Materials & Quality
What goes into our products
We put a lot of thought into the materials, blanks, print methods and packaging we use. Our aim is simple: make products that feel good, print well and are made to last.
We also try to make sensible choices around waste and materials wherever we can, without making claims that go beyond what our suppliers actually tell us.
Our approach
Made thoughtfully, not mass produced
Most of our products are made or printed after an order is placed. This allows us to keep finished stock to a minimum and helps avoid producing large quantities of designs that may never be sold.
Made to order
We produce items as they are needed rather than holding large amounts of finished inventory.
Material conscious
Where suitable, we choose organic or recycled cotton products and certified paper-based packaging.
Printed with care
Different print methods are chosen according to the product and design rather than forcing every artwork through the same process.
Cards & Art Prints
Heavyweight matte paper stocks
Paper makes a huge difference to how an illustration looks and feels, so we use stocks selected specifically for high-quality inkjet printing.
MATTE
heavyweight print stock
Premium inkjet paper stocks
Chosen for print quality and feel
We use heavyweight, smooth matte stocks that are designed to work well with inkjet printing and reproduce illustrated artwork with clean detail and strong colour.
Different products may use slightly different paper weights and finishes depending on the size, format and intended use.
230–300gsm
Heavyweight stocks
Matte
Low-glare surface
Double-sided
Selected card stocks
Inkjet
Print optimised
Why we use more than one paper stock
A greeting card, an A5 print and an A3 print do not always benefit from exactly the same paper. We select the stock that gives the best balance of rigidity, finish, feed reliability and print quality for the product.
In-house Printing
Six-colour inkjet printing
Our cards and art prints are produced in-house using a six-colour inkjet printing setup selected for detailed illustrated artwork.
Six-colour inkjet
More tonal range than basic four-colour printing
Our six-colour setup uses black, cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan and light magenta.
The additional light cyan and light magenta channels help create smoother gradients and more refined colour transitions, which suits illustrated artwork particularly well.
Up to A3
Paper printing
6 colours
Ink system
Inkjet
Fine detail
About our inks
We use high-quality inkjet consumables selected for consistent colour, reliable output and detailed reproduction across our paper products.
T-Shirts
Stanley/Stella Creator 2.0
We chose the Creator 2.0 because the garment itself matters just as much as the artwork printed onto it.
Stanley/Stella
Creator 2.0
A premium 180gsm single jersey T-shirt with a modern unisex medium fit.
180gsm
Fabric weight
100%
Organic cotton
Ring-spun
Combed yarn
Medium fit
Unisex
Why this T-shirt?
The smooth single-jersey surface works particularly well for garment decoration while still giving the finished product a premium everyday feel.
Printing
Depending on the artwork, our T-shirts may be printed using DTG or DTF so we can choose the method that best suits the design.
Tote Bags
Recycled Premium Canvas Shopper
Our tote is deliberately more substantial than a lightweight promotional bag, with heavier canvas and structured gussets.
Nutshell
Recycled Premium Canvas Shopper
Made from 100% recycled cotton canvas with structured side and bottom gussets and long shoulder straps.
100%
Recycled cotton
280gsm
Canvas
10cm
Gusset depth
Reusable
Everyday format
Print method
Tote designs are produced using a mix of high-quality screen printed transfers and DTF transfers. We choose the method according to the artwork and colour requirements.
Tea Towels
Nutshell Organic Cotton Tea Towel
Our tea towel is a practical household product made from organic cotton, selected to provide a good surface for decoration while remaining useful long after it is gifted.
Nutshell
Organic Cotton Tea Towel
A 200gsm organic cotton tea towel with a soft handle and an inner hanging tab for easy storage.
100%
Organic cotton
200gsm
Fabric
50 × 70cm
Finished size
Hanging tab
Easy storage
Packaging & Dispatch
Protection without overcomplicating it
Packaging has one main job: get your order to you safely. We use different materials depending on what is being sent rather than putting every product into oversized packaging.
Greeting card envelopes
Cards are paired with coordinating envelopes chosen to complement the format and presentation of the card.
Board-backed mailers
Prints and other flat products are protected with rigid board-backed envelopes where extra resistance to bending is useful.
Direct thermal labels
Our shipping labels are printed using direct thermal technology, so no ink cartridge or ribbon is required to print each address label.
Why packaging may vary
A single greeting card does not need the same packaging as an A3 print, a T-shirt or a tote bag. We choose packaging according to the order so that products are adequately protected without adding unnecessary bulk.
Our standard
Quality first, claims second
We would rather tell you exactly what something is made from than cover the page in vague sustainability language.
As our range develops, the exact papers, blanks and packaging we use may change, but we will continue to prioritise print quality, durability and thoughtful material choices.
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