Custom Ribbon Printing

We offer a range of options for your printed ribbons. There are 5 width choices and an array of fonts in full color for our custom ribbon printing that you can position. Your design will make either a 9.7" or 19.7" section of the personalized ribbon, which will be repeated along the entire length. When you make your own ribbon, we provide tools to center the designs and you can preview before you buy. If looking to work with images or logos, to maximize the design quality when you print your own ribbon, we recommend using our wider ribbon. Your custom ribbon will be sent to you cut in two strips of 16 feet.

As we hand make every single personalized ribbon, there may be some variation in the positioning of your print on the ribbon. Slight deviations are also possible with custom ribbon printing when centering your logo. Therefore we would recommend repeating your logo with our design tool.

Certified to meet OKEO Standards
Download Certificate

Sizing For Hemming And Shrinkage

We have a full Cut & Sew service here at Contrado, and are able to hem your fabric prints for a small additional charge. We create a small one- or two-fold hem that typically uses 0.2" to 0.75" (5-20mm) of material, depending on the thickness of the fabric. So, for example, if you want a finished piece of fabric that measures 39.37" x 39.37", you will need to order a size of 39.96" x 39.96" to allow for the hem (on top of that please also allow for shrinkage of min 2%). The thicker the fabric, the bigger the hem will be. You can choose to have your prints hemmed with either Black or White thread. On our silk and other light woven fabrics, one hemmed edge will be straight (vertically down the roll) and the other will be slightly rippled. The hemming material allowances are as follows and you need to make your print bigger to accommodate the hem:

• Light Fabrics (0.59oz-2.95oz): For silks and other light fabrics, we use 0.24" - 0.32" / 6mm-8mm in the hem (2 fold), so overall width/height will be minus 0.48"-0.56""/ 12-16mm
• Medium Fabrics (2.98oz-5.90oz): For medium-weight fabrics that fray, we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (2 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.4" - 1.6" / 35-40mm
• Stiff/Heavy/No-fray fabrics: we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (1 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.5" / 35-40mm

All of these measurements are approximate and can vary. Including with shrinkage, it can mean a fairly significant difference to ordered dimensions, so please plan your print accordingly. Depending on how open the weave is, our fabric can shrink anywhere from 2% to 8% with the average being 2.5%.

How Would you Like the Edge?

• As it comes. We cut around your image, leaving a simply scissor cut, perhaps uneven white fabric border. 
• Hem with thread. We can hem your fabric with a choice of black or white thread. Please allow 1-2 days additional production time. See below for information on how hemming affects the size of your print. We offer an overlock hem, as well as a folded hem (one or two fold depending on the fabric) however not all fabrics are suited to both hem types. If you can see both options, it means both are suitable, and you will be able to choose whichever you prefer. 
• Cut on the line. We will cut neatly on the edge of your design. This means that if you have a border around your design we will cut around that border, if your design takes the whole space of the fabric, then we will neatly cut around the edge of that image. Please be aware, when we cut along the line, we have to cut against the grain of the fabric. This is the standard procedure for fabric cutting. This means that with some fabrics, for example, Georgette and Mulmul, which have a slight wave in them, some fraying will occur. This is unavoidable, as the cut follows the grain of the textile. 

All of our fabrics are cut manually by hand, with the utmost care and attention. If your fabric has a slightly uneven look on the edges or a touch of fraying, this does not indicate a flaw in the textile. It is not always possible to achieve a perfectly straight cut with certain fabrics, so please do bare this in mind when it comes to your design. If you have any queries or would like to know about our cutting methods in more detail, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Please note: As we make everything by hand, all sizes may vary slightly.

For further information about our fabrics see our FAQs.

How do you print on ribbon?

When you design your own ribbon, we use a modern technique which bonds the inks deep into the satin. This penetrates the fabric resulting in a long lasting print. You can choose to design either a 9.7" or 19.7" section and we will repeat it across 5.5 yard strips.

Can I print photos on the Custom Ribbon?

Make sure that you choose to print on at least 1.96" or 2.75" because although the images may be tiny we still want your gorgeous photos to show in perfect quality, with the imagery clearly visible. Once you have chosen a larger size ribbon, then add several photos and text to make an impressive photo ribbon for any occasion.

Could I use this to print Christmas Ribbon?

If you want to make your Christmas extra special, then add customized ribbon. We will help you make each part of your festive season special, including; wrapping gifts, decorations for the home and dinner party accessories. What's more you can add to it every year building up your festive decorative stock and choices!