FAQs

COST AND QUANTITY

How much does printing cost?­­

Printing cost starts at £32.50 and is reduced over larger orders of 2m and more. Please see our Blog for details of our pricing structure.

Student Discount Now Available!  Please call or email for a student discount promo code.

How much does fabric cost?

Each of the base fabrics is a different price. For example, cotton voile is £6.85p/m and silk crepe satin is £17.95p/m.

Can I have a quote before I place my order?

Yes, Estimate Quotes are available on request

Is the cost of printing separate to the cost of the fabric?

Yes, your invoice will show the cost of printing, cost of fabric and any other charges, such as CAD, shipping and VAT separately.

How much can I order? Is there a minimum/maximum order?

Our minimum online order is for 30cm (0.3m) of print. This will require 60cm (0.6m) of fabric. There is no maximum order.

What is the longest single length of fabric I can order?

We can process up to 10 meters of most of our base fabrics in a single peice. On heavier fabrics this can be less and often around 5 meters.

If we need to produce your order over a number of panels we will contact you to discuss this.

Can I have a printed sample before placing a larger order? What does it cost to have samples?

Yes. We do not have a minimum order. You can place as small or large an order as you choose. For example, if you order 30cm of print, you will be charged for 30cm print + 60cm base fabric at the standard rate of £32.50p/m print cost and the cost p/m for your choice of base fabric.

Can I avoid paying multiple postage costs on orders placed at the same time?

Yes, if you are concerned that you are paying too much for postage, please give us a call or send an email and we can look at your orders to work out the weight of your parcel and if you have paid too much for postage we will refund part of the cost.

 

FABRIC QUESTIONS

Can I choose more than one fabric?

Yes

Can I see swatches of the base fabrics?

Yes, we can send you a swatch card if you provide your postal address

Can I achieve an exact colour match to a Pantone shade or any other reference that I send?

We can try to achieve as close a match as possible to 'flat' colours.  This is a service that we usually charge for as CAD at £45 per hour.  You can also make up your own colour swatches, or colour palette, and print this as part of your sampling.

Can I achieve colour matches between batches printed at different times?

We cannot guarantee colour matching between batches of prints printed at different times.  Our natural fibre fabrics can very slightly in texture and colour and are also subject to availability from our suppliers.

Can I print onto my own fabric? Can I print onto anything?

No, we recommend that you only print onto the fabrics that we keep in stock.

How wide is the fabric?

The fabric widths vary and are detailed in the ‘create your order’ section and ‘fabrics’ section. You should create your layouts to allow a 2.5m selvedge at each side of the full width of the fabric.

Can I print the full width of the fabric?

No, we recommend that you allow a 2.5cm selvedge at each side of your layout.


TIME/DELIVERY QUESTIONS

 

How long does it take?

Most orders of 10m and under are completed within 10-15 working days, however during busy periods than vary. We try to keep customers up to date with timescales, but please call if you are worried about your turnaround.

We have recently installed a fabulous new printing machine and a new piece of finishing equipment.  This means that we will be making some beneficial changes to our printing and processing, but may cause some temporary delays to your order despatch.  We feel that our colour profile is now more accurate than it was before.  It may also mean that if you have printed with us before that you will need to let us know if you need a close match to previous print work.  We cannot guarantee an exact match, but if your job requires sampling it would be useful to let us know.  Otherwise, we will be using our new system and software from now on to print all jobs.  Our turn around is 10-15 working days. (May 2014)

How do you send the finished fabric?

We send the finished fabric via Royal Mail Special Delivery or via a courier service. This ensures that we can track your parcel should it go missing!


DESIGN/LAYOUT AND FILE FORMAT QUESTIONS

How do I save my files?

Please save your files in jpeg format, 150 dpi at actual print size (100% scale)  

This will mean that your uploaded image will appear within the system at the actual print size, whereas a larger or smaller DPI will need  resizing. Flatten the image if you have created it using layers.

For the smoothest upload experience we recommend compressing the jpeg to medium quality as this will create a smaller file but will not effect the final print quality.

Can I send original artwork?

Yes. We can scan original artwork. We charge £45 per hour for CAD and the total cost will depend on the complexity of your requirements. We are happy to provide an Estimate Quote.

 

Can I get artwork such as scanning, repeat work, redrawing done at CAT?

Yes. All of our staff are trained Textile Designers. We charge £45 per hour for CAD and the total charge will depend on the complexity of your requirements. We are happy to provide an Estimate Quote. The offset is the distance from the edge of the fabric to the point where your printing begins.

 

Is there a file size limit?

We recommend a maximum size of 50MB, however larger files should work fine..

What if my file is really large, and I can't upload through the system?

Yes. You will need to send your files in tif/jpeg format via a File Transfer site, such as our own free personal transfer service ‘cat.wetransfer.com ’ or 'dropbox.com' etc.  You can also send files on a usb/CD/DVD. All of these transfer methods need to be accompanied by a customer order form. Please give us a call in the studio (0141 353 4742)  or email us at 'cat@gsa.ac.uk' and we can send one out straight away.

 

Why is the fabric calculation longer than my required order/printed area?

To begin any print job, we must set the fabric onto the machine with around 20 - 25cm in front of your print and 5 - 10cm behind it as we cut it off the roll.

What is the offset?

The offset is the distance from the edge of the fabric to the point where your printing begins.


DYESTUFF QUESTIONS

 

Is the print permanent? Can I wash the fabric?

Yes the print is permanent. The prints are steamed to fix the dyes and washed before we send them to you. You can re­wash them (see aftercare* instructions below).

What kind of dyes are used?

Reactive Dyes (procion)

Is the dye lightfast? What are the aftercare* instructions?

Yes, the dyes are lightfast. We strongly recommend that printed fabrics used for blinds or curtains are fully lined with a black out fabric. We do not recommend that digitally printed items be displayed in South or West facing windows or in direct sunlight.


COMPLAINTS

Can I get a refund if I am unhappy with the printing?

We will only send out jobs that we are satisfied as passing our high standards of quality control. We will discuss customer complaints based on the individual circumstances.

*aftercare instructions

We recommend that digitally printed fabrics are labeled with ‘dry clean’ only or ‘delicate’ wash cycle. As with all dyed fabrics there is a residue of excess dye left in the item. This can cause staining to the item itself or to other items in a wash. We are happy to provide more specific instructions and to recommend post­treatment finishes such as Teflon coat or Fire Retardant coat where necessary.