Your products, images, colors, and story are what make your brand yours. Big Cartel’s templates give your shop a strong, consistent foundation. Your brand content is what makes it feel like you.
If you already have a design in mind, gather any logos, images, color codes, font names, and written content you want to use. This will make setting up your shop faster.
Design not your strong suit, or not sure where to start? No worries. Shop Designer gives you fonts, colors, Style Presets, and other options to preview while you create your look.
Your brand checklist
Use this checklist to gather what you already have and decide what you still need as you design your shop.
Shop name
Your shop name is set in your Settings, not Shop Designer. Check that it’s spelled and written the way you want customers to see it.
Logo
Use a clear, high-resolution logo file. A transparent background works best if you don’t want a box to appear behind your logo in the header. PNG format is recommended.
If you don’t have a logo yet, you can use your shop name in the header until you create one.
See Add a Logo to Your Shop for upload steps.
Welcome image or homepage banner
This is often one of the first images customers see. Depending on your template, it may appear as a banner, slideshow, or full-screen image.
Use a large, high-quality file and keep the main subject away from the edges. Images may be cropped differently on desktop and mobile screens.
See Customize Your Homepage for setup steps.
Homepage message
Write a short, direct message that tells customers what you sell, what makes your shop special, or what you want them to do next.
The location and name of this setting will depend on your template. Keep your message to one or two sentences so it’s easy to read.
Colors
If you already have brand colors, keep their color codes nearby so you can enter them in Style settings.
If you’re starting from scratch, choose two or three colors that work well together. You can preview different options in Shop Designer or browse ready-made color combinations on Color Hunt.
Use your colors consistently for backgrounds, text, buttons, and other accents.
Fonts
If your brand already uses specific fonts, note their names before opening Shop Designer. The exact fonts may not be available with every template, but you can preview the included options and select the closest match.
If you don’t have fonts in mind, use the available font settings or apply a Style Preset to choose a coordinated font-and-color combination.
See Change Fonts, Colors, and Style Presets for details.
Social profiles
Gather links to the social accounts you actively use. Whenever possible, use profiles that match your shop’s name and branding so customers know they’re in the right place.
See Link Social Media Profiles.
Favicon
Prepare a small, square image for the browser tab. This is typically a simplified version of your logo, brand mark, or another recognizable symbol.
See Add a Favicon for file requirements and upload steps.
About page content
Write a short description of who you are and what you make or sell. You can use this content to create an About page later.
Note: Custom Pages are only available on paid plans. If you’re using our free Gold plan, you can use the Shop Policies feature to add your store policies.
See Add and Manage Custom Pages.
What depends on your template
Each template has its own layout, settings, and features. Some parts of your brand may look or behave differently depending on the template you choose.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Logo placement and sizing vary by template.
- Welcome images may appear as banners, slideshows, or full-screen images.
- Homepage sections and layout options differ between templates.
- Available font, color, and Style Preset options depend on the selected template.
- Some homepage images or messages may not be available in every template.
You can decide on your overall brand direction now, but you may need to adjust individual settings after choosing your template.
Image tip: Start with a logo image that’s at least 500 pixels wide and a banner, welcome, or slideshow image that’s at least 1,000 pixels wide.
See our Templates and Choosing the Right Template articles before making your final selection.
Your brand matters more than changing every setting
Big Cartel templates are designed to give independent sellers a professional storefront without requiring code or design experience.
Not every element can be moved, resized, or changed through the built-in settings—and that’s intentional.
Consistent product photography, a recognizable logo, clear messaging, and a strong story usually make a bigger difference than adjusting every individual part of a template.
Focus on making your brand content clear and consistent. Then choose the template that presents it best.