No two merles match, so no template will do
No two merles are marbled the same way, and an Aussie's eyes might be blue, brown, amber or a bit of each. Generic shepherd art paints a symmetrical dog with matching eyes, because that's easier. Working from your photo, the patches land where they really are and each eye keeps its own colour.
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How this coat prints
Merle is patchwork — dark islands scattered over a grey or buff base — and on the photo presets it carries through as colour placement, patch for patch. The copper on the cheeks, brows and legs is the detail that goes missing first when a photo is too dark, so give it light. Black is the safe shirt for a merle of either colour: the white collar and pale merle read brightest there, and the darkest patches merge into the fabric. Butter is the light option for a blue merle in particular, since a cool grey coat against a warm yellow shirt separates cleanly; a red merle is warmer and does better on the dark side.
The photo to use
Turn the flash off: it bounces off the back of a dog's eye, a pale blue eye in particular can come out glowing red or green, and the artwork works from whatever the photo records. Face your Aussie toward a window or open sky instead, so both eyes catch light evenly; at a three-quarter angle one eye sits in shadow, and a difference in colour starts to look like a difference in lighting. Include the white collar and the mane, too — that ruff is where an Aussie's shape lives.
Presets that suit this dog
Despite the name, the breed was developed on ranches in the American West, so a proud portrait in front of an old, sun-faded flag is closer to heritage than costume.
Surf Club shows the whole dog riding a short board with nothing on its head, so both eyes, the merle patches and the copper on the legs all make it into the picture.
An embroidered wreath of lavender, daisies and pink blossoms curls up around the chest and leaves the face alone, and its own shirt is butter, the one this page already suggests for a blue merle.
Questions
My Aussie has a split eye — half blue, half brown. Will that come through?
If the photo shows it clearly, yes: eye colour is one of the things the artwork is instructed never to change. It's a small detail at shirt size, so a close photo where that eye is sharp gives it the best chance, and the free preview shows you whether it held.
Will the merle be copied exactly, or just made merle-ish?
On the photo presets it follows your dog's actual patches. Faithful rather than pixel-perfect is the honest expectation — the scene is rebuilt around your dog, so very fine flecks can soften while the big patches stay where they are.
Mine's a black tri. Is black still the right shirt?
For a mostly black Aussie on the photo presets, a light shirt shows more of the dog, because on black the darkest fur sinks into the garment. Butter or ivory lets the copper points and white trim do the detail work.
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