Can You Give Someone a Custom Design in Animal Crossing? A Complete Guide

Yes, you absolutely can share your custom designs with other players in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH)! This is a core feature that allows for a vibrant and creative community experience. Instead of directly gifting an item, you’re essentially sharing the design data, which others can then download and use on their own island. The process involves utilizing a few in-game tools and sharing methods, each of which we’ll explore in detail.

How Sharing Custom Designs Works

The primary method of sharing designs relies on the Custom Designs Kiosk located at the back of the Able Sisters shop. Once you’ve unlocked this building (a milestone in the game’s progression), you gain access to the kiosk and its powerful features.

Here’s a breakdown of the process:

1. Uploading Your Designs:

   • You create a custom design on your NookPhone using the Custom Design app.
   • Head to the Able Sisters shop and interact with the kiosk.
   • Choose the option to “Post” your design. This uploads your design to the online server.
   • Upon successful upload, the game generates a unique Design ID for the specific pattern and a Creator ID associated with your player.

2. Sharing Your IDs:

   • The Design ID is a short string of numbers and letters specifically tied to the design you uploaded.
   • The Creator ID is also a string of numbers and letters but serves as a universal ID that provides access to all the designs you’ve ever uploaded.
   • You can share these IDs with your friends or the broader online community using messaging apps, social media, or even in-game communication.

3. Downloading Designs:

   • To acquire the designs, other players must use the Custom Designs Kiosk in their own Able Sisters shop.
   • They select the “Search by ID” option, and then input the Design ID you provided if they want to get one specific design, or the Creator ID to see all of the designs you’ve posted.
   • The game will then download the custom design to their NookPhone, allowing them to utilize it.

What You Can Do with Shared Designs

The uses for custom designs are incredibly versatile and include:

• Clothing: Apply patterns to shirts, dresses, hats, and more to create personalized outfits.
• Wallpapers and Flooring: Transform the look and feel of your home with unique designs.
• Furniture Decoration: Customize select furniture items, like canvases and cushions, with your patterns.
• Flags: Design your own island flag to proudly display your unique style.
• Facepaint: Create face paint designs to enhance your in-game look.
• Pathways: Use custom patterns to create custom paths throughout your island, which can be a great way to personalize the area.

Beyond the Basics: Display and Usage

Displaying Your Designs in Able Sisters

You can also showcase your designs by displaying them in the Able Sisters shop itself. This is a great way to share them with visitors to your island. You can display up to eight designs at a time using the back wall and can choose any of your own patterns or patterns you have already downloaded. Your villagers might even end up wearing the custom designs displayed!

Important Considerations

• You cannot directly edit a custom design you did not create. Once downloaded, it becomes a part of your collection, but the original creator maintains control of the original design file.
• While you can have access to over 200 design slots, it’s worth noting that this includes the default designs.
• Remember that a Nintendo Switch Online membership is needed to use the NookLink app (for QR code scanning) and to upload or download designs from other players.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I send custom designs directly to another player?

No, you cannot directly send a design as an item or through in-game mail. The designs are always accessed through the Custom Designs Kiosk using the Design IDs or Creator IDs.

What is the difference between a Design ID and a Creator ID?

A Design ID is unique to a single uploaded design, while a Creator ID is linked to your entire design catalog. Using a Creator ID allows another player to see everything you’ve shared, instead of having to collect each Design ID.

Can villagers wear pro designs?

Yes, villagers can wear both regular and pro designs that are displayed in the Able Sisters shop, but it’s more common for them to wear regular custom designs.

How many custom designs can I save?

You can save more than 200 custom designs in total, which includes the default design patterns provided by the game.

Can I delete a custom design?

You cannot directly delete a custom design. However, you can overwrite a custom design with a default pattern, making it appear blank.

How do I display my custom designs in the Able Sisters shop?

Interact with the clothing designs on the back wall of the shop and select the “Display my work here” option to replace them with your designs.

Is the NookLink app free to use?

The NookLink app itself is free, but a Nintendo Switch Online membership is required to connect it to your game and use its online features, like QR code scanning.

Can I edit a design I downloaded from someone else?

No, you cannot edit a custom design that you did not create yourself.

How do I turn a picture into a pattern in Animal Crossing?

You can use third-party tools to convert photos into QR codes, which you can then scan using NookLink and import into the game as patterns.

How do I change my island flag?

Speak with Isabelle at Resident Services and choose “Change the island flag” to select one of your custom designs to be displayed on your island flag.

Can Isabelle remove a villager?

Isabelle cannot directly kick out a villager. However, repeatedly talking about a specific villager to Isabelle may eventually prompt them to consider moving out.

Can I use an amiibo to replace a villager?

Yes, if your island is full, using an amiibo card to invite a villager will require you to choose a villager to replace.

Does Mabel get a boyfriend in Gravity Falls?

The text mentions a date with someone named Norman, but Mabel‘s romantic exploits are not directly related to Animal Crossing and are a character detail from the television show Gravity Falls.

What are AC patterns?

AC patterns refers to custom designs you can create and use within the game. The text also references an online tool for creating AC patterns.

Where is the Able Sisters Shop located?

In Animal Crossing: Wild World, the Able Sisters shop is located next to Tom Nook’s store, but in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it has its own dedicated spot.