FAQ'S

We do not store any card details on our site. All card payments are done in the relevant payment gateway. This means that the highest security is from the transaction gateway. We use Paypoint (SECPAY) and Paypal. Both use industry standard encryption protection techniques. For more information visit their sites. Our site has a 125/256 bit security certificate, which is used for the parts of the site where you have to log in, register or checkout. This means that any data you enter travels over the internet in an encripted mannar.

For UK mainland our standard service for items in stock is 3-5 working days. 24-48 hour options are also avalable. For offshore it is 1-2 days extra. For the EU 4-5 days. For non-EU 2-4 days. We dispatch all orders that are in stock within 2 working days of receipt.

If this happens then you need to E-mail us IMMEDIATELY and we will take it from there.

Yes! We are the sole re-sellers of Crescent Art Materials and do not sell any other brands.

Yes, we can arrange this just contact us to get the ball rolling!

No. All products are produced in either Europe or USA.

Crescent is headquartered in Wheeling, Illinois, and is a private, family-owned company founded over 100 years ago by the Ozmun family, which is now in its 5th generation of leadership and commitment to the company.

If you let us know what you want to sample we will do what we can for you.

We can send out a printed catalogue if necessary yes but, all the information is on the website that is in the catalogue.

Consider three factors. First of all, are you choosing a surface only for scanning or reproduction, or do you intend to save and display the artwork itself? Secondly, do you need a smooth surface or a more textured surface? Finally, what weight should the board that backs the surface be?

Hot press board is smoother, and is generally slightly more expensive for a given size and weight. Artists who work with airbrush, markers, or pen-and-ink often favor a hot press surface. Hot press boards produce sharper and finer lines. Graphic design applications also tend to favor a hot-press surface, especially when adhesive wax, adhesive film, rubber cement, or transfer lettering is used. Hot press board scans better. Sharper detail can be reproduced from its smooth surface.

Cold press board is slightly textured, and is usually favored when a brush is used, as for watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and tempera. Artists who work in a drawing medium that requires some "tooth" to the surface, such as charcoal, crayon, or pastel, also tend to prefer cold press. Calligraphers and graphite and colored pencil artists choose either surface, depending on personal preference.

These terms are used with bristol board, but not illustration board. A plate surface is roughly equivalent to hot press, while a vellum surface is roughly equivalent to cold press.

Some illustration boards, especially hot press boards, have bright white or coated surfaces, for higher contrast. These surfaces can aid with scanning and reproduction, but their brightness is probably not helpful in viewing, displaying, and visualizing the work in progress, since it is likely to be reproduced onto a more conventional white surface.

Posterboard is used for temporary signs and displays, and as a surface for children's work, but it is not a suitable medium for reproduction or for permanent works of art. It is less costly than bristol or illustration board, and is available in many colors. Tag board is a heavy paper that is equivalent to a lighter posterboard.

Although they can be used as a surface for finished works, chipboard and matboard are really meant for backing or mounting other works of art. They tend to be much heavier.

Both bristol and illustration boards are rated by the number of layers or "ply" of the board, however the two are not equivalent. Illustration board tends to be thicker and heavier, especially the professional quality boards, reflecting the handling that a finished illustration or mechanical may receive before it is finally approved and used for reproduction. The heaviest bristol, usually a 5-ply board, is roughly equivalent to a medium weight or 14-ply illustration board.

The thickness of bristol and illustration boards, for a given number of ply, are not equivalent. The thickness of a given number of ply for a given type of board, such as a 4-ply bristol or a 14-ply illustration board, differs slightly by the type or grade of board, and by the manufacturer.

We suggest that you look for a 100% cotton paper. Cotton fibers are stronger than wood pulp fibers. Cotton improves many of the working properties that are important, including the paper’s ability to accept heavy marker coverage without bleeding, and allows for the building of colors and blending of tones. Cotton also improves surface strength.

The paper should have some degree of transparency if you intend to “trace” from images. A nice white sheet provides the proper background reflection for marker pen colors. Look for a smooth finish which allows the marker to flow across the surface of the sheet with little resistance. This allows you to work at a quicker pace which reduces the likelihood of feathering. Smoothness also helps artists achieve sharper edges.