Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about the Image Editor. If your question isn't here, see Common issues or email support@merchinary.com.
General
Q: What does the Image Editor do?
A: It lets print-on-demand stores bulk-edit layered product images — swap a background, print, or logo across many products at once — while keeping every variant↔image link intact, with previews, scheduling, and one-click revert.
Q: Is this a general photo editor or background remover?
A: No. It's built specifically for POD stores whose images are stacks of aligned layers. It doesn't do pixel operations like AI background removal or restyle — it manages and refreshes the layered images you already sell.
Q: Do I need Photoshop?
A: No. You can upload PNG layers directly. Photoshop is only useful if your designs already live in PSDs — you can import layers from them and export buckets back to PSD.
Layers & buckets
Q: What's a layer?
A: One slot in your image stack, addressed by index (Layer 1 = bottom, Layer N = top). Each column in the grid is a layer. See Key concepts.
Q: Do all my products need the same number of layers?
A: No. Products with extra layers use the higher-index columns; products without them leave those cells empty.
Q: What's a dedup bucket?
A: A group of variants that share one image — by default, all sizes of the same color. The app composites once per bucket and attaches the result to every variant in it, which is how POD images are normally produced.
Q: Can I bucket by something other than color?
A: Yes — you choose the dedup dimension when you set scope. Color is the default, but you can pick another option (e.g. fabric) or more than one for finer buckets.
Editing
Q: How do I change one layer across many products at once?
A: Use a column swap — click the ✎ icon in that layer's column header and pick the new image. See The layer grid.
Q: What does locking a cell do?
A: It pins that cell so column swaps skip it — your per-product exception to a bulk change.
Q: Why is my scope frozen? Can I change it?
A: Freezing keeps your buckets and staged edits stable as your catalog changes. To use a different product set, click Discard and start a new edit. To narrow only what the grid shows, use the view filter — it never changes what gets applied.
Previews & applying
Q: Is the Next Image preview exactly what gets published?
A: It's a faithful live preview rendered in your browser. For a byte-exact match, open the preview modal and click Generate exact composite — the same image Apply uploads. See Previews.
Q: How long does an apply take?
A: It depends on how many buckets you're applying and Shopify's per-shop rate limits. Watch live progress on the apply results page.
Q: Does applying lose my variant↔image associations?
A: No — that's the whole point. The new composite is attached to exactly the variants in each bucket, and the previous state is snapshotted for revert.
Reverting
Q: Can I undo an apply?
A: Yes. Every apply captures a snapshot; Revert restores it exactly (it doesn't re-compute) within your retention window. See Applying & reverting.
Q: What's the difference between KEEP and CLEAN revert modes?
A: KEEP leaves the old image in your Shopify gallery so revert can re-attach it instantly (you'll see old + new until you revert). CLEAN removes the old image and re-uploads it from stored bytes on revert, keeping your gallery tidy. You pick the mode when you create the job.
Scheduling
Q: Can I schedule an edit for later?
A: Yes — Create Job → Scheduled (one-shot, with optional auto-revert) or Recurring (weekly/monthly/yearly, always with paired revert). See Scheduled and Recurring.
Q: Why isn't there a daily option for recurring edits?
A: Daily image swaps churn your media and pressure Shopify's media rate limits, so the smallest cadence is weekly.
Q: Why was I blocked from scheduling with a "conflict" message?
A: Another armed or live edit would touch the same variants at an overlapping time, which would corrupt revert snapshots. The app prevents this up front and names the conflicting edit. See Common issues.
Plans & limits
Q: Is there a separate plan for the Image Editor?
A: No. It shares your Merchinary subscription. Image applies count toward the same monthly job and products-per-job limits as bulk edits, plus a per-plan Asset Library cap. See Plans & limits.
Q: Do thumbnails and previews count against my Asset Library limit?
A: No — only the source layer assets you upload or import count.
Still need help?
Email us at support@merchinary.com.