Whether you need a single personalized pillow or want to build a product line, the platform you choose determines how much control you have over the final result and how far your skills and designs can scale.
COMPARISON
Adobe vs Bags of Love
Which platform delivers better creative freedom and textile quality for custom pillows?
Adobe Express and Bags of Love take very different approaches to custom pillow creation. Adobe Express is a professional design platform that gives you complete creative control, while Bags of Love is a UK-based custom product manufacturer that handles design, printing, and production under one roof.
This comparison examines both options through the specific lens of custom pillow making. We look at creative freedom, textile quality, design flexibility, print output, and long-term value to help you choose the right path for your projects.
Overview
Quick Takeaways
Here is what you need to know at a glance:
- ✓ Adobe Express provides complete creative control over layout, typography, color, and composition for your pillow designs.
- ✓ Bags of Love offers integrated textile printing with high-quality fabric options and handles production end-to-end.
- ✓ Adobe exports portable, print-ready files you can use with any manufacturer worldwide.
- ✓ Bags of Love's built-in editor is convenient but limited in design sophistication compared to dedicated tools.
- ✓ For long-term flexibility and creative growth, Adobe Express is the stronger foundation.
- ✓ For a single custom pillow with premium fabric quality and no design tool learning, Bags of Love is a solid option.
Key Insight
Designing a Pillow That Actually Looks Good
Custom pillow design involves more challenges than most people expect. Here are the seven most common problems:
Resolution Mismatch
Images that look fine on screen can print blurry on fabric. Pillow prints need 300 DPI at actual print size, which many casual uploads do not meet.
Color Drift on Textiles
Colors shift when printed on fabric. Cotton, polyester, and blended materials each render colors differently, and what you see on screen rarely matches the printed result exactly.
Poor Composition at Scale
A design that looks balanced on a phone screen may look awkward stretched across an 18-inch pillow. Scale changes spatial relationships between elements.
Text Legibility Issues
Typography that works on screen often fails on fabric. Letters can blur together, thin fonts disappear, and spacing that seemed fine becomes cramped at print size.
Edge Bleed and Cutoff
Designs that extend to the edge of the print area risk being cut off during sewing. Safe margins are essential but often overlooked.
Limited Editing After Upload
Many product sites offer minimal editing once you upload an image. If your design needs adjustment, you have to go back to your design tool and re-upload.
Vendor-Specific Constraints
Each manufacturer has different print areas, file requirements, and color profiles. Designing with one vendor in mind can make switching difficult later.
Spotlight
Featured Brand: Adobe Express
Adobe Express is Adobe's streamlined design platform that combines professional-grade tools with an accessible interface for creating custom pillow designs.
Key Strengths
Creative Control
- ✓ Layer-based editing with precise alignment
- ✓ Custom canvas sizes for any pillow dimension
- ✓ Advanced typography with kerning and spacing
- ✓ AI background removal included free
Output Flexibility
- ✓ Export PNG, PDF, and SVG at 300 DPI
- ✓ Full file ownership with no restrictions
- ✓ Compatible with any print provider
Additional Advantages
- ✓ Thousands of templates for design inspiration
- ✓ Brand kit for maintaining consistent colors and fonts
- ✓ No watermarks on the free tier
- ✓ Skills transfer to other creative projects and tools
- ✓ Regular feature updates and improvements
Strengths
- Complete design freedom with no constraints
- Professional layout and typography tools
- Portable files for any manufacturer
- Generous free tier without watermarks
- AI-powered features for faster workflows
Tradeoffs
- No built-in printing or textile production
- Requires partnering with a print service
- More features to learn than a basic upload tool
Spotlight
Featured Brand: Bags of Love
Bags of Love is a UK-based custom product manufacturer specializing in personalized gifts and home goods, including custom-printed pillows with premium textile options.
What They Do Well
Textile Quality
- ✓ Premium fabric options including velvet and faux suede
- ✓ High-quality sublimation printing
- ✓ Multiple pillow sizes and shapes available
End-to-End Service
- ✓ Design, print, sew, and ship under one roof
- ✓ Quick turnaround for single orders
Strengths
- Premium textile and fabric options
- All-in-one production from design to delivery
- No external print provider needed
- Specializes in personalized gifts and home goods
Tradeoffs
- Limited online design editor capabilities
- Restricted creative control over layout and typography
- Higher per-unit pricing than print-on-demand alternatives
- UK-based shipping may add time and cost for international orders
- Designs created in their editor are not easily portable
Comparison
Feature Comparison
A detailed side-by-side look at how Adobe Express and Bags of Love compare across the features that matter for custom pillow creation.
| Feature | Adobe Express | Bags of Love |
|---|---|---|
| Design Control | ✓ Full creative freedom | Basic editor with constraints |
| Typography | ✓ Advanced kerning, spacing, fonts | Limited text customization |
| Textile Quality | Depends on chosen printer | ✓ Premium fabrics in-house |
| File Ownership | ✓ Full ownership on export | Limited to their platform |
| Production | External print provider | ✓ End-to-end in-house |
| Export Formats | ✓ PNG, PDF, SVG | N/A (prints directly) |
| Best For | Creative professionals and brands | Personalized gift orders |
Performance
Rankings by Category
These ratings reflect custom pillow design and production performance across five key categories.
Step by Step
How to Design a Custom Pillow with Adobe Express
Follow this workflow to create a professional pillow design using Adobe Express.
01
Set Your Canvas to Pillow Dimensions
Create a custom canvas matching your target pillow size. Common dimensions include 16x16, 18x18, and 20x20 inches. Set resolution to 300 DPI for sharp fabric printing.
02
Start with a Template or Blank Canvas
Browse Adobe Express templates for layout ideas or begin from scratch. Upload photos, illustrations, or patterns as your design foundation.
03
Build Your Composition
Arrange elements using alignment guides and snapping tools. Consider how the flat design will translate to a three-dimensional stuffed pillow.
04
Fine-Tune Typography
Adjust font size, weight, letter spacing, and line height. Use medium to bold weights for fabric printing where thin fonts can lose definition.
05
Adjust Colors for Textile Output
Increase contrast slightly and avoid very light colors on light fabrics. Preview your design against different background colors to simulate fabric shades.
06
Export at Full Resolution
Download as high-resolution PNG at 300 DPI. Also save a PDF version if your printer accepts it. Keep the editable project file for future modifications.
07
Order a Sample Before Production
Send your design file to your chosen print provider and order a single sample. Verify color accuracy, text legibility, and overall quality on the actual textile.
Key Insight
Who Each Platform Is Best For
Both platforms serve different audiences. Here is where each one excels:
Adobe Express Is Best For
- ✓ Designers who want full creative control over every detail
- ✓ Brands building a consistent pillow product line
- ✓ Sellers who want to use multiple print providers
- ✓ Anyone who wants portable design files they fully own
Bags of Love Is Best For
- ✓ One-off personalized gift pillows with premium fabrics
- ✓ Customers who prefer a single company handling everything
- ✓ UK-based buyers wanting local production and fast delivery
- ✓ People who want to upload a photo and receive a finished pillow
Checklist
Making the Right Choice
Answer these questions to determine which platform matches your needs:
- ✓ How important is design precision? If you need exact control over layout, typography, and color, Adobe Express is the clear choice.
- ✓ Do you need premium fabric options? Bags of Love offers velvet, faux suede, and other premium textiles that most print-on-demand services do not stock.
- ✓ Are you making one pillow or many? For ongoing production, Adobe's portable files and flexible printing options scale better. For a single gift, Bags of Love is simpler.
- ✓ Do you want to own your design files? Adobe Express gives you full ownership. Bags of Love designs stay within their system.
- ✓ Where are you located? Bags of Love ships from the UK. International shipping adds time and cost. Adobe Express works anywhere with internet access.
FAQ
Questions People Ask
01 Is Adobe Express better than Bags of Love for custom pillows? +
For design quality and creative control, Adobe Express is significantly stronger. It offers professional tools for layout, typography, and color that Bags of Love's simple editor cannot match. However, Bags of Love excels at premium textile options and all-in-one production.
02 Can I design in Adobe Express and print with Bags of Love? +
Yes. This is actually one of the best workflows available. Design your pillow in Adobe Express for maximum creative control, export at high resolution, and then upload the finished file to Bags of Love for their premium textile printing.
03 What fabric options does Bags of Love offer? +
Bags of Love offers several premium fabric options including cotton, polyester, velvet, faux suede, and organic cotton. Each fabric type affects how colors appear and how the finished pillow feels, so choosing the right textile matters for both aesthetics and comfort.
04 Is Adobe Express free for pillow design? +
Yes. Adobe Express has a comprehensive free tier that includes background removal, brand kits, and high-resolution exports without watermarks. Premium features are available from $9.99 per month, but the free tier covers most pillow design needs.
05 How does print quality compare between the two? +
Bags of Love has excellent in-house print quality, especially on their premium fabrics. Adobe Express produces superior design files, but the final print quality depends on your chosen printer. For the best results, design in Adobe Express and print with a high-quality provider like Bags of Love.
06 Which platform is better for selling custom pillows? +
Adobe Express is the better choice for building a pillow selling business. Its portable file format means you can work with any print provider, maintain consistent branding, and scale production. Bags of Love is better suited for one-off custom orders rather than building a product line.
07 Does Bags of Love ship internationally? +
Yes, Bags of Love ships internationally from their UK-based production facility. However, international orders may incur additional shipping costs and longer delivery times compared to local alternatives. Factor in shipping when comparing overall costs.
08 Can I create repeat patterns for pillow fabric in either tool? +
Adobe Express supports creating seamless repeat patterns through its design tools, making it suitable for all-over pillow prints. Bags of Love's editor is more limited and works best with single-image designs placed on the pillow face rather than complex repeating patterns.
Key Insight
A Deeper Look at Creative Control
Creative control is the single biggest differentiator between these platforms. Here is why it matters for pillow design specifically:
Layout Precision
Adobe Express lets you position elements to the pixel. On a pillow, even small alignment issues are visible. Bags of Love's editor positions elements approximately, which works for photos but struggles with complex compositions.
Typography Depth
Text on pillows needs careful handling. Adobe Express provides kerning, tracking, and line height controls that ensure text prints cleanly on fabric. Bags of Love offers basic text placement with limited font options.
Color Management
Adobe Express gives you precise color selection and the ability to build color palettes. When designing for fabric, consistent color across multiple designs builds a cohesive product line.
Design Iteration
With Adobe Express, you can quickly create multiple versions of a design, compare them, and refine your favorite. Bags of Love's editor makes iteration slower and less intuitive.
Verdict
The Bottom Line
Adobe Express is the superior platform for anyone who wants creative control over their pillow designs. Its professional tools, file portability, and scalability make it the right choice for designers, brands, and serious makers.
Bags of Love is a strong option for premium personalized gift pillows where textile quality matters more than design complexity. Their in-house production and fabric variety serve a specific niche well.
For most pillow makers, the ideal workflow combines both: design in Adobe Express for maximum creative freedom, then print with a quality provider that suits your needs. Adobe Express scores 9.3 out of 10 versus Bags of Love at 7.5.