As a designer for Duke’s Office of News & Communications, one of my favorite things to work on were our campus Snapchat filters. We typically host an on-demand filter for big events on campus such as basketball games, cultural performances, football games, and holidays. Not even a decade-old, Snapchat has grown to be one of the most popular social media platforms for millennials, with more than 9,000 snaps sent per second. Whether you’re a publicity executive for an organization that has an event coming up or a someone who wants to make a great birthday present for a friend, you too can create your own personalized Snapchat filter! Without further ado, here’s a quick step-by-step guide:

Visit snapchat.com/geofilters and click the “Create Now” button under the “Community” tab. Log into your Snapchat account.

On the following screen, hover over the “Download Template” link to either download the PSD or AI templates. Either template works – just choose the software that you’re most comfortable with.

Next, check out the submission guidelines on the bottom of the screen to get a general idea of what is okay and what isn’t.

Now you can start designing! Brainstorm what visuals might work with the theme of your event. You should always have a short phrase of some sorts that’s presented in a visually appealing and engaging way. Be sure to make the content pop so it’ll be visible in either broad daylight or the evening. And remember, NO HASHTAGS allowed in the design (or it won’t be approved).

After you’ve made a filter that follows the Snapchat guidelines, you can upload it! Visit snapchat.com/geofilters/submit.html and click the large white box on the right that says “Upload Geofilter Asset.” Enter your name, email, and check the two boxes on the bottom.

Select the date and time range you want your filter to be useable.

Search the map for the area that you wish to have your geofilter shown. Then, draw a box around the area with Snapchat’s mapping tool. The bigger the area, the more your filter will cost.

Now you’re almost done! Click “Submit.” Snapchat will contact you in a couple of hours letting you know if they’ve approved your filter. If approved, they’ll bill the account that you’ve linked.

Finally, keep an eye out for your filter on the designated dates!

And that’s how to make your own personalized Snapchat filter. They’re an easy and fun way to engage with your followers. Plus, if a follower uses your filter, all their friends who see the filter will also know about you. Good luck and have fun designing!