Tips for a Perfect Fabric Online Shopping Experience

Spoonflower is a print-on-demand marketplace where artists sell their designs to makers and small businesses. But what exactly is Spoonflower’s role? It prints, packs, and ships physical products such as fabric, wallpaper, or pillow shams to the end customer. It’s not your typical fabric store where you can come with the ruler and touch every fabric. Instead, the fabric is printed only after you place an order. This is why there are a few things you need to know to make your shopping experience perfect while buying fabric online.

Delivery Time: Since products are made on demand, you’ll receive your order after it has been printed, packed, shipped, and reached your doorstep. It might sound lengthy, but in most cases, it takes no more than 10 days. I once received my Monday order on Thursday, just three days after placing it!
Description: Designers do their best to describe the product, and sometimes they include measurements in the description. Don’t forget to check the technical details, like fabric width and other qualities, as they may vary. For example, Cotton Poplin is 42″ wide, while Cotton Spandex Jersey is 60″ wide. This information is crucial, especially when shopping for fabric online.
Scale: On the design page, use a ruler to understand the scale. Usually, I place an actual ruler on the computer screen and enlarge the picture of the design until the rulers match.

Color: Most of the time, the color on the print matches the color you see on the screen, but not always. Pigments behave a bit differently on various media. In about 1% of cases, what looks beige on screen might appear slightly yellowish or pinkish when printed. To ensure the best result, order a test swatch of the design on the fabric you intend to use. Ordering a swatch can be important when buying fabric online to ensure color accuracy.
Fabric: If you’re unsure about the fabric or wallpaper quality to choose, consider ordering a Spoonflower sample pack. Each sample pack includes a 4” x 4” colorfully printed swatch of each of their fabrics, as well as printed wallpaper samples. This is an excellent way to feel the material before purchasing fabric online.
Saving on Fabric Sample Swatches: If you need a large number of swatches for a quilt, the Cheater Quilt fits up to 42 designs. This option is available for Petal Signature Cotton and Cotton Poplin, providing a clear understanding of scale and contrast. You will need to add the designs you like to the collection and use “Fill a Yard” option. To check the color, it’s best to order an individual sample swatch on the fabric you need for your project.
Talk to the Designer: Unless it’s explicitly stated that the designer won’t accept rescale requests, don’t hesitate to ask for it! Most artists are happy to rescale a design for you or make color changes. We want you to get what you dream about. ~~You can use messaging system on the Spoonflower site.~~ Unfortunately, messaging system on Spoonflower is not available now. Instead, check artist’s page – usually there is an easy way to contact creator.
Mistakes: Despite all the preparations, there is still a chance you’ll receive a product with the wrong color or even someone else’s product. In such cases, reach out to Spoonflower support – they are incredibly helpful.
Sales and Promo Prices: Spoonflower offers discounts regularly for groups of products like home decor or fabric, and sometimes sitewide – the best way to get this information is Spoonflower email newsletter. They also offer special discounts for active or retired US military, first responders, nurses, teachers, and students through their ID.me partnership. Keep an eye on these deals while shopping for fabric online.