FAQs
These Q&As have been inspired by questions we've had on social media recently.
Q. How good is the print quality and will the colours match the digital design?
A. We believe our finished products have excellent print quality, it is why we're doing what we're doing. Technology has come on so much and with the equipment we've invested in, we're pleased and excited by the results. However, there will always be differences with the colour you seen on a device and what you see on your product. That is because your screen uses RGB (red, green, blue) and our printer will use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black - we also have light cyan and light magenta to improve gradient and picture quality). We aim to reproduce your design as close as possible and we hope you'll be delighted with the results. If you want to check out what a design and finished product looks like together, then head over to digital design numbers 09002919 and 09002927 and watch the video clip. We'd love to know what you think.
Q. Are you doing crystals on your leotards?
A. We know that adding sparkles to anything just makes it better! And we are not stopping anyone from adding sparkle to their finished product. However, at this stage we won't be offering a crystaling service. We're happy that our fabrics are all machine washable, making them so convenient for everyday wear. We're yet to find a crystal glue that is machine washable, but we're keeping our eyes peeled.
Q. How long do personalised items take to make?
A. This depends on what product you buy and whether we're designing it for you, or you're buying a design from the PODIUM collection.
- PODIUM deigns on fabric products - Our aim is to dispatch your finished product within 10 working days from order
- For hard surface products where you have uploaded a suitable quality digital image/design - Our aim is to dispatch within 3 business days from order.
- For any item that we are recreating your digital design, or creating a design from your mood board/drawing, will take longer. We will require your input and approval during the design phase. However, once final approval has been given, the same timescales as above apply. Average time so far has been about a week of design time.
Please remember: we are a small business and so we will always do our best to get orders out as quickly as possible. We also welcome our customers contacting us if orders need to be worked on urgently to meet important dates such as birthdays/anniversaries etc.
Q. How much is postage?
A. We are offering free postage to UK mainland included in all sales, with no minimum order requirements. We use Royal Mail's 48hr service. There is the option at check out to select and pay for Royal Mail's special delivery by 1pm next day. However, please note that is from dispatch, not from order confirmation. Here is a link to our shipping policy.
Q. Can you do bodysuits? I am not a gymnast but would wear one of these designs out
A. We would love to extend our range to include bodysuits. We just need a few poppers and a bit of time! Seriously though, we are really keen to get bodysuits added, so we will be looking at adjusting our template slightly and testing them in the coming months. Keep your eyes peeled.
Q Are you interested in offering bespoke printing services? I have lots of ideas and would love to work on projects where you print my ideas on fabric and then I will make my own clothing and accessories for events.
A. This is exactly what we want to do! Our printer and presses are so versatile and we have so many fabrics and hard surfaces that we're exploring working with. So, please reach out using the contact us or emailing sam@soyourown.com and we can get our heads together.
Q. Are your products really machine washable, even after they are printed on?
A. YES 100%. We are not scientists, but dye sublimation is a really cool process. The fabric is heated and the ink turns into a gas and sublimates, or fuses, into the fabric. The dye then essentially becomes embedded in the actual fibres. It's like they open their little fibre hands when hot to welcome in the ink with open arms (that's how we like to think of it!). The end result is that the dye is permanent print. Which means that sublimated designs will last a lifetime without cracking or peeling.
Q. Are all of your products handmade?
A. We make all fabric based products at our small studio. We create the design and send that to the printer. Once printed we cut it off the roll and cut the same size fabric ready to press the design onto. Once printed it is back to the cutting table to be cut out perfectly and clipped together ready for sewing.
We do not class our hard surface products as handmade, but they are all hand finished as we print your chosen design onto each product.
Q. Do you have any items in stock ready to buy?
A. We only hold stock of white fabric (on rolls) and the hard surface blanks, as we are a print on demand company. We keep stock levels manageable to reduce waste and costs. We've carefully selected all UK based suppliers that offer great products and all conform to UK standards and employment law.