We are looking for a Shopify app for an embroidery personalization service.
The main requirements are:
Live preview
Customers should be able to see the entered text on the product image in real time.
Fixed text position
The embroidery position should be fixed by the store admin.
Customers should not be able to freely move, resize, rotate, or add extra text boxes.
They should only be able to enter text and select options such as thread color.
Character limit
We need to set a maximum character limit for the text field.
For example, one field should allow up to 4 characters.
Additional price based on character count
We need to apply different additional prices depending on the number of characters entered.
For example:
1 character: +JPY 2,860
2 characters: +JPY 3,520
3 characters: +JPY 4,070
4 characters: +JPY 4,620
Language support
The input and preview should support Japanese characters, including Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana, as well as English letters.
Order details
The entered text, selected thread color, additional price, and preview image should be saved in the Shopify order details.
We have looked into several product customizer/personalizer apps, but many of them seem to be full design editors where customers can move or resize text freely. In our case, we only need a simple fixed-position embroidery preview, not a complex editor.
Has anyone implemented a similar embroidery personalization flow on Shopify?
If so, could you recommend any apps or approaches that support these requirements?
Hi @kkk_0822, I totally understand the frustration — most product customizer apps out there are built as full design editors, which is way more than what you need for a simple fixed-position embroidery setup.
Based on your requirements, I’d suggest looking into these two:
Zepto Product Personalizer ( 4.9, 1,200+ reviews) — Unlike the full design editors you’ve likely already tried, Zepto lets the admin lock down the text position so customers can only type and pick options like thread color. It also supports character limits and add-on pricing per option, which could work for your per-character JPY pricing. I’d recommend confirming with their support team that it handles Japanese characters (Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana) in the live preview before committing.
Teeinblue Product Personalizer ( 4.8, Built for Shopify) — Also designed with embroidery and print businesses in mind. It supports fixed admin-defined zones, live preview, and conditional pricing. Again, worth a quick check with their support on Japanese font rendering.
If neither of these fits perfectly, a lightweight custom solution is also very doable — a small JavaScript snippet on the product page can overlay the typed text on a fixed spot on the product image using a Japanese-compatible font (like Google Fonts Noto Sans JP), calculate the add-on price based on character count, and save everything (text, color, preview image) to the order via Shopify’s Line Item Properties. A developer could likely put this together in 1–3 days.
Hope this points you in the right direction — good luck!
I hope you’re doing well. if you are looking for a Shopify app that helps, with your requirement then instead of developing the app from scratch, you just need to take a look to the Shopify app store.
The apps already mentioned (Zepto, Teeinblue, Easify) will handle the fixed position, character limit, and live preview fine, but two things will trip you up, so test them hard before committing.
First, your pricing isn’t linear, the jumps are 660 then 550 then 550 yen, so it’s a fixed price per character count, not a per character multiplier, and most apps only do flat per-character add-ons that won’t reproduce your table. The workaround in an app is to model it as one option with four priced choices (1, 2, 3, 4 characters) the customer picks, since very few can auto-count the typed text and apply a tier.
Second, confirm Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana actually render in the preview itself, not just the input box, because these previews are canvas drawn and many were built for Latin fonts, and check the generated preview image saves to the order, not just the text and color. Honestly, that exact combo (locked position, Japanese preview, a fixed price table by character count, preview image on the order) is narrow enough that an app will likely make you compromise on one of them, whereas a small custom script does all of it cleanly with line item properties and a font like Noto Sans JP, no monthly fee. Happy to build it if you’d rather not bend your spec to fit an app.
Hope that helps! If it did, a Like and Marking it as Solution goes a long way and helps others find the fix faster too.
Live Preview: Customers can type their text into a Text Box and see it render in real-time on the product image using our Product Personalizer feature. This gives them a clear visual of the final product before purchasing, without needing a complex design tool.
Fixed Text Position & Size: To keep the text placement exactly where you want it, you can head over to the Product Personalizer and disable Change Text Position and Change Text Size. This ensures customers can only edit the content, while the layout remains locked to your exact specifications.
Character Limits: You can easily restrict the text length using the Character Count setting in the Text Box. For example, if your embroidery area only accommodates up to 4 characters, just set the limit to 4 to prevent customers from overtyping.
Per-Character Pricing: Charging based on text length is straightforward. In the Advanced Settings of the Text Box, simply enable Add Price, choose Per Character mode, and set your rate. The system will automatically calculate and add the extra cost as they type.
Japanese Language Support: To fully support Japanese inputs, go to Settings → Advanced Settings and upload your own Japanese font file under the Font File section. Once configured, customers will be able to type and preview Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana, and English seamlessly.
Order details: After the order is placed, all customization details — including embroidery text, thread color, and any additional fees — are automatically recorded in the order, making it easy for you to track and manage the production process.
Given that your setup involves a mix of advanced features—Live Preview, character limits, dynamic pricing, custom colors/fonts, and localized font support—I highly recommend reaching out directly to our support team via the in-app live chat for a quick and precise walkthrough. Our team can help you map out the exact workflow and double-check your settings to ensure everything runs perfectly!
Hi kkk_0822
I’m Elle from Teeeinblue! I believe Teeinblue Product Personalizer handles exactly what you need. I have created a demo here to show you how our app works for your case.
Our app renders the entered text onto the product mockup in real time as the customer types, so they see the embroidery exactly how it looks before adding to cart. This is how the product looks on our demo store store:
Here are some features our app provides and how to set up:
Fixed position of the text layer: You set up your design in our Artwork editor, and you can disable the “Allow customers to reposition text” feature. That means the customer only sees an input field plus your thread-color options. They can’t move, resize, or add boxes, where you place the text zone is exactly where the embroidery goes.
The character limit feature is built-in to our app. Each text field has a Character limit setting (plus input type, letter case, required/optional, etc.). There’s also a newer setting to block unsupported/unwanted characters if you want to keep input clean.
For thread color specifically, you can set it up as a color-picker (customers can select all colors) or a color category option so customers pick from your approved threads only.
Price by character count: Teeinblue allows you to charge your buyers, for example $5 per letter. We also have Add-on Charge features, so you can set up tiers for the number of characters (1 / 2 / 3 / 4, each tied to an Add-on Charge priced at ¥2,860 / ¥3,520 / ¥4,070 / ¥4,620). Their selection and input will determine the price and is recorded on the order.
Multiple languages: The input fields accept multi-byte text fine (Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana, Latin). The one thing to confirm is the font: use a custom font that actually contains Japanese glyphs, otherwise the preview can’t render those characters. Upload a JP-capable font to the text layer and run a quick test with each script before launch.
Order details: All customization, including entered text, thread color, character count, add-on, the extra price will be synced in the order page after customers checkout.
Please feel free to explore our app and our support team will help you along the way via live chat!
4.9, 1,200+ reviews) — Unlike the full design editors you’ve likely already tried, Zepto lets the admin lock down the text position so customers can only type and pick options like thread color. It also supports character limits and add-on pricing per option, which could work for your per-character JPY pricing. I’d recommend confirming with their support team that it handles Japanese characters (Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana) in the live preview before committing.
