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FABRICS PRICES FAQs HOW-TO ABOUT US ORDERING CONTACT

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT KIND OF IMAGE PRINTS BEST?

In general, almost any image will print nicely if it isn't too small to scale up, or has poor quality resolution

*Photos are great - whether of nature, people, or of your paintings - the millions of colors in any photograph offers the best possible print.

*An image that is mostly solid colors with no value changes, as might be created for a graphic design, can have issues with getting the right color, depending on several factors such as - what software it was created in, whether it was created in RGB or CMYK and how the file was saved (as example Illustrator's AI files have to be converted to raster files in that software to print well.). If it is a very high contrast design with large areas of black and white solid colors, it can be problematic printed on silk.

*Graphic art with intricate patterns or text or line drawings prints very well.

*I print RGB, 360 ppi resolution, and usually Adobe RGB prints much better than sRGB. JPGs are OK, TIFF files are better. Using file transfer sites like Dropbox or We Transfer work great.



OCCASIONALLY INQUIRIES COME FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF SCARVES OR SEVERAL YARDS OF FABRIC

Our specialty is limited edition prints and one-of-a-kind artist prints (often called giclees). There are times when larger orders can be accommodated in a time frame and price range acceptable to all parties. Sometimes however the need is for a different process of printing which requires chemical treatment to complete the printing.

I don't print files longer than approx. 8 feet in length.

I do not use any chemical pre-or post-treatment of the prints which are needed for making yards of textiles.

Each of our prints is done one at a time and raw edges hand hemmed after printing unless requested otherwise.

OCCASIONALLY INQUIRIES COME REQUESTING FRAMING, ASSEMBLING A PRODUCT, OR OTHER SERVICES SUCH AS MAKING A GARMENT.

The only post-printing service offered is hemming the raw edges of a print - i.e. making it into a scarf or other flat item like a wall hanging. Wide hems can be done to accommodate a dowel or rod to hang a print, but I don't supply the dowel or rod. See the HOW TO tab on top of this page for more about hanging a print.

OCCASIONALLY INQUIRIES COME ASKING IF YOU CAN SUPPLY THE SILK OR OTHER FABRICS FOR A SAVINGS.

It would not save any costs for anyone to send me their fabric to print on and return as a scarf or other item. Much of the cost is indeed the silk, but using un-tried fabrics would require test prints and extra time which would counteract potential fabric savings. As well, to print on any fabric, it does require special treatment first which increases the cost by $6.50/yard plus shipping to the manufacturer and back to us.


"MY PICTURE IS RECTANGLE – I WANT A SQUARE PRINT":

Say you want a scarf that is 30 inches square, the image you send does not have to be quite that large in inches. A quarter of the final size (15" x 15" at 360 dpi) is just fine. We won't stretch or distort an image from a rectangle to a square, but can 'crop' it for you if you like. That means cutting one or both edges of the longer side so what remains is square. We never print a cropped image withou firstt sending you a picture of what it will look like square. Depending on the image, sometimes a few more inches can be added to the short side to make a square.

The common photograph from a phone or camera is not square, so would have to be trimmed or cropped. You can do it yourself or as noted it can be done here.

"WILL THE COLORS BE JUST LIKE WHAT I SEND?"

The colors on your final print will match the colors on the file you send. Your print will be as vibrant and beautiful as your file you send us. There is a chance that your screen and my monitor are not seeing the same exact colors. Not that the color is actually different, just that the monitor calibrations are different and colors appear different on various devices..It is possible you assume the color is, say - magenta, when the color is actually more reddish. If you are concerned, send a little photograph or print on paper in the mail that has the correct colors. Or if you are matching other fabric you could send a tiny swatch of that material.

If your own printer gives you the colors you see, then all should be just fine.

There are no differences between using a PC or a MAC, but there are differences between Adobe RGB, not AppleRGB. I use a PC so save the image in Adobe RGB rather than Apple RGB so I know what you want the colors to look like. If your image is from a phone or tablet, send it on and not worry about the PC/MAC thing.

One small disclaimer: due to the nature of silk fabric, the color does not always appear as vibrant as when printed on paper. Some silk weaves are softer and the surface is just different enough that the image may be a tad softer as well, just as the difference when printing on glossy paper and on plain paper. We do match the color and details of the submitted file as best as possible. Each color is dependent visually somewhat on what is around it  - i.e. complementary colors enhance each other, or the room light has a slight color to it. You may have noticed this when looking at a paint chip or shirt in a store, then when outside or at home it appears different.

.Color is a funny thing - it appears different on various physical materials even though actually the same. This is because of the way that material reflects or absorbs light. A shiny metal surface and a soft fabric and a rough textured wall may all be the exact same color but look slightly different in your room. You can see that in most any room decor - a painted surface, a curtain, a fluffy pillow may be exactly the same color but look a tad different in 'real life'. Cotton and silk absorb ink and pigment in a different way. Cotton and linen are plant based, silk and wool are animal based and take on different characteristics as a result.

"You use Pigment - WHAT IS ‘PIGMENT’?"

Pigment is the stuff in paint, like oil paint or house paint, that makes the color. In paint the pigment is mixed with a binder to hold it together and a liquid like water that lets it spread around the canvas or paper or wall. In our printer, the pigment is sprayed on the fabric in a similar way ink is sprayed on in your inkjet printer. Pigment has the advantage of being permanent (won’t wash off) and much more fade resistant than old fashioned inkjet ink. It has been tested in labs to archive for well over 400 years if kept from direct sunlight, yet it holds up as well in ordinary wear as your fabrics purchased at the fabric store.

"DOES THE PRINTED FABRIC ‘FEEL’ DIFFERENT?"

There is no difference at all in the feel of the material with our process than any other like fabric purchased on bolts at the fabric store. There are some transfer fabrics out there that you iron on the garment or quilt square after printing. These used to be quite unacceptable in that they feel very stiff, change color when you iron them on, and will begin to crack and yellow after a couple washings. However newer technology has softened these transfer materials, but they still show to the discerning eye that it is ON the fabric and not PART OF the fabric. They have their place for adhering to items that can't go through the printer - like hats or bags or T-shirts.

Request free fabric samples, see the Home page for info on ordering samples.Our Habotai has a wonderful sheen, and the cotton has a high thread count for the best wear. My personal favorite is the georgette, and if you like shiny, the charmeuse is gorgeous. Twill is what the high end French scarves are printed on.

"CAN YOU MAKE A LONG SCARF IF MY IMAGE IS SMALL?"

Yes - there is more than one way to do this, and if you ask for a composite for a long scarf you will be sent a small image file of what it will look like before it is printed. If your design is about the half the height of the desired scarf size, it is copied and turned around for the opposite end, so that both ends are alike. Sometimes it will take 3 or more duplicates to fit and there are a few ways to pull that off depending what people like.

 

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?"

Printing on fabric like this is a new technology. At last the 'industry' has developed a product (pigments that print like ink) and hardware (wonderful printers) that make Computer Art as durable and archival as traditional methods such as screen printing, watercolor and acrylic painting.

This service of printing for quilters & photographers & artists has been available for over ten years, but the parent company, Raldon Enterprises is in its 69th year of business. Raldon began as a commercial art and sign company in early 1954. Still family-owned, the company's purpose has been providing services to individuals and businesses in the form of graphic design, web design, printing and, recently, silk printing.

I have been a computer artist since the late 1980s with exhibitions across the country and in Europe. See my personal website, link below. I taught computer art and graphic design at the local university for 15 years but retired to print for you full time in 2014.

DonnaleeDunne.com