FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I supply my own fabric?
You can either select from our broad range of stock fabrics or we can source alternatives for you.
We can also pre-treat your own supplied fabric for printing but this is subject to minimum orders (approx 15-20m) and fabric type.
If a client wishes to supply their own fabric, rather than use one supplied by Hatley Print, then they do so at their own risk. It is very helpful to find out the provenance of a third party fabric essentially to discover how ‘clean’ the fabric is. Some unknown fabrics may contain invisible softeners or other chemicals. This may affect the fabric pre-treatment that we apply prior to printing. This pre-treatment is a necessary part of the print process and if it is contaminated (chemically) then the print and further processing is likely to be affected, resulting in faulty prints or colour changes. Whilst this is a rare occurrence, the most important factor when choosing a 3rd party fabric is to get it in a state of ‘Prepared for Print’ aka PFP.
Can the printed fabric be washed?
After printing, your fabric is steamed and washed to ensure full colour potential is attained; this also helps us to ensure that the fabric is both light and colourfast. Once completed, your fabric can be either washed or dry cleaned but, as with any printed fabric, fading may occur so we recommend that you undertake sampling if you have specific requirements.
Do I need to make allowance for fabric shrinking when I order?
Yes, some fabrics may shrink by up to 10% during the steaming and washing process.
How should I send my artwork file?
All files should be submitted as a Tiff, created in RGB, at the correct size you want it to be printed. The resolution should be no more than 300dpi. We prefer online transfer via WeTransfer but you may submit it on a USB stick or CD. If you would like to supply a hard copy of the print or colour swatches for reference please feel free to do so.
Clients’ artwork/print files are thoroughly assessed by our CAD department upon receipt. If errors are established in supplied artwork then Hatley Print will contact the client to discuss and amend/correct accordingly. In the unlikely circumstance that an artwork fault is missed in proofing and the file is printed (with faults) then Hatley Print cannot be held responsible for this.
Can you guarantee colour will be the same?
All the fabrics that we print must be pre-treated for reactive printing. We outsource this processing and cannot guarantee that different batches of fabric will always appear the same. Colour results can vary from fabric to fabric or batch to batch so we always recommend appropriate sampling.
Do you do colour matching?
We will always try to ensure your colours are as true as possible. The only way we can have compete control over colour matching is when the artwork is supplied or created in separate colour layers. In a flat photoshop file, specific colours cannot be targeted without affecting others – it can only be tweaked.
What is the minimum quantity we can order?
Our minimum is 1m and there is no maximum.
We also offer a sample strip of 30cm x fabric width for £45 – this can be made up of several images. Due to our set up, we process the fabric in batches so depending on the fabric and quantity, longer lengths may have to be supplied in pieces.
What is your turnaround time?
Our standard turnaround time is 7-10 working days. We offer an express service, which can incur up to an additional 50% surcharge. Our ability to achieve this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
We will always endeavour to meet your deadlines but there are occasionally delays due to unforeseen circumstances. If changes are anticipated then clients will be alerted immediately. Please make it clear when placing your order if you have a specific deadline. It is possible that a 1 or 2 day delay to an initial estimation can happen, so do allow for this in your own scheduling.
What delivery method do you use?
We use an overnight courier service for client orders. Samples can be sent in the post but we cannot guarantee this service.
Standard Service means that the goods will arrive at their destination between 9am and 5pm, the day after dispatch (Mon-Fri only) No deliveries will be made on a Bank Holiday. Sometimes delivery will fall outside of these hours or even fail, occasionally resulting in a delay of 24 hours. Hatley Print cannot be held responsible for courier delays once the goods have left our premises.
Pre 10.30am / Midday deliveries can be booked at an additional cost. Please advise us if you have a particular delivery requirement.
What are your payment terms?
What happens if a fault occurs in the print?
Digital textile printing is not a simple process and from time to time faults can occur; be they print faults, fabric defects, print breaks from printer crashes, the occasional ink drip or water mark from the steaming process. Whilst these faults are rare and variable, clients should allow for a tolerance of approximately 1 fault per 10m, on average. Hatley Print cannot be held responsible for faults of this nature. Faults that total more than this will be treated on a case-by-case basis. Please check the fabric thoroughly upon receipt as we may not be able to investigate a query once the fabric has been cut.