Easily Design Clothing Custom Content For The Sims 4

Download Article

A complete guide to creating Sims 4 clothing CC

Co-authored by Kate Emerald and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: February 21, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Getting What You Need
|
• Extracting Clothing Images
|
• Editing a Texture Image in Photoshop or GIMP
|
• Importing and Saving the Image in Sims 4 Studio
|
• Enabling Custom Content
|
• Video
|
• Q&A

|Show more |Show less

Are you not satisfied with the clothing selection in The Sims 4? Do you want to add your own clothes? It's easier than you think to make your own clothing mods. You need a copy of The Sims 4, The Sims 4 Studio, and an image editor such as Photoshop or GIMP. This wikiHow teaches you how to make your own clothing mods for The Sims 4 with expert tips from Sims 4 building expert Kate Emerald.

Make Sims 4 Clothing CC Overview

Download Sims 4 Studio from the Sims 4 Studio forums. Click CAS, select a clothing item, and export it. Open the clothing item in Photoshop or GIMP and modify it. Save it as a PNG file. Import the modified graphic into Sims 4 Studio and save it as a “.package” file, and add it to the Sims 4 Mods folder.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Getting What You Need

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Download The Sims 4. This goes without saying. You do need a copy of The Sims 4 if you want to make clothing mods for it. You can purchase and download The Sims 4 from the EA app on both PC and Mac.

   • You cannot install or create mods for The Sims 4 on game consoles. You can only do this on PC or Mac.
2. 
   2
   Download The Sims 4 Studio. The Sims 4 Studio is an unofficial external program used to make mods for The Sims 4. It's free to download, but you do need to register for the forum. Use the following steps to download The Sims 4 Studio:

   • Navigate to the Sims 4 Studio download page on the Sims 4 Studio forums.
   • Click Sims 4 Studio for Windows x.x.x.x (Star) for Windows, or Sims 4 Studio for Mac x.x.x.x (Aurora) for Mac.
   • Scroll down and click one of the download links for Sims 4 Studio.
   • Double-click the install file and follow the instructions to install The Sims 4 Studio.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Download an image editor. You need a photo editor such as Photoshop to edit clothing textures. If you don't have a Photoshop subscription, you can download and install GIMP for free from gimp.org. It's a free and open-source image editor that has many of the same features that Photoshop has.
4. 
   4
   Download Sim body texture templates (optional). These weird-looking image textures are used to map out where your clothing textures are placed on your Sims. There are four different UV Map image templates. One for female Sims, male Sims, toddlers, and child Sims. While we won't be using these for this tutorial, you may decide you want to use them for more advanced options as you get better at creating clothing for your Sims. You can download these images on The Sims 4 Studio forum.
Advertisement

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Extracting Clothing Images

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open the Sims 4 Studio. It has a blue icon that says "S4S". You can find it in the Windows Start Menu or the Applications folder on Mac.

   • The first time you open Sims 4 Studio, you will be required to enter the location of your Sims 4 install, documents folder, and Blender 3D install location. Don't worry if you don't have Blender 3D. Just leave that field blank. The Sims 4 install location is C:\Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 4 by default, and the documents location is C:\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4
2. 
   2
   Enter your creator name. Enter the name you want to use as your creator name in the field in the lower-right corner. You can use your real name or a nickname. This is required.
3. 
   3
   Click the radio button next to "Create CAS Standalone". It's below the blue button that says "CAS".
4. 
   4
   Click CAS. It's one of the four blue buttons on the opening page of Sims 4 Studio.
5. 
   5
   Select a clothing item you want to edit and click Next. You can select any clothing item in the base game, expansion packs, or custom content you have already downloaded. Use the drop-down menus at the top of Sims 4 Studio to filter your selection choices. Click the item you want to edit and click Next in the lower-right corner.
6. 
   6
   Type a name for the file you want to create. This is the name of the mod that you will eventually create. Type a file name for the “.package” file you are creating next to "File Name".
7. 
   7
   Ensure the file is saved to the The Sims 4 mods folder. Check the path at the top of Windows Explorer or the Finder on Mac. Ensure the file is saved to the The Sims 4 mods folder. By default, the Sims 4 mods folder is located at the following location on PC and Mac: C:\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods.
8. 
   8
   Click Save. This saves and opens a new .package file for you to edit in The Sims 4 Studio. You should see a model wearing the clothing you selected on the left.
9. 
   9
   Click Diffuse below "Texture". This displays the diffuse texture map in the lower-right corner. The diffuse texture map is the image that goes over the 3D clothing mesh in the game. The image in the lower-right corner is what the texture map looks like, laid out as a flat 2D image.
10. 
    10
    Click Export. It's the green button below "Texture" in The Sims 4 Studio.
11. 
    11
    Type a descriptive file name for the image file. Type this next to "File Name" in Windows Explorer. Think of a descriptive name, such as "Plain black male T-shirt" or something similar. You may want to use this same texture map for other clothing models in the future.
12. 
    12
    Click Save. This saves the texture map image as a PNG file. Make a note of where the file was saved to, as you will need to open it in Photoshop or GIMP.
Advertisement

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Editing a Texture Image in Photoshop or GIMP

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open Photoshop or GIMP. Open the image editor of your choice.
2. 2
   Open the texture map you exported from Sims 4 Studio. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Click File in the menu bar at the top.
   • Click Open.
   • Select the defuse texture map you exported.
   • Click Open.
3. 
   3
   Edit the image. This is where you get creative. There are lots of tools in both Photoshop and GIMP that you can use to edit an image. You can use the text tool to add text to an image. You can use the adjustment panel to change the color, hue, or brightness of the clothing. You can use the brush tool to add textures or patterns to the image, you can copy a logo or image and paste it onto a T-shirt.

   • If you copy a logo or image to the shirt, you may want to select a piece of clothing in Sims 4 Studio with the same background color and remove the background from the image you are copying from.
   • To import the Sims texture template or UV map, click File and click Open as Layers (GIMP) or Place (Photoshop) and click the checkmark icon at the top of the screen. Drag the layer with the template or UV map below the clothing texture in the Layers panel to the left. Be sure to hide this layer before exporting the image file.
4. 4
   Save the file. It’s a good idea to save the file as a Photoshop (PSD) file or a GIMP (XCF) file. This will allow you to open the file and edit it again in the future. Use the following steps to save the file:

   • Click File in the menu bar at the top.
   • Click Save as.
   • Enter a descriptive filename for the image file.
   • Click Save.
5. 5
   Export the graphic as a PNG file. In order to import the image into Sims 4 Studio, you’ll need to export it as a PNG file. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Click File in the menu bar at the top.
   • Click Save as (Photoshop) or Export (GIMP).
   • Select PNG as the file format.
     • In Photoshop, use the drop-down menu next to "Format" to select PNG.
     • In GIMP, click Select file type (by extension) and click PNG image.
   • Click Save (Photoshop) or Export (GIMP).
Advertisement

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Importing and Saving the Image in Sims 4 Studio

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Click back over to Sims 4 Studio. If you still have Sims 4 Studio open, click back over to it. If you closed Sims 4 Studio, open it again and click the project name under "Projects" to the right in the opening screen.
2. 2
   Import the texture image. To do so, scroll down and click Import below “Textures.” Select the PNG image you exported from Photoshop or GIMP and click Open. The model in Sims 4 Studio should now be wearing the clothing you designed.
3. 3
   Import a thumbnail image for the clothing item. This is the thumbnail image that will help you identify your clothing item in the Sims Create-a-Sim catalog. It can be any image you want. It can be the image or logo. You can even get a screenshot of the model wearing your clothing item in Sims 4 Studio. Use the following steps to upload a thumbnail image:

   • Click Import below “Catalog Thumbnail.”
   • Select a PNG image.
     • If the image you want to upload isn't in PNG format, you can use Photoshop or GIMP to convert a JPEG image to PNG.
   • Click Open.
4. 4
   Click Save. It’s in the lower-right corner. This saves your design as “.package” file that can be imported into The Sims 4 as custom content.
5. 
   5
   Copy the Package file to the Sims 4 mods folder. If you didn't save the .package file to the The Sims 4 mods folder, locate the file you just saved, right-click it, and copy and paste it into the The Sims 4 mods folder. According to Emerald, this is where you place Sims 4 Mod files to be accessed in the game.

   • Once again, you can typically find your Sims 4 Mod folder at C:\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods.
Advertisement

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Enabling Custom Content in The Sims 4

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open the Sims 4. Click The Sims 4 icon on your Desktop, Start menu, or Applications folder.
2. 2
   Enable Custom Content and Mods. Custom Content and Mods are disabled by default. Use the following steps to enable mods and custom content from the title screen:

   • Click the button with three dots (•••)
   • Click Game Options.
   • Click Others.
   • Check “Enable Custom Content and Mods.”
   • Click Apply Changes.
3. 
   3
   Restart the game. In order for mods and custom content to take effect, you must restart your game. Exit out of the game and click the The Sims 4 icon to restart your game. You can find your custom clothes in Create-a-Sim on The Sims 4.

   • You will need to enable Custom Content and Mods every time The Sims 4 updates.
   • To access your custom clothing, click the Manage Households icon on the map screen. Then select the household with the Sim you want to edit to edit the Sims in Create-a-Sim.
Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  Other than Photoshop, is there any free program that can be used instead?

  

  SoyokoAnis

  Community Answer

  You can use GIMP from gimp.org. Otherwise, use any other photo editing software you come across.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 4 Helpful 11
• Question

  I am very bored with the Sims. What should I do?

  

  Dhriti

  Community Answer

  If you're playing the same careers/same skills/same people a lot, try switching it up! Some people do like to use the same traits and aspirations for the Sims they make, so try making them a villain, really creative, etc. Do something you wouldn't really make for a Sims 4 and try playing! If that's not effective, try living in a different town, etc. You could also try using expansion packs and other mods/cc to make your gameplay experience better.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 3 Helpful 0

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!