Animal Crossing Custom Design How Tos

How to download designs from the Custom Designs Portal (requires internet connection)

First go to the Custom Designs Portal in the back of the Able Sisters’ Tailor Shop. Stand directly in front of it and hit “A,” the dialogue prompts will ask you if you’d like to access the internet kiosk. If you choose, “Access the kiosk.” your device will connect to the internet and then you will see the main page of the Custom Designs Portal. 

You can search for designs by the design ID or by the creator ID. The design ID is specific to one design and the creator ID will show all posted designs from one player/creator.  This can be easier to use especially if you are downloading more than one design from the same creator. Also, the creator ID is only numbers while the design ID is a combination of letters and numbers.

All custom designs posted by the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education can be found with the maker ID: MA-2474-0046-9368.

If you choose to search by the creator ID you just hit “A” to select that option and enter the creator ID. The creator ID search screen should look like the image above.

Searching by design ID is a very similar process, just select search by design ID and enter the design ID. The design ID search screen should look like the one above.

Select the design you would like to save and choose and override an empty slot or an existing one to save the design.


How to download using a QR code and a smartphone. 

The first is to scan a QR code, download the Nintendo Switch Online app on your smartphone and use your device’s camera to scan in the code allowing the artwork to be downloaded into your New Horizons game. Then you can display it inside your house or anywhere else!

The method using a QR code and smartphone can help you convert any image into a pixelated custom design to be  downloaded and used throughout the game. This method offers tons of flexibility and is a lot easier for creating designs! 

In order to import designs with a QR code you must download the Nintendo Switch Online app and login with your Nintendo account information.

  1. Under Game-Specific Services choose Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
  2. From there choose the icon for Designs
  3. Choose “Scan a QR code.” and scan the QR code for the design you’d like to download. 
  4. The screen should say “Custom design has been scanned. Would you like to save?” along with a preview of the design. Choose the save option. 
  5. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons open the Custom Designs app and press the (+) to download the design.
  6. Save the design, you can choose and override an empty slot or an existing one.
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