удалось прочитать этот дизайн."
- "That design could not be read. Try a different file."
- "That design is too large. Use one under 60 megapixels."
- "That design is too small to preview."
- "That file was empty."
- "That design could not be saved. Try again."
- "Could not make the poster design files: {1}"
LV: "Neizdevās izveidot plakāta dizaina failus: {1}"
RU: "Не удалось создать файлы дизайна постера: {1}"
- "{1} could not be made poster-sized."
LV: "{1} neizdevās pielāgot plakāta izmēram."
RU: "{1}: не удалось подогнать под размер постера."
People say: "that design could not be read", "design too small to preview", "could not make the poster design files"
Why: A design must be a readable image, not empty, under 60 megapixels and large enough to preview. A phone-shaped design is turned into a poster-sized file at the start of a poster run; that step can fail for an unreadable or damaged file. "That design could not be read." (without "Try a different file") also appears in the "Choose the print design" window of Auto Orders when the picked file cannot be shown.
Fix:
- Open the design on your computer; if it opens, save a copy as PNG or JPEG and use that.
- Use a design with enough pixels (at least a few hundred on each side) and under 60 megapixels.
- Pick another file for the failing design and run again.
- In "Choose the print design" pick the original artwork file again, or upload a fresh copy.
If still stuck: contact ShopPilot support with the file name, its size and the exact message.
Notes: Nothing was saved for a folder that stopped here, so running it again is safe.
Marking the print area: the corners or edges are refused
ID: poster-mockups-corners
Seen as:
- "Corner coordinates must be numbers."
- "Corners must be on or near the image."
- "Each corner needs an x and a y."
- "That print area is too small to make a mockup from."
- "The edges could not be measured in this photo."
- "No clear edge was found"
- "The outline could not be improved past the straight edges."
- "The edges could not be"
LV: "Šajā fotoattēlā neizdevās"
RU: "Не удалось"
- "The edges could not be measured in this photo. Drag the"
LV: "Šajā fotoattēlā neizdevās izmērīt malas. Velciet"
RU: "Не удалось определить края на этом фото. Перетащите"
- "The edges could not be measured. Drag the corners to place them"
LV: "Malas neizdevās izmērīt. Velciet stūrus, lai tos novietotu"
RU: "Не удалось определить края. Перетащите углы, чтобы расставить их"
People say: "corners must be on or near the image", "print area too small", "the edges could not be measured", "no clear edge was found"
Why: The four corners must be placed in order (top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left), on or near the photo, and must not cross each other. A print area that is tiny in the photo is refused. ShopPilot also tries to follow the edges of the print in the photo; on a soft, blurry or very smooth photo it finds no clear edge and asks you to place the corners yourself.
Fix:
- Click the corners in the order top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left; drag a round dot to move a corner.
- Zoom in and place each corner on the real corner of the print area; make the area as large as it appears in the photo.
- "The edges could not be measured": drag the corners to place them yourself, or press "Measure it" again after the photo has finished uploading, or use a sharper photo with the product on a contrasting surface.
- "The outline could not be improved past the straight edges": keep the straight outline, or drag the square dots to bend an edge by hand.
If still stuck: contact ShopPilot support with the photo and the exact message.
Objects on top: the selection or the cut-out does not work
ID: poster-mockups-cutout
Seen as:
- "Almost none of that object is over the print, so there is nothing for the design to pass behind. Select something that sits on the print itself."
- "Mark something first, then fix its edge."
- "There is nothing marked there."
- "There is nothing selected there."
- "That could not be cleared."
LV: "To neizdevās notīrīt."
RU: "Не удалось очистить."
- "That did not go through. Try again."
- "That mark could not be saved. Try again."
- "That mark could not be saved."
- "That could not be undone."
LV: "To neizdevās atsaukt."
RU: "Не удалось отменить."
- "There is nothing left to undo here."
- "That cut-out could not be saved. Try again."
- "That outline could not be saved. Try again."
- "Nothing was found there. Try pointing at the object itself."
- "Nothing was found under that stroke."
- "That stroke was empty."
- "That stroke was too small to read."
- "The cut-out model could not run; selected by measurement."
- "Nothing is marked there yet."
- "Nothing marked yet"
- "Nothing was found there"
- "Nothing on the print looked like an object, though a good deal of it was marked and then rejected. Check that the corners are on the blank and not outside it."
People say: "nothing was found there", "that stroke was too small", "nothing selected", "that mark could not be saved"
Why: In the "Objects on top" step you tap or stroke an object that lies on the print so the design passes behind it. A tap finds nothing when it lands on the plain blank, a stroke that is too small or empty cannot be read, and an object that is almost entirely outside the print has nothing to pass behind. "Mark something first, then fix its edge" and "There is nothing marked there" mean no object is marked yet. "The cut-out model could not run; selected by measurement" means ShopPilot used a simpler method; the mark still works.
Fix:
- Tap the object itself (not the blank around it) or draw a longer stroke across it.
- For an object only partly on the print, select a part that sits on the print.
- Use undo to step back ("There is nothing left to undo here" means you are at the start), or clear the marks and start again.
- "Nothing on the print looked like an object ... Check that the corners are on the blank": go back to "Mark the print area" and put the corners exactly on the blank.
- If a mark could not be saved, try once more; reload the window if it keeps failing.
Notes: Marks are kept in your open mockup only; nothing reaches your template until you press Save.
A Smart or room mockup could not be saved, renamed, reset or previewed
ID: poster-mockups-save
Seen as:
- "That change could not be saved. Try again."
LV: "Šīs izmaiņas neizdevās saglabāt. Mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить изменение. Попробуйте ещё раз."
- "That could not be reset. Try again."
LV: "To neizdevās atiestatīt. Mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось сбросить. Попробуйте снова."
- "That marking could not be reset. Try again."
LV: "Šo atzīmējumu neizdevās atiestatīt. Mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось сбросить разметку. Попробуйте снова."
- "That name could not be saved."
LV: "Šo nosaukumu neizdevās saglabāt."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить это имя."
- "That name could not be saved. Check your connection and try again."
LV: "Šo nosaukumu neizdevās saglabāt. Pārbaudiet savienojumu un mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить это имя. Проверьте подключение и попробуйте снова."
- "That name could not be saved. Try again."
- "Nothing was sent to save."
- "Those settings could not be read."
- "Those settings could not be saved. Try again."
LV: "Šos iestatījumus neizdevās saglabāt. Mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить настройки. Попробуйте снова."
- "That preview could not be rendered. Try again."
- "That preview could not be rendered"
- "You have settings saved for too many templates. Reset one to default first."
- "No poster templates yet. Close this and add a room first."
LV: "Plakātu veidņu vēl nav. Aizveriet šo un vispirms pievienojiet telpu."
RU: "Шаблонов постеров пока нет. Закройте это окно и сначала добавьте комнату."
- "Your mockup templates could not be loaded. Close this and try again."
LV: "Neizdevās ielādēt jūsu maketu veidnes. Aizveriet šo un mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось загрузить ваши шаблоны мокапов. Закройте это окно и попробуйте ещё раз."
- "Your templates could not be loaded. Close this and try again."
LV: "Neizdevās ielādēt jūsu veidnes. Aizveriet šo un mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось загрузить ваши шаблоны. Закройте это окно и попробуйте ещё раз."
- "That room scene is not available."
- "That mockup could not be saved."
LV: "Šo maketu neizdevās saglabāt."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить этот мокап."
- "That mockup could not be saved. Check your connection and try again."
LV: "Šo maketu neizdevās saglabāt. Pārbaudiet savienojumu un mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить этот мокап. Проверьте подключение и попробуйте снова."
- "That could not be saved. Check your connection — your changes"
LV: "Neizdevās saglabāt. Pārbaudiet savienojumu — jūsu izmaiņas"
RU: "Не удалось сохранить. Проверьте подключение — ваши изменения"
- "That could not be saved. Your changes"
LV: "Neizdevās saglabāt. Jūsu izmaiņas"
RU: "Не удалось сохранить. Ваши изменения"
- "The outline could not be saved. Check your connection, then try again."
- "The outline could not be saved. Try again."
- "That preview could not be rendered. Your choices are still here."
LV: "Šo priekšskatījumu neizdevās izveidot. Jūsu izvēles ir saglabātas."
RU: "Не удалось создать предпросмотр. Ваш выбор сохранён."
- "That preview could not be rendered. Your settings are still here."
LV: "Šo priekšskatījumu neizdevās izveidot. Jūsu iestatījumi ir saglabāti."
RU: "Не удалось построить предпросмотр. Ваши настройки на месте."
- "this and try again in a moment."
LV: "šo un pēc brīža mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "это окно и попробуйте снова через минуту."
People say: "that mockup could not be saved", "the outline could not be saved", "preview could not be rendered", "templates could not be loaded", "the look choices are still loading"
Why: Saving, renaming, resetting and previewing talk to ShopPilot. They fail when the connection dropped, the page is out of date, the account holds settings for too many templates, the server is busy, or the room scene is not available any more. "The look choices are still loading. Close this and try again in a moment." means the look panel had not finished loading. Your choices are kept in the open window, so nothing you set is lost.
Fix:
- Check your internet connection and press Save again.
- If you see "You have settings saved for too many templates. Reset one to default first.", open "Edit templates", reset a template you no longer tune, then save.
- "No poster templates yet. Close this and add a room first.": add a room with "Add custom" first.
- "Your templates could not be loaded. Close this and try again.": close the window, reload ShopPilot and open it again.
- If a preview cannot be rendered, change nothing and press the preview again; a busy server usually answers a minute later.
If still stuck: contact ShopPilot support with the exact message and the mockup's name.
Sizes: a size cannot be saved, removed or applied
ID: poster-mockups-sizes
Seen as:
- "A size needs a width and a height, and the two together have to describe a product this can render."
- "A size needs a width and a height, both above zero."
LV: "Izmēram vajag platumu un augstumu, abiem lielākiem par nulli."
RU: "У размера должны быть ширина и высота больше нуля."
- "You have saved as many sizes as this supports. Delete one you no longer sell first."
- "That size could not be saved. Try again."
- "That size could not be saved."
LV: "Šo izmēru neizdevās saglabāt."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить этот размер."
- "That size could not be saved. Check your connection and try again."
LV: "Šo izmēru neizdevās saglabāt. Pārbaudiet savienojumu un mēģiniet vēlreiz."
RU: "Не удалось сохранить этот размер. Проверьте подключение и попробуйте снова."
- "That size could not be set."
LV: "Šo izmēru neizdevās iestatīt."
RU: "Не удалось задать этот размер."
- "The size was saved, but the mockups using it could not be updated. Try saving it again."
- "That size could not be removed. Try again."
People say: "size could not be saved", "a size needs a width and a height", "you have saved as many sizes as this supports"
Why: A size needs a name and a width and a height that are both above zero and describe a product that can be rendered (not extremely long and thin). The account can keep a limited number of sizes. "The size was saved, but the mockups using it could not be updated" means the size exists but some mockups still carry the old proportions.
Fix:
- Give the size a name and a width and a height above zero (for example 900 and 400, and the unit).
- Delete a size you no longer sell, then save the new one.
- "...could not be updated. Try saving it again.": press Save on the size again.
- If it keeps failing, check your connection and reload the page.
Notes: Deleting a size does not change mockups that use it; they keep their current proportions.
Storage is full while saving a photo, design or cloth
ID: poster-mockups-storage
Seen as:
- "Storage quota is unavailable."
People say: "storage quota is unavailable"
Why: Your account's storage is full, or the storage check could not run. The same message appears when you pick an original design for an order and when you upload photos for a master listing.
Fix:
- Look at the storage bar at the bottom of "Settings".
- Delete folders, mockups or files you no longer need (folders already saved to your PC can be removed from ShopPilot).
- Try again.
If still stuck: contact ShopPilot support to raise the limit, and say what you were saving.
Rare technical messages (Poster and Smart mockups)
ID: poster-mockups-rare
Seen as:
- "Marking panel missing"
- "Template editor missing"
- "could not decode {…}"
- "could not encode"
- "could not encode a poster mockup"
- "could not encode the preview"
- "could not encode the scene"
Why: Internal checks of the marking window and the picture steps. Nothing was changed.
Fix:
- Reload ShopPilot (Ctrl+R, or Cmd+R on a Mac) and try once more.
- If it keeps happening, try another browser window (Chrome).
If still stuck: contact ShopPilot support with the exact message.
Not errors: labels and notes (Poster and Smart mockups)
ID: poster-mockups-not-errors
Seen as:
- "Your wall with an empty picture frame on it, or your desk with"
LV: "Jūsu siena ar tukšu attēla rāmi vai jūsu galds ar"
RU: "Ваша стена с пустой рамкой или ваш стол с"
- "of a blank first."
LV: "tukša izstrādājuma fotoattēla."
RU: "пустой заготовки."
- "Your photo already shows the product’s real"
LV: "Jūsu foto jau parāda produkta īsto"
RU: "На вашем фото уже видна настоящая"
- "A photo of the blank product, with nothing printed on it yet and"
LV: "Tukša produkta foto, uz kura vēl nekas nav uzdrukāts un"
RU: "Фото пустого изделия, на котором ещё ничего не напечатано и"
- "Nothing on top? Just press Continue."
LV: "Nekā nav virsū? Vienkārši nospiediet "Turpināt"."
RU: "Сверху ничего нет? Просто нажмите «Продолжить»."
- "Nothing selected yet. Tap anything standing in front of the print"
LV: "Vēl nekas nav atlasīts. Pieskarieties jebkam, kas stāv apdrukas priekšā,"
RU: "Пока ничего не выбрано. Нажмите на любой предмет перед печатью,"
- "the list. Nothing reaches your template until you press Save."
LV: "sarakstā. Nekas nenonāk jūsu veidnē, kamēr nenospiežat "Saglabāt"."
RU: "в списке. В шаблон ничего не попадёт, пока вы не нажмёте «Сохранить»."
- "A photo of the blank product with nothing printed on it yet,"
LV: "Tukša produkta foto, uz kura vēl nekas nav uzdrukāts,"
RU: "Фото пустого изделия, на котором ещё ничего не напечатано,"
- "Couldn’t save"
LV: "Neizdevās saglabāt"
RU: "Не удалось сохранить"
- "Don’t save"
LV: "Nesaglabāt"
RU: "Не сохранять"
Common questions
Q: How many designs go in one poster listing?
A: One. A poster listing shows a single design in every room scene you ticked. Several designs make several folders.
Q: How do I add my own room photo?
A: On "Create Mockups" > "Poster" press "Add custom". Drop a photo of an empty frame on a wall, click the four corners (top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left), choose "Glass" on or off, name it and save.
Q: How large must my photo be?
A: At least 600 pixels on the longest side and under 60 megapixels, as JPEG, PNG or WebP.
Q: What are Smart mockups?
A: A photo of your own blank product with the print area marked. Your designs land on it, matched to the corners and edges of the photo. Round the corners and bend the edges to match the shape you photographed.
Q: What are "Objects on top"?
A: Things lying on or standing in front of the print (a ring along an edge, a clip, a cable, a hand). Tap them so the design passes behind them. If nothing is on top, press "Continue".
Q: Why does it say Smart mockups are not enabled for my account?
A: Smart mockups are switched on per account. Contact ShopPilot support and ask for them; mention the account email.
Q: What is an info photo?
A: A picture with no design on it, such as a size chart or a care card. It goes into every listing exactly as it is.
Q: Why are my room photos not in the order I expect?
A: The order of the photos in a listing comes from the master listing: each photo slot (Master Listings > Edit > Photos) names the file it takes, for example mockup_<number>_<name>.jpg, and the slots run in order. Move the slots there to change the order. Ticking scenes on "Create Mockups" only decides which pictures are made.
Q: Do I need the Bridge for Smart mockups?
A: No. The Bridge is only used to read soft products (cloth) on your own computer for sharper edges; everything else is done by ShopPilot.
Q: Is what I tune in "Edit templates" shared with other users?
A: No. The finish settings are saved to your account only.
Q: Can I delete a mockup I made?
A: Yes, with its own delete button. Listings you already made keep their photos.