A few things you might be wondering.
Questions about ordering, how we make things, shipping, artists, or what happens when something goes wrong? We probably have an answer somewhere down here.
Orders & Production
What to expect when you order something handmade from us.
Is everything from Cuddlefish Cuts handmade?
Right now, every physical product we sell is made and finished by us.
That does not mean we manufacture every raw material ourselves. We buy things like shirt blanks, paper, ink, sticker stock, and laminate from suppliers. From there, the artwork, printing, cutting, finishing, quality checking, packing, and other production work is handled by us.
Different products have different processes, and we try to be clear about what goes into each one.
Are your products made to order?
Some are.
Our apparel is generally made to order. Instead of keeping piles of preprinted shirts around, we print them after they are ordered.
For things like stickers, we may keep popular Designs already made and ready to go. Others may be produced as they are ordered.
The product page will tell you what to expect whenever the production time is different.
How long does it take to make my order?
For made-to-order apparel, please allow approximately 1 to 3 weeks for production before shipment.
Items that are already made may be ready much sooner. If an order contains both ready-to-ship and made-to-order products, the order may need to wait until everything is finished before it can be packed and shipped together.
We will make production estimates as clear as possible on individual product pages.
Why does handmade production take longer?
Because somebody is actually making your thing. :3
A hand-printed shirt needs to be prepared, inked, printed, checked, finished, and packed. Stickers need to be printed, laminated, cut, sorted, and inspected.
We would rather give ourselves enough time to make something properly than rush it out the door.
Will every handmade item look exactly the same?
Not necessarily.
Handmade and hand-printed products can have small differences from one piece to another. Things like slight ink variation or tiny differences in placement can naturally happen when something is printed individually by hand.
We still quality check the things we sell, and we will not intentionally send something we consider defective.
Shirts, Stickers & Prints
A closer look at how we turn artwork into physical things.
How are your shirts made?
Our linocut shirts are printed by hand.
The artwork is designed by an artist, transferred to a linoleum block, carved by hand, inked, and then individually printed onto the shirt.
The shirt itself begins as a blank made by another manufacturer. We select the blanks we use and then do the artwork and printing ourselves.
Whenever practical, we want the product listing to tell you which blank, materials, and printing process were used.
How are your stickers made?
We make our stickers in-house.
The artwork is prepared by us, printed on our own printer, laminated by hand, and individually cut using our cutting equipment. We then inspect and sort the finished stickers before they are sold or packed into an order.
Our standard stickers use weatherproof matte printable material with a matte protective laminate.
Are your stickers waterproof?
Our stickers are made to be weather-resistant.
We use weatherproof printable material with a protective laminate to help them stand up to moisture, handling, and everyday use. We avoid calling them completely waterproof because real-world conditions vary, and we would rather be accurate about what we sell.
What finish do your stickers have?
Our standard stickers currently use a matte finish.
We like the softer look and feel, and it works nicely with the artwork we make. If we offer a different finish on a particular product in the future, the listing will say so.
How are your art prints made?
Our prints are produced and prepared by us rather than being fulfilled by an outside print-on-demand company.
Different artwork may be better suited to different papers and printing processes, so we do not want to pretend every Print will be identical.
Depending on the piece, we may use materials such as heavy matte art paper, watercolor-style cold-press paper, archival cardstock, or another material selected for that artwork. The individual product page should tell you what you are actually getting.
What about linocut prints?
Linocut prints are made from a hand-carved linoleum block.
The Design is transferred to the block, carved by hand, inked, and printed individually. Because each impression is made by hand, small variations are part of the process.
Artwork & Artists
Real artists, clear credit, and the people behind each Design.
Who creates the artwork?
Real artists do. :D
Cuddlefish Cuts was founded by Rori, Sadie, and Delaney, who are also the artists currently featured in the shop.
Every Design page and product keeps the artist credit connected to the artwork.
Do you use generative AI?
No.
Every Design featured on Cuddlefish Cuts is made by a real artist. We do not use generative AI or AI-assisted art tools to create, alter, or finish the artwork we sell or feature.
The ideas, drawing, carving, composition, and other creative decisions come from the artist themselves.
How do I know who made a Design?
Artist credit is built into how we organize the shop.
Designs are connected to the Artist or Artists who created them, and products using that artwork keep the same attribution.
You can use Artist pages to explore somebody's work or Design pages to learn more about a particular piece and see the products featuring it.
Can more than one artist work on a Design?
Yes.
If a piece is genuinely collaborative, we can credit multiple Artists rather than forcing the work under one person's name.
Materials & Transparency
What we mean when we call something handmade, artist-made, or made by us.
Where are your products made?
The final products we currently sell are produced by us in-house.
Some of the materials we begin with, such as blank shirts, paper, inks, sticker stock, laminate, and packaging, are manufactured by outside suppliers.
We think that distinction matters, so we try not to use vague handmade language that makes the supply chain sound simpler than it really is.
Will you tell me what materials you use?
Whenever it is useful and practical, yes.
Transparency is one of the things we care about. We want to share information about the blanks, papers, inks, sticker materials, finishes, equipment, suppliers, and processes used to make our products.
Some suppliers and materials may change over time, so the most specific information should live on the individual product page where it can stay current.
Why do you share all of that?
Because we think you should be able to know what you are buying.
If we say something is hand-printed, handmade, laminated by hand, made in-house, or produced using a particular material, we want those words to mean something.
We are not trying to turn every product listing into a manufacturing textbook. We just do not want the process hidden behind vague marketing language.
Shipping
Production time, shipping days, and where we can send things.
Where do you ship?
We currently ship to the destinations available at checkout. If your address is accepted there, we can ship your order to it.
Available destinations may change as carrier options and costs change.
How often do you ship orders?
We generally pack and ship outgoing orders two to three times per week.
If something significantly affects normal fulfillment, we will do our best to keep you informed.
Does shipping time include production time?
No.
Production time is the time it takes us to actually make and prepare your order. Shipping time begins after the finished package has been handed over to the carrier.
For example, a made-to-order shirt may need production time before the shipping estimate begins.
What happens if I order something ready to ship and something made to order?
Our default expectation is that the order will be packed once everything is ready.
That helps us avoid unnecessary duplicate shipments and packaging.
Returns & Problems
What to do if something goes wrong, or the size you picked does not work out.
What if my order arrives damaged or something is wrong?
Please reach out to us as soon as it is convenient.
If something arrives damaged, defective, incorrect, or otherwise clearly wrong, we will do our best to figure out what happened and offer a replacement when we reasonably can.
If something is not right, please tell us. We would much rather have the chance to make it right than have you end up unhappy with what you received.
Can I return something if I change my mind?
Generally, no.
A lot of what we sell is handmade or made specifically after it is ordered, so we do not generally accept returns simply because someone changes their mind after purchasing.
We will do our best to make product photos, descriptions, measurements, sizing information, materials, and other details accurate before you order so you can make an informed decision.
Can I exchange a shirt for another size?
Usually, no.
Our shirts are generally made to order, so we cannot promise size exchanges in the same way a large clothing retailer with shelves of finished inventory might.
We will do our best to provide useful and accurate sizing information before purchase.
What if I ordered the wrong size?
Reach out to us anyway.
We cannot promise that we will be able to replace or exchange a made-to-order shirt because the wrong size was selected, but you are always welcome to contact us and we will see what we can reasonably do.
Working With Us
A few quick answers for artists, shops, and in-person events.
Can I submit my artwork to Cuddlefish Cuts?
We are not accepting public artist submissions right now.
If that changes, we will share application details and expectations here on the site.
Do artists have to use generative AI-free artwork?
Yes. Artwork featured through Cuddlefish Cuts must follow the same human-made artwork standard for every artist.
Will you offer custom artwork or commissions?
Custom commissions are not currently available. If we open commissions later, we will share clear details on the site.
Do you offer wholesale?
We do not currently have a formal wholesale program, but shops are welcome to contact us and tell us what they have in mind.
Will you be at conventions, markets, or art shows?
We plan to sell in person when we can. Confirmed events will be announced through our public channels.
Still have a question?
If you have a question we did not cover here, you are always welcome to contact us directly. We will do our best to help.
Contact Us