Often people will write their family name or something to make sure that it doesn't get mixed up with other people's tents. However, we don't recommend painting it or excessive drawings simply because the chemicals in the paint or markers can damage the material or at least damage the waterproofing technology. The canvas we use is considered to be "dry treated" as opposed to some Tipi and wall tents that are "wet treated" where they have a waxy feeling and are difficult to bend in the cold weather.