How AI Is Changing Custom Print Design (And How to Use It)
Until recently, creating a print-ready design meant hiring a graphic designer or spending hours in Photoshop. AI has changed that completely — and the results are better than most people expect.
What AI Tools Are Built Into Urban Houndz
Our designer has three AI tools built directly into the upload screen — no external apps needed, no exporting and re-importing files. You get results in under 30 seconds.
Remove Background
When to use: Use this for any photo where the subject should appear without its original background
Tip: Works brilliantly for pet photos, product images, portraits and sports action shots. The AI traces the subject edges accurately — even fur and hair.
Result: Your subject floats on the garment, looking like it was designed specifically for the print.
Cartoon Effect
When to use: Use this to transform a realistic photo into illustrated artwork
Tip: Especially effective for pet portraits, which look incredible as bold, illustrated prints. Also works well for architecture, vehicles and food images.
Result: A stylised, colourful design that looks deliberately artistic rather than like a simple photo transfer.
AI Image Editor (Text Prompts)
When to use: Use this to modify, enhance or transform your image using natural language instructions
Tip: Try prompts like "make the background orange", "add sunglasses", "make it look like a vintage poster" or "change the t-shirt colour to red". The AI (powered by FLUX Kontext) understands the context of your image.
Result: Highly specific changes that would take a designer minutes can happen in seconds.
Tips for the Best AI Results
Start with the highest resolution image you have
AI tools work better with more detail to work from. A 12MP phone photo is ideal. If you only have a small image, try the AI editor prompt "upscale and enhance".
Remove the background before applying other effects
Running background removal first gives the cartoon effect or other tools a cleaner subject to work with. The order matters.
Be specific with text prompts
Instead of "make it better", try "increase the contrast and make the colours more vivid" or "add a dark background". The more specific you are, the better the result.
Use portrait orientation for single subjects
A single subject — a pet, a person, a badge — usually looks best in portrait A4 orientation (210×297mm). Use landscape for wide group photos or horizontal compositions.
Try multiple effects and compare
You can always replace your image and try a different AI effect. The Replace button lets you swap to a different version without losing your size and position settings.
Example Prompts That Work Well
"Remove the background and add a neon glow around the subject"
"Make this a black and white sketch illustration"
"Transform this into a vintage 1970s poster style"
"Make the dog look like a superhero with a cape"
"Change the background to a starry night sky"
"Make this look like a graffiti stencil"
"Add dramatic lighting and make the colours more vivid"
Try the AI Designer Now
Upload any image and see what our AI can do with it. No design skills needed.
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