How to make a plane livery
There are three ways to make a plane livery, from one-sentence AI to painting every pixel yourself. Here is which one to pick, the free tools for each, and the steps from template to flying it.
Fastest: describe it to AI
Type one sentence, get a finished livery on a real A320, A321neo, 737-800 or 787-9, and download a GeoFS texture. Free credits on sign-up.
Open the livery makerFull control: paint the template
Get the exact template for your aircraft and simulator, paint it in a free editor like Photopea or GIMP, export at the same size, and test it in the sim.
Find a GeoFS templateThe three ways to make a plane livery
1. AI on a real template (minutes)
An AI livery maker such as Plane Livery starts from the real side view of the aircraft. You describe the airline or the artwork, the AI paints the fuselage and tail, and the tool keeps windows and doors in place, adds your titles and writes the texture file. It is the quickest route for GeoFS and needs no drawing skill. The limits: four aircraft today, and you steer the design with words rather than a brush.
2. Paint the 2D template in an editor (hours)
The classic way. You download the paint template (also called a paint kit) for your exact aircraft, paint on it in an image editor, and export a texture at the same size. Everything is possible, from a subtle cheatline to a photo collage, and it works for every simulator that publishes templates.
3. Paint in 3D (precise, but steeper)
Blender can paint directly on the 3D model, so you see each stroke on the aircraft. It is the most precise way to line up artwork across seams, and the hardest to learn.
Which free tool should a beginner use?
| Tool | Price | Runs in | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane Livery | Free credits, then credits | Browser | A finished livery from a sentence; GeoFS export for A320, A321neo, 737-800, 787-9 |
| Photopea | Free (with ads) | Browser | Painting templates with layers; opens Photoshop files, nothing to install |
| GIMP | Free, open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Desktop painting with layers and masks; large textures |
| Inkscape | Free, open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Logos, titles and clean vector shapes to place on the texture |
| Blender | Free, open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Painting directly on the 3D model; lining up art across seams |
A good beginner combination: start in the AI maker to find the look, then, if you want to change details it cannot, repaint the template in Photopea using the AI result as your reference.
Step by step: from template to the sim
- Get the exact template. The aircraft variant matters: an A320-214 template does not fit an A320neo. For GeoFS, use the GeoFS template table; for MSFS and X-Plane, use the paint kit from the aircraft’s developer.
- Find left, right and tail. Fill each part with a flat colour, label it, load it once in the sim and look. Now you know which side is mirrored.
- Paint on layers. Base colour, belly, cheatlines and tail on separate layers; keep the template’s windows and panel lines on top.
- Add titles last. Put the airline name above the windows, clear of doors, and flip it horizontally on the mirrored side.
- Export at the template’s size. Same pixel size, PNG (or JPG for huge textures). Do not crop or resize.
- Test in the sim. In GeoFS, load the file with LiverySelector’s Direct tab and walk around the aircraft. Fix, export, reload. The LiverySelector guide covers this.
Design tips that make a livery look real
- Two or three colours, a light fuselage and one strong colour on the tail read best from a distance.
- Let the tail carry the identity: a symbol, an initial, or the face of your character.
- Make titles bigger than feels right; in the chase camera small text turns into a smudge.
- For special liveries (anime crews, animals, dragons), let one big image run the length of the fuselage instead of many small ones.
More on this in how to design a plane livery that looks real, and plenty of ideas in the AI livery gallery.
Updated . Plane Livery is not affiliated with the other tools named here.
More tools on the field
Black on yellow points the way, yellow on black says where you are, same as the signs on a real taxiway.
Making a livery: questions
What is the easiest way to make a plane livery?
Describe it to an AI livery maker that works on real aircraft templates. For GeoFS on the A320, A321neo, 737-800 or 787-9 you get a finished texture in under a minute. For other aircraft or simulators, paint over the official template in a free editor such as Photopea.
Do I need Photoshop to make a livery?
No. Photopea opens Photoshop files in the browser for free, GIMP is a free desktop editor with layers, and Inkscape is a free vector editor for logos and titles.
What is a paint kit?
A paint kit (or template) is the aircraft’s texture unfolded onto a flat image, usually with layers for panel lines, windows and shading. You paint on it and export the texture at the same size. Simulator and aircraft developers publish them; GeoFS templates come from the LiverySelector project.
Can I see my design on the plane while I work?
In GeoFS, load the texture with LiverySelector’s Direct tab after every change. Blender can paint directly on a 3D model, and some simulators have their own live-preview tools.
Can I make a livery on a phone or iPad?
You can design with a browser tool such as Plane Livery or Photopea on a phone or tablet. Loading it into GeoFS works best in a desktop browser.
How do I make a livery for MSFS or X-Plane?
Use the paint kit for that exact aircraft, paint it in your editor, then package it the way that simulator expects (MSFS uses its SDK package tools; X-Plane uses a liveries folder next to the aircraft). Plane Livery does not export to these simulators yet.