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IS YOUR WEBSITE SECURE?
 We take our customers’ privacy very seriously. We never share or sell
any of your information. We have many systems in place to protect our
clients’ information, including a very secure website. Although our
website may seem a little more “picky” than other sites you shop with,
it is this way to protect you via enhanced security programming
features. We also use "cookies" which helps reduce the amount of
information kept with us. Our SSL certificate uses a
128-bit key encryption to ensure information is safely transmitted to
our server.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY
ORDER?
 Although every effort is made to determine our customers’ needs, we may
occasionally be out of a particular product due to a sudden peak in
demand. Orders for in-stock merchandise are typically shipped within
1-4 business days Monday through Friday excluding holidays. The
spread in the number of days to ship your order depends upon whether or
not we are in a peak season or if your order was placed during a sale. In
fact, most orders are shipped within 1 business day! (We
do not charge extra for this service.) We use UPS service as our shipper of
choice. Once the order has been shipped it will
arrive in approximately 2-3 business days on the west coast, 5-7
business days on the east coast, and 4-5 business days for areas in
between. Expedited shipping services are also available. (You will
receive an email from Quantum View or Auto-Notify which is UPS letting
you know your tracking information.)
HOW MUCH IS SHIPPING?
Major shipping carriers switched their calculations for shipping costs
to dimensional weight in early 2015, meaning that they calculate rates
based upon the space a box takes up in the cargo hold rather than by the
weight of the box. While we don't mark up our shipping costs, we
do realize the increase this has caused in their rates. UPS gives
us discounts on our shipping due to our volume of boxes, and we do pass
those directly on to our customers rather than using shipping as a
profit center.
To further assist our customers with their expenses on supplies, we offer free standard shipping to the contiguous United States on
orders over $500 net*. Orders up to $500 will show the
corresponding rates for standard service during checkout.
Expedited shipping will be billed at actual cost, which may differ from
the UPS estimator. Shipping
via
3-Day UPS is typically about $30 more than Ground, 2-Day UPS is about $60
more, and overnight UPS is typically about
$100 more. DVD's only can ship via the Postal Service in a padded
envelope for $9.95.
*For
large and oversized orders (panel sizes above 16"x20" and rolled linen),
we are happy to make custom boxes and tubes and charge only our cost for
the materials to make them. UPS shipping charges will also be billed according to their
current rates.
All shipping carriers charge higher rates to Hawaii and Alaska. In order to determine your exact shipping amount, we
use your zip code, weight of products ordered, and dimensions of the
package to get a quote from UPS. We will charge only actual cost for
these
shipments.
WHAT PACKING MATERIALS ARE USED?
We care deeply for our environment and do everything we can to reduce
our carbon footprint. Only recycled cardboard boxes, packing
paper, and cornstarch-based anti-static packing peanuts (which are
biodegradable and ideal for composting) are used in packing your order.
WHY DO YOU ASK FOR
MY EMAIL ADDRESS?
We ask for your email address as a method of contacting you. Many
folks prefer to access their mail or messages at their convenience and
prefer email. We also occasionally send an email to our customers informing
them of new products, specials or discontinued items, and new Featured Artists.
You will also receive an email when your order ships.
We never sell or
distribute your personal information to anyone!
I
AM TRYING TO ORDER ONLINE, BUT IT IS TELLING ME TO ENABLE MY COOKIES, OR
THAT MY SHOPPING CART IS EMPTY. HOW DO I FIX THIS?
This a a general response to a failed attempt at adding something to
your shopping cart. There are a variety of reasons
that can cause this to happen. The most common reason this message
appears is that the box to the left of the quantity field for the item
you are trying to order has not been checked. Simply go back and
check the box next to the item you want, and then enter the quantity
desired in the next field. Then click your enter key or the "Add
to cart" button.
Another reason this may occur is that your security settings are too
high on your computer to allow "cookies". "Cookies” refers to a small space on your hard drive used by websites
to "remember" who you are and what you have placed into your
cart. (It does not allow us to access your hard drive.) If your security
settings are high, chances are that your computer does not allow
“cookies”. To change your Security Settings, see your
browser's help menu and search for cookies. If this does not help
you can of course always
call us at 1-800-587-5462 to place your order over the phone.
We apologize in advance if this happens to you. Please note that
you will still receive any online discounts available at that time.
WHEN DO YOU CHARGE MY
CREDIT CARD?
We charge your MasterCard or Visa on the day your order
is ready to ship, and never before.
CAN
I GET YOUR PRODUCTS IN AN ART SUPPLY STORE NEAR ME?
You bet! Simply inquire about our products at your local art supply
store. We would be happy to assist them with carrying our panel
lines.
SOMETIMES
WHEN I CALL DURING BUSINESS HOURS I GET VOICE MAIL. WHY?
We are a small company and spend a great deal of time in the workshop making our
handcrafted products.
Unfortunately we are not always able to answer the telephone during this
process. We may also be on the telephone assisting other customers
and therefore additional incoming calls may be directed to voice mail.
Please leave a message so that we have a way to
contact you and we will return your call promptly as we check our
messages regularly throughout the day. Our telephone system is
secure so you can also leave a detailed message regarding your order.
HOW DOES ONE BECOME A SOURCETEK FEATURED ARTIST?
Our Featured Artists are selected from our customer base of
professionals who have attained national recognition and endorse our
products. This area is
designed completely around the artist providing a biography, images of
their works, gallery and personal website links, upcoming scheduled
events, and more. The Featured Artist section is our way of thanking
this select group of artists for their referrals, assistance and support.
WHAT IS
ARCHIVABOND AND HOW DO I USE IT?
ArchivaBond® is an
ethylene vinyl acetate archival bonding agent which is ideal for use with canvas. Because it dries completely
inert and is heat re-activatable, it is used by many conservators in
restoring old works of art. It is also popular for use in mounting
watercolors or photographs to mats. We use ArchivaBond® to make all of
our panels.
ArchivaBond®
can be applied in a variety of ways to many different type of surfaces.
Visit our Using ArchivaBond
Instructions page for more information on using it with art panels
and canvas.
WHY
ARE YOUR PANELS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OTHERS I HAVE SEEN IN ART STORES?
Actually our panels are very competitively priced, and we offer a price
match guarantee on any advertised price for an identical
surface/substrate. We
encourage you to "shop" prices on other panel manufacturers' websites so
that you can see we offer the best pricing on comparable panel lines.
We import our fine linens from Belgium, our wood is furniture grade, our
hardboard is art-grade and
our Gatorfoam® is the strongest available.
We use only the finest components available and make our archival panels
completely by hand here in the United States of America. Most
other companies source their panels from other countries. Others make
them on machinery using heat activated sheets of adhesive which can
result in changes to the surface of the canvas weave. Many of the panels found in
art supply stores are made on cardboard or other less expensive
substrates, and they use inexpensive cotton duck for the canvas.
Although we cater to professional artists and serious students who
demand a top quality base for their work, even the weekend painter
should try our panels (and they may never go back). Wayne Wolfe put it
very well, "When I studied with Robert Lougheed in Santa Fe, he
stressed the importance of always being a pro -- in your attitude, in
your integrity, and with your materials. . . ".
I HAVE HEARD THAT COATING THE BACK OF PANELS WITH GESSO, SHELLAC
OR VARNISH CAN PREVENT WARPING.
Merging any two unlike materials can result in warping as the
two substances pull against one another. Now, that being said, we
find materials that work more cohesively together within
these parameters. In the case of our natural wood panels, any
warping present (if any) will be permanently eliminated once the piece is framed.
If you experience any warping, simply apply a damp rag along the
back of the panel (not the canvas) and then lay it flat with weight
on it for 24 hours. This should flatten it out for you. That is why we use Baltic birch - it is a rigid hardwood, yet remains flexible. It is also recommended by conservators as an excellent base.
Storing your panels flat rather than leaning against a wall,
regardless of substrate type, will prevent the panel from taking on
the lean into the wall.
Ralph Mayer's The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques
states, "Contrary to popular opinion, the complete painting or
varnishing of back and edges to prevent absorption of moisture is
not always advisable, as it may encourage dry-rotting of the wood;
the end grain at least should always be left uncoated so that air
has access to it."
We make our panels the same way that they have
been made for many years because this method has been tried and
proven over a significant period of time. While some folks like to
either shellac or gesso the back of the panel, many professional
artists prefer it to be left natural.
DO YOU OFFER
HARDBOARD
/ MDF
PANELS IN ALL OF YOUR
CANVAS LINES?
Yes we do.
Our Academic Line®
is made with acrylic-primed polyflax®
and
is designed for quick field studies for artists who are looking for
an inexpensive alternative while still wanting to use a quality,
professional-grade archival handcrafted product. The Premium Lines®
offer the same high quality hardboard base with Claessens®
linen mounted on them, and the Universal Line®
is prepared with Claessens®
#12TS acrylic-primed cotton. (Of course all of our panel lines
are also offered with Baltic birch of Gatorfoam®
substrates as well.)
Our high quality MDF (Medium
Density Fiberboard), sometimes called Masonite®
or hardboard, is made by mixing a small
amount of resins, water and wood pulp and
applying 1000 pounds of pressure per square inch to bind the pulp together
and eliminate the water thus creating a smooth, uniform surface.
(Tempered hardboard also adds an oily layer
heated into the board to provide the shiny, dark surface. This can cause
gesso and sizing to chip away as they cannot adhere well to the oily
layer. As such, we use only untempered hardboard
for our panels.)
WHAT IS GATORFOAM®
Gatorfoam® is a unique product made of a lightweight
high-density extruded polystyrene
foam that is bonded on both sides to patented Luxcell facers. These
facers are wood-fiber veneers impregnated with a proprietary resin for
integrity, durability and strong moisture resistance. When exposed to
long periods of very moist conditions, there is little or no change in
either the face or the core.
Keep in mind that there are dozens of grades of Gatorfoam®
and foam core products with a significant variance in price.
We use only the highest and most durable grade for our panels.
Because of its unique composition, there are no conservation standards
that specifically apply to Gatorfoam®.
Both white and natural Gatorfoam® have successfully passed the
Photoactivity Test conducted by the Image Permanence Institute of the
Rochester Institute of Technology. (Conservation mounting requires
special materials to ensure that the art to be preserved will remain
undamaged in the future.) Major museums have used
Gatorfoam®
to mount exhibitions for many years!
"Testing at both room temperature and 150 F resulted in out-gassing at
the parts per hundred million range only. The base papers used in Gatorfoam®
are in the low acidic range, however, the saturation process reduces the
mobility of the acid. For long term storage, protection should be provided from
ultraviolet light on the exposed edges."
-
Manufacturer of Gatorfoam®
WHY DO YOU "BRAND" THE BACK OF YOUR PANELS?
We place our logo on the back of our panels for a three reasons. First,
we are proud of our panels. Second, it offers a convenient way for our customers to
locate our telephone number and website address in the event they have
questions about our products. Third and most important, it tells any conservator or
other individual who may work on your painting in the future that it was
made by SourceTek. This allows any individual who may not be
familiar with our products to logon to our website and learn what
binding agent, quality of wood, and canvas has been used to make the
panel.
DO YOU MAKE PANELS IN
OTHER SIZES?
We can make any of our panel products in a custom size
for you. We make our custom
panels once a week on Tuesdays for orders received prior to Tuesday.
Please feel free to call us for a quotation!
ARE YOUR PANELS ARCHIVAL?
Our panels are indeed archival. We use the finest raw
materials in the industry, and make our panels the way we do because this method has proven
itself over a significant period of
time.
WHY
DOES THE CLAESSENS® LINEN
SOMETIMES TURN A CREAMY COLOR?
The front of oil-primed canvases can occasionally turn a creamy
color as a result
of the linseed oil used in priming it. If the canvas does not get
exposed to light or is placed behind another panel, it will show a
slight creamy hue. This natural phenomenon can be alleviated by exposing the
panel to daylight for a short period of time.
WHY
ARE THERE OCCASIONALLY LINES IN THE PRIMING ON THE CLAESSENS® CANVAS?
Claessens® applies the final layer of primer using large velvet
rollers. The edges of these rollers meet up at a certain point creating
this smooth “seam” of paint variation. This is not a defect, just an
optical effect in the top layer. There is no actual crease or
irregularity in the canvas or the primer.
WHAT TYPES OF PAINT CAN I USE ON EACH OF THE PANEL LINES YOU
OFFER?
We offer a variety of surface options, each one with its own
properties corresponding to the paint types which are compatible
with them. Absorbency of the canvas and priming type, coupled
with the type of paint used and the amount of medium the artist adds
to that paint will react differently with each of the surfaces.
See the chart on the
Canvas Compatibility page by clicking
here for a detailed
matrix.
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