Tally Setup Instructions

Installation Guide

Get Tally installed and theme blocks configured in minutes.

Step 1: Install from App Store

Required Permissions

Step 2: Add Theme Blocks

Navigate to: Online Store → Themes → Customize

Tally uses Shopify's app block system. You need to add at least the Tally Quoter block to your product pages.

Available Theme Blocks

Theme Setup by Product Type

Use a dedicated Shopify product template for each builder type. This keeps each product clean and prevents two upload or purchase experiences from appearing on the same page.

Auto Pickup Notifier & Pickup QR Setup

Navigate to: Tally App → Settings → Shipping

Get Help Button Setup

The Get Help button lets a customer securely invite your team to review and edit the Tally item they are currently building.

Test it: upload a test image on the storefront, click Get Help, confirm the support inbox receives the secure link, open and edit the item, verify the customer sees the changes, then complete or resolve the request.

Item Settings

Configure every detail of how your products work with Tally. Item Settings is where you control pricing, sizing, quality, file types, fees, and output options per product.

Navigate to: Tally App → Item Settings

Selecting Products

The My Products tab shows all products you've configured with Tally. Use the product picker to add new products. You can configure each product independently with its own pricing, rules, and features.

Gang Sheet Builder New

The Gang Sheet Builder lets your customers create their own gang sheets with a full drag-and-drop canvas editor. This is a standalone product type separate from standard Tally items.

Navigate to: Tally App → Gang Sheet Products

Creating a Gang Sheet Product

Use the creation wizard for a new gang sheet builder product. The steps below describe the required decisions; the screens vary with the selected workflow:

Gangsheeter Artwork and Appearance Checks

Use the controls available in the installed builder; newer releases add more direct artwork editing and appearance options.

Configure and test the canvas

1. Set physical sheet rules first. Confirm usable sheet width, allowed heights, margins, spacing, pricing, quantity, DPI policy, and production output. Do not use a preview zoom level as the physical print scale.
2. Test crop and preview editing. Upload a known file, use the available crop or preview editor, undo a change where supported, and confirm the intended artwork remains on the sheet.
3. Test Auto Build and measurements. Enter complete quantities and dimensions, apply the edit, run Auto Build, and inspect placement, spacing, rotation, and the final price.
4. Customize appearance separately. Use the builder appearance controls for theme, colors, button labels, and layout options. Check desktop and mobile without changing physical output settings.
5. Recover and reorder. Reopen a cart edit and a saved sheet, then compare the artwork, placement, dimensions, quantity, and price before submitting the updated sheet.

Sticker Builder New

The sticker system supports individual FlexContour stickers and complete customer-built sticker sheets, with templates, materials, white ink, spot gloss, masks, pricing, and production cut paths.

Navigate to: Tally App → Stickers

Current Sticker Ordering and Cut Settings

The current sticker flow is Upload → Editor → Done. Material, size, quantity, and the final review are part of the editor; customers do not need a separate third configuration step.

Choose artwork and cutting rules

1. Choose the ordering mode. Use uploaded artwork, predefined templates, or both where supported. A decorative background template and a cutline are different concepts; a template upload is not required for every custom sticker.
2. Set material and quantity rules. Enable materials, configure their preview and output limits, then set prices, order minimums, quantity rules, fees, and discounts. Review the scope of each minimum rather than assuming every design is combined.
3. Separate contour border from bleed. Review minimum contour border and bleed in millimetres per side. Trace outlines account for the physical sticker size. Choose settings for your equipment and test an actual output; old values or a default cutting tolerance do not guarantee a machine’s accuracy.
4. Test resizing and Lock Contour. Resize a traced sticker and confirm the outline updates as intended. Lock Contour preserves a chosen traced outline when scaling up; unlock before reducing size where required.
5. Enable custom cutline uploads intentionally. If you accept precut artwork, enable the supported upload option and test an accepted file with the expected cut path. Keep no-contour and custom-cutline choices separate from automatic tracing.

Queue, review, and recover

1. Test multiple designs. Upload several designs, choose a template for each when using template ordering, duplicate or delete a queued design, and review material grouping and total quantities.
2. Wait for preparation and resolve failures. The review can open while production artwork is preparing. Follow the progress indicator, use the provided retry for a failed item, and verify the cart contains the prepared designs before leaving the page.
3. Check saved work. Use the same signed-in customer when testing saved stickers or reorders. Confirm that the saved design is compatible with the current product, material, and template.

Overview

Individual stickers let customers upload or compose artwork and create FlexContour cut paths. Sticker Sheets let customers build a complete sheet with repeated stickers, gallery art, emojis, backgrounds, decoration-only artwork, CutContour inner cuts, and PerfCutContour outer cuts.

Setting Up Sticker Products

Sticker Setting Reference

Merch & Sticker Sheets

Use dedicated product templates and settings for each builder. Do not place every Tally product on one shared Shopify template unless the visible app blocks and native purchase controls are correct for all of them.

Merch Products

Navigate to: Tally App → Merch Products

Blank Garments and Supplier Ordering

Blank garments and decorated merch are distinct offers. Availability depends on the supplier policy, account plan, and merchant settings.

Enable only the intended ordering paths

1. Opt in to blank sales. Enable blank ordering only when the account and supplier permit it. Verify which garments and variants are eligible; do not assume all imported garments can be sold blank.
2. Review colors and size quantities. Check the swatches, size grid, variant SKUs, stock, costs, and retail prices. Keep blank and decorated lines distinguishable in cart review.
3. Verify supplier automation. If using automatic supplier ordering, check the supplier connection, permitted payment method, inventory synchronization, and the garment details sent to the supplier.
4. Check the cart and order files. Test blank and decorated versions of the same garment. Confirm SKU grouping, color thumbnails, decoration charges, production files, and order summaries.

Sticker Sheets

1. Select the sticker product and open its Sticker Sheets settings. Set the finished sheet dimensions, available materials, background options, and pricing.
2. Decide which artwork becomes an individually cut sticker and which is decoration-only. Keep inner sticker cut paths separate from the outside sheet cut.
3. Test multiple stickers, repeated designs, backgrounds, quantity, cart editing, saved sheets, and the generated CutContour and PerfCutContour output.

Vinyl by Size Setup

Use the By Size item editor for cut vinyl. A vinyl palette belongs to the selected product, so import or configure it for each product that needs the library.

Configure the product and library

1. Create or select the By Size item. Choose the vinyl creation workflow when available, or open an existing By Size item and enable its Vinyl settings. Use the Tally Quoter app block on its dedicated product template.
2. Set the base quote. Choose the display unit and area rate, then set the order minimum and product size limits. A square-foot rate must equal 144 times its square-inch rate; converting display units should not change the physical quote.
3. Add solid colors or textures. Give every material a clear name. Use a six-digit hex color for a solid material, or a public image URL for a texture mask. Do not populate both color methods on the same row.
4. Set physical material limits. Set each color’s maximum width and height to the usable roll or sheet dimensions. Ensure the product-wide maximum also permits the intended sizes.
5. Choose one color minimum rule. For a material, choose a minimum quantity, a minimum area in square inches, or a minimum value. Do not enable competing minimum rules on the same row. A separate product order minimum can still apply.
6. Set cutting and weeding options. Choose a minimum feature size and resize warnings appropriate for your cutter. If charging for weeding, set the included holes and per-hole charge, then test simple and detailed artwork.
7. Save and inspect the customer preview. Confirm every enabled material appears in the picker and textured previews load. A visual swatch is a preview, not a guarantee of a physical material’s finish.

Import a vinyl library from CSV

1. Use the provided sample. Download the sample CSV in Vinyl settings. Required columns are name, max_width_in, max_height_in, mask_image_url, and hex. Keep all five columns, even when a row has a blank texture or hex value.
2. Import and review. The import matches names without case sensitivity, updates matching rows, and adds new names. Existing material IDs and minimum rules are preserved for matching rows. Review the preview and save the item after importing.
3. Keep the palette valid. The current importer supports up to 200 material rows and a 1 MB CSV. Use unique material names and valid dimensions. Texture URLs must be accessible image files.
4. Test minimum behavior. Try a job below each enabled minimum and use the offered size or quantity adjustment. A minimum can require a change to the order; do not assume it simply raises the displayed price.

Vinyl launch test

1. Check at least three materials. Test a light solid, a dark solid, and a texture. Resize within and beyond the configured limits, change quantity, and inspect small-detail warnings.
2. Check cart and production. Add the configured artwork to the cart, reopen it, and confirm the chosen material and dimensions. On the test order, verify the intended vinyl material and production data; newer production handoffs use the merchant’s saved material limits.

Banner Products Setup

Use the dedicated banner workflow when customers need large-format dimensions, selectable materials, finishing, and banner-specific artwork review.

Set up sizes, materials, and output

1. Create or select the banner item. Use the Banner creation option when available, or select the existing Shopify product in Banner Products. Assign a dedicated template containing Tally Quoter.
2. Configure standard sizes. Add enabled sizes with clear labels and correct physical dimensions. Set a default size. Banner configuration stores geometry in inches even when the customer uses another display unit.
3. Allow custom dimensions if needed. Enable custom sizes and set maximum width and height to your actual production capacity. Choose a custom-size rate and test both the smallest and largest accepted sizes.
4. Add materials and pricing. Enable the materials you can produce, such as vinyl or mesh. Choose area or item pricing, set rates, and add quantity breaks only where intended. A rate per square foot must be converted correctly to the configured area unit.
5. Configure finishing. Add pole pockets, grommets, and edge finishes. Use finishing profiles, categories, and size/material restrictions when those controls are available. Check whether charges apply per item, per order, per side, or per linear foot.
6. Choose production output. Select the supported PDF or PNG output. Review grommet marks or cutout settings and their physical dimensions. Use tiled output only where available and appropriate for the production workflow.

Validate the customer workflow

1. Compare complete quotes. Test one standard size, one custom size, each material, and at least two quantities. Add finishing one option at a time and verify the price breakdown.
2. Review the artwork at output size. Upload a known file, add text or layers, resize or crop it, and inspect resolution at the chosen banner dimensions. Use the order review to confirm material and finishing before Add to Cart.
3. Inspect the test output. Reopen the cart item, then check a completed test order’s dimensions, artwork placement, finishing, and production file. Preview marks do not replace physical production checks.

Business Cards Setup

Use a Business Card item for a guided front/back design experience with card templates, cardstock, quantities, finishes, and reusable designs.

Configure the card product

1. Create or attach the product. Use the matching creation workflow when available, or select the existing listing in Business Cards. Assign a dedicated product template with Tally Quoter.
2. Set finished geometry. Enable the intended card templates, dimensions, orientation, and square or rounded corners. Set a default template and restrict which stocks are allowed for each template.
3. Set bleed and side rules. Enter bleed margins separately from the finished dimensions. Choose whether the front is required and whether a back is optional or required. Decide whether back printing is included or adds a charge.
4. Configure cardstock. Add stock names and weights, availability, output limits, and any stock-specific pricing. Choose whether pricing is shared, defined per paper weight, or uses a base plus an add-on.
5. Price individual cards and quantities. Set per-card prices and quantity breaks, then configure allowed quantities if using fixed quantity choices. The displayed total is price per card multiplied by quantity, plus applicable stock, side, and finish charges; a Shopify listing price is not a substitute for this configuration.
6. Build reusable designs. Use the visual design library where available to create front/back layouts, text, logos, image areas, and color schemes. Preview the saved design at the intended template size before enabling it for customers.
7. Enable only supported finishes. Add the finishes and fees your shop provides, including their charging basis. Verify that every enabled template allows the intended stock and add-ons.

Business-card launch test

1. Exercise every combination. Try front-only and two-sided artwork, each stock, each corner style, and every quantity break. Recheck quantity after changing a template or stock because that change can reset the selection.
2. Check the proof and files. Keep critical content inside the safe area and extend background artwork into bleed. Review both sides, then verify cart editing and the production output from a completed test order.

AI Helper, API, and MCP Connections

Use the features enabled for your account and installed version. These connections are separate from uploading this guide into a chat tool.

In-app AI-assisted setup

1. Finish theme installation first. Enable the app embed, add the appropriate Tally product block, add Cart Editor, and save the published theme. Newer helper setup checks inspect the live theme rather than a manually checked setup flag.
2. Choose the right context. Open the intended product or settings area. Tell the helper the units, rate, materials, minimums, allowed sizes, and output requirements. State which current settings should stay unchanged.
3. Use a complete request. For example: Set this vinyl product to my approved area rate, keep its current palette, set the maximum usable roll width, and show which minimum rule is active. Supply the actual values for your shop.
4. Review saved results. Ordinary supported settings actions may apply immediately. Destructive or bulk actions can require review. Inspect the saved configuration and test a storefront quote after an agent makes changes.

Connect an external agent

1. Check account access. Open the account’s API or connection settings and confirm the current eligibility and enabled operations. Plan access and offers can change; use what the account displays.
2. Create a store-scoped connection. Use the account-provided API credentials, OAuth connection, or MCP setup instructions. Grant only the operations the integration needs and keep each store’s connection separate.
3. Verify before writing. Start with a read of the intended item and its current settings. Confirm the store and product before allowing a write, then inspect the result. Do not paste secrets into a public guide, product description, or support screenshot.
4. Retest after a disconnect. If a connection expires or is revoked, reconnect from the account controls and confirm access with a read before resuming changes.

Image Gallery New

Build a curated design library that customers can browse and use directly from your storefront.

Navigate to: Tally App → Gallery

Gallery Features

Gallery Settings

• Enable Gallery on Storefront — Toggle gallery visibility for customers
• Auto-Categorize on Upload — AI sorts new images automatically (default: on)
• Pagination — 50 images per page with page navigation

Managing Images

Select images to move between folders, delete, or bulk-categorize with AI. Each image card shows file size, dimensions, DPI, and category tags.

Gallery Setup Checklist

Custom Fonts New

Upload custom fonts that appear in the Gang Sheet Builder text tool.

Navigate to: Tally App → Gang Sheet Fonts

Font Management

• Upload Fonts — Supports TTF, OTF, WOFF, and WOFF2 formats
• 250 Font Limit — Store up to 250 custom fonts
• Font Preview — Live text preview for each uploaded font
• Categories — Fonts are organized into: Sans Serif, Serif, Monospace, Display, Handwriting
• Search & Filter — Find fonts by name or category

Font Setup & Quality Check

AI Tools

Tally includes powerful AI features to enhance the customer experience and improve print quality.

Background Removal

One-click AI-powered background removal using BiRefNet technology:

AI Image Upscaling

Enhance low-resolution images using HAT-L (Hybrid Attention Transformer) upscaling:

• Increases resolution while preserving detail and sharpness
• Perfect for small images that need to print at larger sizes
• Runs on dedicated GPU servers for fast processing
• Maintains color accuracy and reduces artifacts

AI Image Generation

Let customers create unique, print-ready designs from text descriptions:

• Customer enters a description (e.g., "A cartoon cat wearing sunglasses")
• AI generates a 1024x1024 high-quality image
• Customer can regenerate for different results
• Generated images work like any uploaded image — resize, add to cart, etc.

Additional Artwork & Production Helpers

AI Credits

Pricing & Discounts

Tally offers flexible pricing models to match any print business. Configure pricing per product for maximum control.

Pricing Modes

Volume Discounts

Encourage larger orders with tiered pricing. Set threshold dollar amounts and corresponding discount percentages.

Print Area Discounts

Print Area Discounts apply tiers using the total printable area rather than only item quantity or cart value. Use them when production efficiency improves as customers add more printed area.

1. Choose the product and open its discount settings.
2. Enable print-area discount tiers.
3. Enter each area threshold and discount percentage.
4. Decide whether quantity/volume discounts should also remain active.
5. Test each method independently and then test both together.

Specialty Material Pricing

Sticker materials can use their own base price or a percentage increase over the default material. Configure specialty pricing per material in the Materials Admin Menu, then test the storefront price when switching between materials.

Pricing & Templates AI

Use the settings prompt to describe the setup you want, such as activating Holographic and Glitter, changing area pricing, preserving current discounts, adding a rush fee, or selecting a default template. The agent keeps context from current settings and earlier prompts so you can make follow-up changes without restating the entire configuration.

Custom Fees

Configure the fee types supported by the selected builder. Set the amount, charging basis, and whether a fee is required or optional:

• Per-Item Fees — Charged per ordered item using the builder quantity (e.g., "Art Setup: $2.00")
• Per-Order Fees — Charged once per order (e.g., "Rush Processing: $5.00")

Supported fees can use per-item, per-order, per-square-unit, percentage, or quantity-based rules. Optional fees may be selected by the customer; required fees must remain included in the review and cart total.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum Quantity — Require a minimum number of items per order
• Minimum Order Amount — Set a floor in the shop currency for the configured order scope
• Maximum Print Size — Cap the maximum dimensions customers can order

Billing Plans

Confirm current limits, API eligibility, offers, and billing terms in your account before choosing a plan. Plan entitlement and feature rollout are separate from saving a product configuration.

Production, Dashboards & Reordering

Use these workflows after the customer submits a Tally-powered order.

Orders and Print Dashboard

Install the Print Dashboard

1. Create a Shopify page for the dashboard, such as /pages/print-dashboard.
2. Open Online Store → Themes → Customize.
3. Open the page template assigned to the Print Dashboard page.
4. Add the Print Dashboard Tally app block.
5. Keep the page linked from customer account navigation or another authenticated storefront location.
6. Save the theme and sign in as a test customer who has at least one Tally order.
7. Verify previous orders, thumbnails, saved images, folders, notes, downloads, and reorder actions.

Print Dashboard Settings & QA

Reprocessing a Paid Order

Reprocessing is for fixing a production file without requiring the customer to place the entire order again.

1. Open the Tally order and choose the reprocess action.
2. Review every image, original quantity, width, and height.
3. Download an original when you need an offline reference.
4. Replace the incorrect or low-quality image, remove unwanted artwork, or add a missing image.
5. Update quantity or dimensions where required.
6. Confirm sheet width, maximum height, margins, material, sticker settings, and output options.
7. Reprocess and inspect the complete replacement file before production.

Final Launch and Recovery Checklist

Run these checks with your own product rules and a fresh storefront session after saving settings or changing the theme.

Before opening sales

1. Verify each product type. For By Size and Vinyl, test dimensions and minimums. For Stickers and Sheets, test materials and cut paths. For Banners, test custom sizes and finishing. For Cards, test both sides and stocks. For Merch, test colors, sizes, and decoration. For Gangsheets, test arrangement and output.
2. Test the price boundaries. Check below, exactly at, and above each minimum, quantity break, and discount threshold. Include optional and required fees, material upgrades, and at least one cart edit.
3. Test Add to Cart on desktop and mobile. Confirm the builder can prepare the item and add it to cart. Keep native Shopify bypass buttons hidden where needed, but do not block the Tally Add to Cart action with a demo popup or theme script.
4. Verify replacement and recovery. Reopen an existing cart item, make a change, and confirm the replacement is present before treating the older line as removed. If preparation fails, use the item’s retry or recovery control rather than repeatedly submitting the whole order.
5. Verify customer identity. Test logged-out upload and logged-in saved-work flows separately. A customer’s saved gallery or order history should be tested with the account that owns that work.
6. Inspect a completed test order. Confirm its artwork, dimensions, quantity, material, side selections, finishing, fees, and production files. Reopen a reorder and verify that current settings still support it.
7. Record useful support details. If a step fails, note the product URL, product type, selected options, error message, and whether it occurred during upload, preparation, cart editing, or production. Include the order reference only when an order exists.

Production QA Checklist

Tally Drop Setup

Tally Drop lets merchants sell supported print products through their Shopify storefront and route eligible paid print-ready orders to a preferred Tally Drop Print Partner.

Navigate to: Tally App → Tally Drop

Setup Workflow

Tally Drop Checklist

• Verify current partner product costs before setting retail prices.
• Match merchant discounts carefully so the customer discount does not erase margin.
• Confirm the order is print-ready and eligible for partner fulfillment.
• Review the current same-day cutoff and do not promise same-day fulfillment for ineligible orders.
• Confirm shipping address, blind-shipping behavior, turnaround messaging, and customer support responsibilities.
• Remember that no Tally usage fees are charged on Tally Drop orders; other Shopify, shipping, tax, refund, or production adjustments may still apply.

Theme Installation Checklist

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Solutions to common issues and answers to frequently asked questions.

Common Issues

Recent Workflow Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions