FAQ

Preparing image files

What file formats do you accept?
What resolution should an uploaded image file have?
Where can I find designs for my material?

Print technology

What technology do you use to print material?
Can printed colours vary from those I can see on my computer screen?
Are printed colours durable?

Materials

Where can I see CottonBee materials?
Are CottonBee materials suitable for sewing?
Are CottonBee fabrics safe for child use?
How to care for CottonBee materials?

Placing an order, payment and shipment

What is the smallest piece of CottonBee material I can order?
How can I pay for my order?
Can I use "cash on delivery" payment?
Can I get a discount if my order is big?
I am a student. Can I get a student's discount?
How long will I get my order?
Can I cancel an order?
What is happening to my order now?
Can I collect my order personally?
What should I do if my shipment gets damaged during transportation?
Can I exchange or return my order?
Can I use CottonBee materials with a design from the catalog for commercial purposes (for sale)?

Preparing image files

What file formats do you accept?

To get the best quality of printed material send us an image file in TIFF format at minimum resolution of 150 dpi.
IMPORTANT: To maintain „reasonable” file size turn LZW compression on in TIFF save options and skip layers (save flattened image).

We also accept JPG, PNG and GIF files but we convert them to TIFF during the print preparation process.

Colours should be saved using CMYK colour palette, colour profile: CMYK: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2.

More information about the quality of uploaded files can be found below.

What resolution should an uploaded image file have?

To get the highest quality of ready materials we print them at minimum resolution of 150 dpi (150 dots per inch, 1 inch = 2.54 cm). It means that we need an image file of at least 150 x 150 pixels size to print a square with 2.54 sides.

If your pattern should be repeated on fabric, send us single repetition and define its repeating type in our application. It means that if you want to order e.g. 3 running meters of material 150 cm wide you don’t have to send us such a big file. Just send a small piece of your pattern and define its final size and repeatability in our application.

Example:
If you want to get a single repetition of your pattern with sides of 10 x 10 cm on printed material, then the file you send us should have at least 591 x 591 pixels.

10 cm / 2.54 cm * 150 = 591 pixels
Print size / 1 inch in centimeters * number of pixels per inch

Where can I find designs for my material?

You can use your own design or choose the ones available on our website.

If you want to make your own design, you need to have a single element that our application repeats on material in a way you choose. A single element should have matched sides to create a number of repetitions – in a manner that allows you to avoid side (seamless) connections. It is best to use a vector graphic programs (Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw) or simpler programs like Windows Paint. You can also use any graphic elements of a photo. If your pattern is made of complex tonal transitions (in case of photo print), order a sample to check if you like the final effect.

While downloading graphic files, pay attention to copyrights and the scope of available licenses. It is also possible to buy a file with a design for your use only.

Print technology

What technology do you use to print material?

CottonBee materials are printed using water-based, unscented pigment inks designed for sewing materials. This print technology is recognized as eco-friendly and safe for humans. Printing devices we use are similar to big industrial inkjet "printers".

Print is fixed at a high temperature. Unlike other print technologies on fabric, we don’t use any chemicals or other fixatives.

Our print technology does not contain solvent inks or other aggressive solvent dyes.

Can printed colours vary from those I can see on my computer screen?

Colours you see on your computer screen may differ from real colours that you find on printed materials. This is a result of your screen calibration as well as print technology, physical features and interaction of pigment and fabric.

Note that blank samples have different shades of white – fabrics can be lighter or darker. It also has an influence on final colours of print.

Printing on fabrics is much more complicated than standard print on paper. Colours on fabric are usually a bit lighter than the same separations printed on regular white paper.
If you want to know what the final result will be like or you hadn’t ordered the pattern before, order a sample to make the product meet your expectations.

There might be a slight difference in printed colours between the fabric batches. We always do our best to make our production repetitive but it might happen the fabric differs between batches and that's why, colour reproduction on the same fabric within different batches may be marginally distinct.

Are printed colours durable?

CottonBee materials are printed with the use of water-based pigment inks developed specially for printing on cotton fabrics. Print is fixed at a high temperature. Print washing parameters in this technology are similar to other techniques of fabric dyeing.

In washing out tests conducted according to JIS L 0844 standard our inks achieve 4 or 5 in a 5-grade scale where 5 stands for maximum durability.

After the first wash, fabric colour can change due to scouring of pigment surplus that is not absorbed by fabric during printing and fixation processes.

What should I watch out for?
Prints made with the use of pigment inks are prone to damage when the material is wet. That is why, you need to avoid rubbing wet material e.g. during hand washing. The most delicate areas are those printed in dark colours.

To enjoy vivid colours longer, read CottonBee care instructions below.

Materials

Where can I see CottonBee materials?

The easiest way is to order our Swatch Book with blank samples 10x10cm of all CottonBee fabrics, both woven and knitted. More information on how to order our Swatch Book can be found here. Each shipment, whenever possible, includes some extra printed samples of CottonBee fabrics.

Are CottonBee materials suitable for sewing?

CottonBee fabrics are made especially for sewing :-) CottonBee materials are the highest quality, 100% cotton or mostly cotton woven and jersey fabrics weaved and knitted in one of the leading Polish weaving mills. Their production process isn’t much different than the one found in a traditional tailor store.

All CottonBee fabrics follow Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2011 on textile fiber names and related labelling and marking of the fiber composition of textile products and with No 1907/2006 of 18 December, attachment XVII (REACH).

Are CottonBee fabrics safe for child use?

All CottonBee materials are 100% cotton and are certified according to OEKO-TEX that is the leading safety mark of textile products. They have been tested for harmful chemicals and are found to be safe.

The best way to prove safety of CottonBee fabrics is that our children use them ;-)

We recommend washing material before the first use.

How to care for CottonBee materials?

Prints made with the use of pigment inks are prone to damage when the material is wet. That is why, you need to avoid rubbing wet material e.g. during hand washing.

To enjoy vivid colours longer, read CottonBee care instructions below.

Care instructions for Cretonne, Satin, Voile, Single Jersey, Cotton Interlock, Sweatshirt Jersey:
Machine wash warm or cool on a delicate setting, using phosphate -free detergent.Spin at low speed (max. 400 rpm). Do not use bleaches or any other aggressive bleaching agents and do not wring fabric after washing.

Care instructions for Gabardine, Linen:
Dry-cleaning with phosphate-free detergent using a gentle machine cycle.

Drying:
Traditional drying, preferably in a horizontal position. Hanging material on a string can cause discolour in folded areas. You need to avoid mechanical drying in tumble dryers.

Ironing:
Follow iron settings for cotton fabrics.

Placing an order, payment and shipment

What is the smallest piece of CottonBee material I can order?

The smallest piece of material that you can order is a sample of 20 x 20cm. If you want to know what the final result will be like or you hadn’t ordered the pattern before, order a sample to make the product meet your expectations.

How can I pay for my order?

To pay for your order, use PayLane which allows you to pay by credit card and PayPal.

Can I use "cash on delivery" payment?

Unfortunately, we do not offer „cash on delivery” payment. CottonBee fabrics are custom printed for individual order and we start to process an order after we have received the payment.

Can I get a discount if my order is big?

I am a student. Can I get a student's discount?

If you study Design or Textiles, we have exclusive discount for you! Contact us at + 48 516 278 821 or [email protected] to confirm your studentship and get a special offer!

How long will I get my order?

We ship orders within 5 business days from the moment of accepting your order – this date limit is kept for 99% of placed orders.
Orders receive "accepted for execution" status after we have received payment and the proper verification of your file. It usually lasts no longer than 1 business day from the moment of placing an order. File verification doesn’t concern patterns from our catalog. We send you an e-mail when your order status changes.
We do our best to process orders as quickly as possible. However, CottonBee materials are custom printed for individual order and there are many factors that can disrupt or extend technological process (e.g. machine failure). We inform you if shipping time gets longer.

Can I cancel an order?

If you want to cancel your order, contact us as soon as possible. We can do it if we haven’t started the production process.

What is happening to my order now?

Information about current status of your order can be found in section „Your Account/Order history”. Additionally, we send information about order status to an e-mail address given during your registration.

Can I collect my order personally?

At the moment, it is not possible.

What should I do if my shipment gets damaged during transportation?

We do our best to prepare shipments carefully. However, if you see the shipment is damaged, open it in the presence of a deliverer and make a complaint according to the procedures of the courier company.

Can I exchange or return my order?

All CottonBee fabrics are custom printed for individual order; that is why, exchanges or returns are not possible. However, if you are not happy with your order, contact us for help.

If you receive a flawed or damaged order, we are always willing to replace or refund it. More information about returns and complaints can be found in our Terms and Conditions.

Can I use CottonBee materials with a design from the catalog for commercial purposes (for sale)?

Yes, you can but only if you buy at least 1 m of the fabric with a design from the catalogue.

According to graphics and design licensing requirements, if you buy CottonBee fabrics with a design from the catalogue, you get Standard License. More details about licensing of the designs within Standard License can be found here. For legal use of printed fabrics for commercial purposes (i.e. making a dress for sale), you need to get at least 1 m of the printed fabric. Printed samples and swatches with designs from the catalogue are dedicated for checking the print quality and can't be used for sale.