Computer aided systems and methods for creating custom products

A computer-aided design system enables physical articles to be customized via printing or embroidering and enables digital content to be customized and electronically shared. A user interface may be generated that includes an image of a model of an article of manufacture and user customizable design areas. Customization permissions associated with a selected design area are accessed. User provided content to be used in customizing a design area may be analyzed in real time or in batch mode using a trained engine to determine if it complies with one or more rules. If the user provided content satisfies a corresponding rule, manufacturing instructions and a design file may be transmitted to a printing system.