FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS- Forest Digital

SAMPLING

WHAT IS A 1M SAMPLING STRIKE OFF?

A strike off is a sample that allows you to test artworks, colours and fabric choices before proceeding with anything final. To get the most from your 1m sampling strike off, we recommend to layout your test file in a way that will give you as many options as possible. This will save on time and cost from resampling. Try to include colour chips of all important colours, and edits of saturation, contrast and scale.

HOW SHOULD I SET UP MY FILE?

Please be sure your canvas is set to 136cm wide (our full fabric width) by 100cm down. Our fabric widths can vary so please check our fabric list to confirm this. The recommended resolution of image shouldn’t be any lower than 300dpi. Our ideal file format is a tiff, but you can also send as a Photoshop document.

WHAT IS YOUR LEAD-TIME FOR A 1M STRIKE OFF?

It will take us around a week to process your test file onto your chosen fabric for a strike off.

HOW CAN I SUBMIT MY FILES TO YOU?

Please send your files to us via We Transfer at https://forestdigital.wetransfer.com.

HOW CAN I MATCH MY COLOURS?

Our monitors have been calibrated to our printer, but we cannot be sure how the artworks look at your end and on your screen. We tend to find the brightness of the screen can give the print a false sense of brightness or vibrancy, or vice versa if your screen is quite dark. We will always print your design exactly how it’s been supplied to us – unless stated to change or adjust otherwise. This is why we advise to include lots of colour chips on the strike off, so that you have options to match up your colours.

WHAT PRINTING SOFTWARE DO YOU USE?

We use a rip programme called Wasatch to prepare and send your digital files to print.

WHAT COLOUR PROFILE DO YOU WORK IN?

We work in RGB, so it is important to create and save your artworks in this profile. Please note when transferring to Wasatch, some of the colours can shift. This is why it is very important to include as many colour chips on the strike off as you can, so that you have a mini colour book with lots of colour choices – incase they do shift.

CAN YOU OFFER A FULL COLOUR BOOK?

We can offer a full colour book, but you as the client will be editing, separating (if any amendments are needed) and finalising your artworks. Therefore, we find it most effective and more accurate for you to print colour choices on your strike off. This will ensure you have control over the colour management and so there is less room for any inconsistencies to occur.

SOMETHING TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN IT COMES TO THE FINAL PRINT RUN!

After seeing the strike off, you can then select the files/ colourways/ edits you wish to proceed with. It’s important to make sure that the production prints are created and saved in the same way you created and saved the sampling file – to avoid any colour issues or irregularities. You will also need to print the strike off on the fabric you wish to use for production.

FABRIC PRINTING

WHAT IS YOUR LEAD-TIME FOR FABRIC PRINTING?

We usually only require around one week to process and print your artworks onto your chosen fabric. It can vary depending on the size of the order, but our turnaround times are fast – we are very efficient!

WILL COLOURS PRINT DIFFERENTLY ON DIFFERENT FABRICS?

All of our fabrics are printed with the same ink set, so our colours should be quite consistent. However, please note that slight colour shifts can occur between contrasting fabrics. Naturally a heavy cotton will want to hold the ink differently to a shiny silk, so this is something to bear in mind.

WHAT INKS DO YOU USE?

We use water-based inks from Epson, so no harmful chemicals are involved. They have an OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certification.

WHAT TECHNIQUE AND MACHINE DO YOU PRINT WITH?

Everything we do is digital, and the process used for application is directed textiles. We have a state-of-the-art Epson Monna Lisa Evo Tre machine, it prints at 1200dpi with 16 ink heads and has an Eco Passport certification for its sustainability.

ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGES?

Our prices per meter are all available on our fabric list. We also have a roll-on fee of £20 and a setup fee of £25. We cannot start printing your files immediately, there has to be a certain amount of fabric already running through the machine before we can begin to print – almost like a header and footer for the print run. The roll-on covers this excess plain fabric, and this charge is applied per fabric. The setup fee per file covers the cost of preparing files for print and sending to rip. If you place a repeat order with the same files, you will not need to pay this fee again. Other than VAT and delivery, these are all of our additional charges for fabric printing.

HOW DOES YOUR PRICING WORK?

The prices on our fabric list include both the fabric and print charge. These prices show the price per meter. An invoice for fabric printing will have a roll-on fee, a setup fee, the price per meter multiplied by the amount of meterage needed, VAT and a delivery fee.

WHAT IS YOUR DELIVERY FEE?

All orders are sent out with DHL. We send all fabric rolls on a next day service and have a flat shipping rate of £27.50 per package. For lighter parcels, such as strike offs, this cost can be reduced. If you wish to send with your own courier service, we will just need you to send us the shipping labels and paperwork so that it can be attached to your fabric roll.

CAN YOU PRINT ONTO SUPPLIED FABRIC?

Our fabrics have all been tried and tested. We have specific machine and ink settings for each fabric, this allows us to achieve optimal digital print results. There is much more of a risk involved with fabric that is unknown to us and supplied by the client. Therefore, we don’t advise to supply your own fabric bases, but if you have our MOQ for this service of 36m (uncoated fabric only), we could potentially consider it. It is best to get in contact with us as it all depends on the composition of the fabric you have. We would also request to see a sample of it before agreeing to take on the order.

DO YOU OFFER DUPLEX PRINTING?

Unfortunately, we do not offer duplex printing. We cannot achieve print on the other side/ reverse of the fabric. However, we do print with a lot of ink, so you will see that naturally some of the ink will push through to the other side of the cloth on lighter weight fabrics.

DO YOU OFFER SUSTAINABLE FABRICS?

We offer a range of sustainable bases. From GOTS certified organic cottons to OEKO-Tex certified plant-based fabrics. We stock everything from organic poplin, organic satin and organic canvas, to eco twill, eco satin, viscoses, tencels, rayons and bamboos!

CAN YOU PRINT METALLIC OR NEON COLOURS?

Unfortunately, we cannot print metallic or neon colours, but it is possible to get close to these tones. If you have the correct yellow tone and were to opt for a shiny fabric such as a satin, this can help to achieve a more golden look. This would also apply to a grey for silver or brown for bronze. Our ink set is also very vibrant, so as long as you are selecting the correct tones, it is possible to achieve near to neon colours.

STUDIOS AND FREELANCERS

WHAT IS THIS SERVICE AND WHO IS IT FOR?

This service is perfect for textile studios, freelancers or anyone ordering print on a frequent basis. For you we are able to offer a more competitive set rate per meter!

HOW CAN I SET UP AN ACCOUNT?

Please get in contact with Forest Digital today to set up your account and discuss rates.

DO I QUALIFY FOR THIS DISCOUNTED SERVICE?

In order to qualify for this service, you must be working for a textile studio and have a MOQ of 5m.

WHAT FABRICS CAN I USE?

Your agreed discounted rate can be applied to a wide variety of fabrics we currently stock. Our heavy silks (19mm or higher) are exempt, but if you wish to use a heavy silk, we will need to apply a slightly higher rate. If you have any questions regarding our studio service, please get in contact with us.

SCARF MANUFACTURING

WHAT IS YOUR MOQ FOR SCARF MANUFACTURING?

For this service we have a MOQ of 24 units and you can include a mixture of sizes and artworks within this quantity.

WHAT ARE THE BEST FABRICS FOR SCARF MANUFACTURING?

If you prefer a more matte fabric, we recommend our crepe de chine or silk twill. We say to opt for twill if you like a more textural or prominent weave. If you prefer something that has more of a sheen, we recommend our crepe back satin. If your artworks feature borders, we advise to opt for a CDC or twill. The straight warp and weft properties of these fabrics allow us to manufacture perfectly straight scarves. With bordered artworks, the border is essentially acting as a ruler. So, any deviation in the cloth means that it will be very visible once cut and hemmed. If you are perhaps after something softer, our cashmere modal works well for larger scarves.

I WANT TO PRODUCE SUSTAINABLE SCARVES!

If you are looking to produce sustainable scarves, we have a wide selection of organic and sustainable bases for you to choose from.

WHAT IS YOUR LEAD-TIME FOR SCARF MANUFACTURING?

From the day that everything is approved and ready to go, we will need around 4 weeks. This is the time we require to prepare the cloth, print the fabric, cut, hem and then send to you. This turnaround time will vary on the size of the order, but it should never exceed 4-5 weeks.

WHAT IS THE 10% FAULT RATE FOR SCARF ORDERS?

Our 10% fault rate is applied to any order that has panelled artworks as opposed to repeat artworks. If a fault occurs on a panel, the whole panel has to be discarded and reprinted or redone. Unlike a repeat print, where if a small fault occurs it can simply be cut around. Therefore, we will always print 10% over to cover the cost of any potential faults or marks that may arise. If your run is 100% successful, you will receive all of the extra printed panels or finished units.

WHAT SEAM ALLOWANCE SHOULD I LEAVE IF PRINTING PANELS?

We advise for you to add a 1.5cm seam allowance to each edge, so 90cm x 90cm would then become a 93cm x 93cm panel. This will ensure the scarves measure full size at 90cm x 90cm once finished.

HOMEWARE MANUFACTURING

WHAT IS YOUR MOQ FOR CUSHION MANUFACTURING?

For this service our MOQ is just 6 units.

SHOULD I ADD A SEAM ALLOWANCE TO MY CUSHION ARTWORKS?

We recommend for you to send your artworks to us print ready with a seam allowance of 1.5cm for panels.

WHAT SIZE CUSHIONS CAN YOU PRODUCE?

We currently offer 43cm, 50cm and 60cm square cushions, but we can actually produce any shape or size!

WHAT FINISHES DO YOU OFFER FOR CUSHION MANUFACTURING?

We offer a knife or piped edge and can source other fabrics such as plain dyed velvets for the backing. We are able to manufacture just the cushion cases, or alternatively provide polyester or feather inserts to produce the full cushion. If you require a block-coloured backing or piped edging, we can match this to a desired colour within your artwork. If you would like to supply any brand or care labels, we can sew these on at no additional cost.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PRODUCE AN ORDER OF CUSHIONS?

The turnaround time for cushion orders will depend on the size of the order, but usually we find it to take around 4 weeks from the day that everything is approved.

WHAT OTHER HOMEWARE ITEMS CAN YOU PRODUCE?

Forest Digital can print and manufacture your digital artworks to produce pretty much any homeware product! We can also manufacture tablecloths, napkins and tea towels. Please contact us if you have questions on our homeware manufacturing services.

ACCESSORY MANUFACTURING

WHAT ACCESSORIES CAN YOU PRODUCE?

We can produce a wide variety of accessories such as face masks, eye masks, and twillies! We are able to print and manufacture a range of different styles so please get in contact with us to discuss your accessory ideas or requirements.

WHAT ARE YOUR LEAD-TIMES FOR THIS SERVICE?

It will depend on the order itself and quantities, but we usually need around 4 weeks to complete an order for face masks, eye masks or twillies.

GARMENT MANUFACTURING

WHAT IS OUR MOQ FOR GARMENT MANUFACTURING?

For this service, we need a MOQ of 50 per style/ print, but this quantity can contain a range of sizes.

HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?

We would need to start by producing a finished sample so that the fabric, your digital artwork, sizing and CMT can be approved. Once this sample has been approved, we can then accurately cost production and give you a price per unit. We will need you to provide a pattern piece or physical example garment for our factory to copy. Garment orders are very varied, so please get in contact with us to discuss your garment ideas or requirements.