Your Guide To Fabric Printing
Our range of 3 fabric swatch packs are here to help you make an informed decision as to what fabric will work best for your projects. Each swatch pack features a fun and vibrant print on each of the fabric samples, to show you how a print will come out against the different surfaces and compositions of each fabric.
Introducing the Contrado Fabric Swatch Packs:
The Classic Swatch Pack
This selection features our wide range of man made fabrics. From stunning polyesters and luxurious lace to sumptuous velvet and contemporary neoprene. There are so many unique choices, that you might find yourself ordering a bundle of fabric samples to try out.
The Natural Swatch Pack
The natural selection features our collection of beautiful natural fabrics. Featuring the likes of organic cotton, half-panama, linen and real silk, these naturally gorgeous fabrics will breathe new life into your creations.
The Paper Swatch Pack
As well as fabrics, we also offer a bespoke range of customized papers. Thick and luxurious paper with a textured face, glossy satin finished paper and even a selection of wallpapers; you will love how your designs look printed on these chic paper options.
Please note: you cannot customise your Fabric Swatch Pack. Each fabric sample is ready printed with a full colour, detailed design.
ID reference numbers
When you get your pack in your hands, you'll see there's an ID reference number on each fabric swatch. Use this number to look up each individual fabric on our website. Just enter the number into the search bar on our full fabric range list to see the properties, uses and fabric information. You can also enter the name of the fabric, as an alternative to using the ID number.
Discount and Offers for Fabric Printing
Purchase a Fabric Swatch Pack and receive a $10 gift voucher to redeem against your next order of fabric prints.
*voucher cannot be used for test prints or samples. Minimum spend: $25. This offer is for new customers only who have not previously ordered with us before. Voucher can only be used once and expires after 30 days.
Reviews of Review Fabric Swatch Pack
Rated 5/5
based on 32 customer reviews
view all
The swatches were promptly received. Thank you for that. The swatches as delivered are tedious to handle and review. I would prefer to have these in a notebook where each page has a swatch attached along with its pricing, title, description, suggested applications and handling instructions.
The swatches I received were not all labeled well. Some had the label partially cut off due to misalignment when trimmed.
At the very least have a web application that allows me to review the properties of each and search by fabric type. CONTRADO: each swatch should be complete and not cut off - so sorry for that, but if clear then type the number into our all fabrics page and all the properties and uses come up. This is dynamically up to date, and should beat a paper booklet idea - thanks for the feedback, we will fix the cutting problem
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Thomas Y. ,
06/08/2018
This is just amazing. I love doing digital textile design for my own fashion designs and have never been able to find that offers such a wide selection of fabrics and the print to come out good!
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Austin Hosley ,
18/07/2018
Impressive selection of fabrics, prompt delivery of both swatch books and my test print. Very nice printing, nice black saturation, crisp.
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Katie R. ,
22/06/2018
I received samples right on time. Super nice presentation and it will be easy to place an order because they are well marked.
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Evelyn T ,
21/06/2018
What an awesome way for me to select what fabrics to print in the future. Thank you VERY much for sending them so quickly. I was amazed! I am very impressed with the quality of what you offer. THANK YOU!
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michele j ,
01/06/2018
I wish I had known that the classic sample pack was available years ago! What a fantastic resource!
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Amy J ,
22/05/2018
Good sample kit, helps to answer questions. Fast service. On the website, I'd like to be able to find the fabric descriptions easier: alphabetic would help! And before ordering, I would like to be able to sort out an estimate for shipping.
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Deb S ,
23/04/2018
This is the second sample pack that I have gotten and I saw that there are some new fabrics added to the line, which is fabulous. Thank you.
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Debora N. ,
20/03/2018
It's a printed lycra
I'm happy with the fabric quality, print saturation, and speed of delivery!
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Brian S ,
16/03/2018
The quality was excellent! Just was I was looking for! I will be ordering all print soon. Great work!
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Akrofi Adjumani ,
16/03/2018
I ordered all of the swatch decks, they came in good time and I am excited to finish my first design to send. Since all the swatches are printed with the same print, you can really get a good idea of how the fabric affects the design. I also called for design settings advice and got some helpful feedback for Photoshop settings. Thanks!
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Natalie W. ,
16/03/2018
I was very pleased with both the quality of the fabric swatches and the timeliness of its delivery. However, I found that the cost of a yard of cotton fabric high, was too cost prohibitive for my needs....... I was really looking forward to ordering from Contrado. :::::::: Contrado says: Hi Kathleen, we will be able to offer you wholesale custom printed fabric and we will be in touch to explain how this system works for makers like you with repeat orders
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Kathy S. ,
15/03/2018
Frequently asked questions:
Are all the fabrics inside the swatch pack?
We have a wide range of fabrics to print on and the packs show the whole range. All 80 examples are included, apart from a few specialist fabrics, such as the 3mm felt, printable leather and our needlepoint tapestry. These are hard to accommodate due to their format mass, but you can order tests prints directly of each.
Is it clear which is the heavier of the fabrics?
We think that by having the samples and simply handling them personally will tell you so much about our range of custom fabrics, including the weight, and texture. If you can't decide by handling the fabric, then you can check out the specific fabric product page on the website for further details, or make a custom test print.
Is the print example a good representation?
We think that the print example is a very good representation. We use a design that has solid full color and fine detail. The samples give a full representation of what the print quality is like on each textile. The surface textures very useful when deciding which to pick. You can try a test print as the next step in your selection.
You have the amazing designs, but do you have a unique range and place to sell?
All you have to do is design what you love and we bring your creations to life. We take care of the hand crafting and manufacture, the sales and the shipping. You the designer, control the products and designs from wherever you are, from home, the office, even on the go. Meanwhile the orders start to roll in and you get commissions fast.
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Print Guideline
What's the best resolution to print in?
We print at 200dpi, which is a good combination of quality and file weight. Ideally your image should be scaled to 100% at 200dpi; this means that no resizing of your file occurs, preventing any interpolation.
Should I save my file as a TIFF or JPEG?
For multi-colored or very detailed files we recommend using a tiff format, but they must be flattened. For simple colors and low detail files, a jpeg is fine.
Which color model should I choose? RGB or CMYK?
If each individual color is specifically important to your design, choose CYMK as our setup will print each color with the closest possible match within our available range. If the relationship between the colors within the image is more important choose RGB; this will reduce all colors equally to fit within our range.
Maximum dimensions
There is no limit on the length of the fabric that you can order. We have a preview design window set up to 5 yd max to visualise the print, but that's not a print limit. If you'd like to order more, you can increase the quantity (x2 for 10 yds or x 4 for 20 yds for e.g.) and then your orders can be as long as you'd like, with a built in automatic volume discount too. The maximum print width of each fabric can be found on the individual fabric pages or in our design interface.
Do I need to incorporate white space within my design if I want a border or some cutting space?
Yes, that might help you Always incorporate any extra space or borders into your purchased fabric size. We trim squarely around fabric samples and fabric prints, leaving approximately 0.22" white space. Cutting neatly on the line has an additional fee.
Do you print on fabric a customer supplies?
Unfortunately not; we like to test meticulously so that we know what gets best results on our fabrics, and our facilities cater perfectly to them. We do however print sublimation transfer paper to order, and if you have access to a heat press you can press your own fabrics easily.
What is the situation with material shrinkage?
Just like many fabric printing processes, there is the potential for shrinkage. Depending on the fabric, please expect and allow between 2-6% shrinkage which you need to plan for in your dimensions.
Can I print on both sides of the fabric?
We do not offer printing on both sides of the fabric, as a lot of our fabrics are semi-transparent. As the customer, you can consider the effect of printing on both sides one of our fabrics and contact us, and we will get back to you if it's feasible.
Can I order labels in another fabric? Will you cut them like you do with the normal fabric labels?
At the moment no, our labels are all printed on the same satin fabric. We may introduce more in the future, but for now this is the best choice. The labels are all cut the same way. You can order the fabric of your choice and make the labels yourself, but we do not cut different fabric into label format.
How is your fabric printing eco-friendly?
With environmental consciousness in mind, our fabrics are all printed using completely water-based inks. This means no chemicals or solvents are used. Our heat fixing procedure fixes the colors and prints, avoiding the downsides of steaming, such as excess or contaminated water returning into the waste system. We have one facility where we conduct all the printing, production and fulfillment.
Sizing For Hemming And Shrinkage
We have a full Cut & Sew service here at Contrado, and are able to hem your fabric prints for a small additional charge. We create a small one- or two-fold hem that typically uses 0.22" to 0.75" (5-20mm) of material, depending on the thickness of the fabric. So, for example, if you want a finished piece of fabric that measures 100 x 100cm, you will need to order a size of 101.5cm x 101.5cm to allow for the hem (on top of that please also allow for shrinkage of min 2%). The thicker the fabric, the bigger the hem will be. You can choose to have your prints hemmed with either Black or White thread. On our silk and other light woven fabrics, one hemmed edge will be straight (vertically down the roll) and the other will be slightly rippled. The hemming material allowances are as follows and you need to make your print bigger to accommodate the hem:
- Light Fabrics (20-100gsm): For silks and other light fabrics, we use 6-8mm in the hem (2 fold), so overall width/height will be minus 0.5"/ 12-16mm
- Medium Fabrics (101-200gsm): For medium-weight fabrics that fray, we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (2 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 35-40mm
- Stiff/Heavy/No-fray fabrics: we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (1 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.5" / 35-40mm
All of these measurements are approximate and can vary. Including with shrinkage it can mean a fairly significant difference to ordered dimensions, so please plan your print accordingly. Depending on how open the weave is, our fabric can shrink anywhere from 2% to 8% with the average being 2.5%.
How Would you Like the Edge?
We have four finishing options for your fabric order:
- As it comes. We cut around your image, leaving a simply scissor cut, perhaps uneven white fabric border.
- Hem with thread. We can hem your fabric with a choice of black or white thread. Please allow 1-2 days additional production time. See below for information on how hemming affects the size of your print. We offer an overlock hem as well as a folded hem (one or two fold depending on the fabric) however not all fabrics are suited to both hem types. If you can see both options, it means both are suitable, and you will be able to chose whichever you prefer.
- Cut on the line. We will cut neatly on the edge of your image. Please be aware, when we cut along the line, we have to cut against the grain of the fabric. This is the standard procedure for fabric cutting. This means that with some fabrics, for example, Georgette and Mulmul, which have a slight wave in them, some fraying will occur. This is unavoidable, as the cut follows the grain of the textile.
All of our fabrics are cut manually by hand, with the utmost care and attention. If your fabric has a slightly uneven look on the edges, or a touch of fraying, this does not indicate a flaw in the textile. It is not always possible to achieve a perfect straight cut with certain fabrics, so please do bare this in mind when it comes to your design. If you have any queries or would like to know about our cutting methods in more detail, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.
For further information about our fabrics see our FAQs.
Delivery time & costs
At Contrado, we personally commit to our customer satisfaction with a wide product selection hand-made in our premises, a great quality, dedicated service as well as fast delivery.
Make use of our manufacturing and worldwide shipping experience
For the past 15 years, we have printed and hand-made countless personalized products for a wide range of customers all over the world and many of them have become loyal customers who love not only our products but also the care, knowledge and dedication from our staff.
Here is how it works. We first hand-make your item on average within 1-3 days depending on the product manufacturing timeline and quantities. After production time, we ship your order so you can receive it very quickly, subject to the delivery type you select in your basket. You can then enjoy or resell your handmade products with your very own designs.
You can also read more about our
terms & conditions and
refund policy.
We hope to start working with you soon.
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