Frequently Asked Questions

This is the most common question we get! Our Fabric Creator is an online ordering system where you can create a custom print order. You upload a file, select the fabric, layout, length and then go through to a standard shopping cart where you can select your preferred shipping method.

It is designed to give you a print proof so what you see on screen is exactly what we print.

It is helpful in guiding you on the quality of your file and ensuring you get the layout you want. If you need extra help with the Fabric Creator, click the “Need Help” button and watch our explainer video.

The R’s refer to the Layout options in the Arrangement section on the Fabric Creator. You can select to print your artwork as a:

• Centre – If you are printing one large image and want it centred in the middle of the fabric.
• Tile – Repeats from left to right and top to bottom.
• Mirror – the amazing way to create a seamless repeat if your file is not matching on all edges, the mirror function will do this for you.
• Vertical – A good layout option to mix up a design if you have a solid colour background, it offsets artwork 50% on the vertical.
• Brick – offsets artwork 50% on the horizon, good for solid background colours.

Our standard turnaround time is 7-10 working days from ordering to dispatch. Shipping time is in addition to this and depends on where you are located. More detailed information on this can be
found here.

For orders over 100m we may need a bit more time and you will be notified.

We do our best to have always have stock of all fabrics, from time to time we can run out and we’ll let you know if there will be a delay.

If you need a print in a hurry, please let us know and we’ll do our best to work within your required time frame. We don’t offer a paid rush service, and can’t always guarantee orders will be completed by a specific date or time.

• We recommend the following for your file setup:

• RGB Colour mode
• 72-300 Pixels Per Inch
• Saving files as a JPEG/TIFF
• Recommended saving the file at the 1:1 size for print.

The great thing about digital printing is that what you see on screen will give a relative translation on the textile. The screen and fabric will never be an exact match due to the illuminated characteristic of a screen and the light absorbing nature of a fabric.Not all colours can be printed like fluros and metallics, however our print technology is such that colours and contrasts are balanced, and the overall results are dynamic. Combining the use of colour, detail and textural elements in an artwork is the key to playing into the strengths of digital printing and achieving a great print outcome.

We recommend getting a sample swatch/metre sample of your files. This is an opportunity for you to test the file on fabric to see if the artwork will print as expected, and ensure you like the overall aesthetic. It is also the opportunity to make changes to your file prior to printing a longer length.

• Your file will print in the scale you provide it to us. If you scale a file up or down in the Fabric Creator we will print at that scale.

• Use the rulers on the Fabric Creator (shown as grey measures along the edge) to imagine how big the centimeter measure is of the file so you can understand the physical translation of the file from screen to textile.
• For example: if you are printing a polka dot and in the Fabric Creator they look to be 10cm in diameter when reviewing the rulers on screen, they will print on the fabric at 10cm.

• Digital printing has its limitation and designing with these in mind sets you up for the best textile success! We suggest you avoid printing images that are:

• Low in contrast like a dark green and navy, what may show up on screen can be very subtle in print.
• Low resolution files, if the image quality matters to you check the file on screen at the same scale as print, if the artwork looks pixelated, this will print.
• Mismatched repeats and white borders around a file from when the repeat has been saved. Learn more about how to check your files before sending them.
• Very small text, if you need to clearly read text keep it bold and above a size 12. Sometimes with the texture of fabrics, it can interfere with small text.
• Check your repeat file thoroughly for imperfections. We try to keep an eye out for any faults, however we don’t catch them all. You can leave us a note in the notes section of your order, and we can review your file if prompted.
• File management is your responsibility and printing is ours. We recommend getting a sample swatch/metre sample of your files. This is an opportunity for you to test the file on fabric to see if it will print as expected and ensure you like the overall aesthetic. It is also the opportunity to make changes to your file prior to printing a longer length.
• More details on problem files can be found in our Top Three Artwork Tips for Digital Print article.

Here at Next State, we have structured our pricing to be the very best it can for everyone starting from the first metre printed. As such, we do not offer bulk discounts on orders. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss this further contact@nextstateprint.com.

However, we have a great loyalty program, NS Print Club, which features perks such as Free Shipping, Rebates, and exclusive special offers.

NS Print club is our loyalty program where you can receive monthly rebates and free shipping within Australia. It’s free to join, discover more about NS Print Club here

If you join up to our NS Print Club, we offer free shipping for orders over $275 to anywhere in Australia

Next State currently ships to Australia and New Zealand. If you are interested in receiving some of our lovely printed fabric, please contact us for a shipping quote.

Shipping is calculated based on the total weight of your order and how that fits with the options provided by Australia Post and Courier services we use.

If you are rural, we will sometimes contact you to work on best shipping options based off our experiences. We work hard to offer the best and fastest way for you to receive your fabric. View our full shipping details.

All fabric is printed on demand and as such we like to assess what error has occurred and work with our customers together towards a solution. If you think a print fault has occurred, it is extremely helpful if you can send us some images of the fabric and a description of what you think has occurred so we can have a visual to discuss with our team You can email a description of a fault with images to orders@nextstateprint.com.

When a fault issue is raised, our process to establish the fault, cause, reason and future mitigation. If you don’t like the fabric or the way the file has printed, you need to ensure you have sampled the style in advance to avoid this occurring. If a print has not worked out as envisioned, often it is an error in the file. Our incredible customer service team regularly check files and raise any concerns with customers, so we can get the best outcome possible. We suggest if you are new to printing or not confident when placing an order, let us know by making a note on your order so we can review the file and provide feedback. The best way to mitigate a poor outcome is to test a file in advance of bulk orders. While time factors can often prevent this from happening, you can leave us a note and we’ll do our best. Quality, continuity, and excellent print execution are our top priority. However, in manufacturing especially large volume custom printing, faults do occur. We have a quality control we work through to pick up faults and depending on the severity of a fault we will usually contact a customer to discuss what has occurred and work with them to achieve a suitable outcome for both parties. We like to explore every opportunity to keep fabric out of waste disposal.

In mass customisation variation in printing results does occur and we cannot guarantee exact reproduction of files every time. We do not consider large lengths of fabric with small faults, subtle movement in an image, fibres and fabric shifting ink on the surface of the textile and slubbing in linen to be print faults. These are characteristic of printed textiles and can be difficult to mitigate against.

We are also a great team of people at Next State who care about the work we do and are more than happy to chat through any concerns you may have, so feel free to give us a call or email as we have a lot of knowledge about the fabrics we work with every day.

Best place to start is by ordering a swatch kit so you can have a look and feel of all the fabrics we have on offer.

On our fabrics page we have outlined the many possible uses of each fabric but if you’re after a little more guidance, get in touch and we can talk through the best options with you.

All our fabrics are priced by the metre, this price is inclusive of the fabric, printing, and GST.

We don’t charge set up fees and the only other cost that is likely is for shipping, if that is required.

We are willing consider supplied fabrics if:

• your fabric is of a high polyester content or a high content polyester blend (Lycra/Elastane/Spandex)
• and you’re looking to print at least 30 metres in a single run

If you’re interested in supplying your own fabric, please email us for more information.

Unfortunately, we can’t accept shorter lengths or fabrics made from natural fibres.

Our minimum order is 1 metre and from there you can order in 10cm increments.

We also offer 20cm x 20cm samples swatches for your colour tests and sampling needs.

Artworks provided to us are only ever used for printing that specific order. All artworks are removed from our system after a period of time once we are satisfied the print job has been completed.

This means artwork is never accepted with the idea it belongs to us. It is against all ethics in our business to ever retain or print a file without a client’s permission. We have no interest in re-selling any artwork that is not in an agreement as held by our artwork library designers.

We accept no liability if a customer is in breach of a copyright or has stolen another artist’s designs. We expect that all customers have the intellectual rights to produce files.

Please see our terms and conditions for more information about this.