Frequently Asked Questions

International Orders:

ClockPrints ships to the United Kingdom several times a month. We have also shipped to Canada, Republic of Ireland, Austrailia, New Zealand and a few other countries. Orders ship air mail unless you add the extra $7 for international shipping upgrade to Global Priority. If the background ordered is over 13" please add international shipping for that
due to size.

Because ClockPrints uses Paypal we can only accept payment from those countries PayPal accepts. ClockPrints reserves the right to refund payment to orders from countries were repeated attempts to ship have not arrived.

Rush / Express Shipping Orders:

ClockPrints does not have the man power to fill rush orders. I fill no orders Monday - Wednesday as my regular job takes priority. Please allow a full 2 weeks to receive
your prints.

Winding Holes:

When mounting a face that requires winding holes do not mark or precut them. Spray mount the face to the dial, then turn it over and cut the holes using the dial as a guide. Use a sharp exacto knife to cut the face. It is a good idea to add grommets to the winding holes as they protect the paper and cover imperfect cutting.

Because I do not like having the winding holes pre-cut myself and it is quite time consuming to get them placed properly ClockPrints has discontinued cutting any winding holes.

Installation tips:

Minimal Adhesive Method

Install the movement through the unattached print. This allows you to rotate the print to where it needs to be and holds the print firmly while gluing. I then lift each corner to apply the adhesive.

• Memory Book Glue Dots - Archival product
• Dab of hot melt glue
• Super glue
• Small dab of contact cement
• Double stick tape - no longer recommended due to undependable results

Especially on a small face, the movement is going to hold the print in place. Gluing in the corners will keep the print flat and still allow some difference in movement between the wood and print. If wood is used as the backer board I would recommend using a clear water based sealant on both sides of the wood to reduce movement with weather.

Liquid Glue
• Do not use wood glue or Elmers liquid glue! Paper will absorb and fall apart.
• Royal Decoupage glue is compatible for use on both/either side of the print.

Spray Adhesive / Contact Cement

• Elmer's Craft Bond is acid free and does not set up as instantly as some spray adhesives. I highly recommend this over 3m products for lighter applications.
3M's 45 is also archival and I usually use this on metal especially if it is convex.
• Take care as any contact cement or spray adhesive will remove the ink if the adhesive is accidentally applied to the front of the print. Our ink is water resistant not solvent proof.
• Aggressive application of spray adhesive is responsible for every damaged face I have replaced.

Heirloom Clocks

• ClockPrints are printed with water resistant, permanent pigment inks on archival quality paper. This is the most archival process available; more fade resistant than a commercial print.
• ClockPrints do not require any additional sealant to protect them when installed in a clock behind glass.
• Use of non-archival products may reduce longevity.

Archival Products

• UV filtering glass will add more protection against fading.
• Using acid free or archival products when available will reduce the possibility of discoloration.
• Any paper, even archival paper can discolor if submitted to pollutants. The "antiqued" look we like to copy was most likely a clean white print when originally installed. Even brass or porcelain faces deteriorate given enough time and exposure to light or pollutants.

Novelty / Craft Clocks
We have tested these craft coatings and mounting techniques. A satisfactory result only means the print accepted the product without damage; ink did not run or separate and paper evenly accepted the finish. We have no way of testing the effects of these products on the longevity of the prints.

• Minwax water based products, spray or brush-on work well. Minwax oil based products may cause yellowing. Front only
• Folk Art has an Acid free spray which gives a very smooth glossy finish. Front only
• Royal Decoupage glue is comparable for use on both/either side of the print.
• Envirotec - you will need to pre-treat. I recommend the glue method as we have not yet tested Envirotec's pre-treatment spray. Do not use the thinned down Envirotec method to pre-treat. The absorbent archival paper unevenly absorbs the liquid (unless you want a really distressed look.)
• DO NOT use Rustoleum products, Rustoleum spray lifts the ink right off the paper.

Trimming / Punching

• Trimming - Prints can be cut easily with an exacto knife.
• Punching - Walmart carries a knife called a Blade Runner in their craft department. It has a swiveling blade and a bearing that rides against a template. A bit gauge or various sizes of washers worked well as a templates. Circle craft templates are available also. You will need a thick one or need to double up a thin template.
• ClockPrints will trim to size or cut the movement hole for you. Add these dimensions to the "Message to Seller" box on the last page of the order form.

How are the Clock Dials Printed?

"Giclée" prints? or ink jet prints?
Basically Giclée prints
including the original Giclée prints made on an IRIS printer
are all ink jet prints.

History of Giclée

.......The IRIS printer was manufactured primarily for large format proofing. Nash Editions discovered they could get some lovely "fine arts" results by printing onto watercolor paper with the IRIS printer. Nash Editions' Jack Duganne coined the term Giclée print as a marketing description for these "fine art" prints. It was derived from a french word "Giclée," (pronounced "zhee-clay"), which literally means "that which is sprayed." Iris printing became a fine arts medium because of the high quality of the process including new inks that expanded the color gamut and longevity of the prints.
.......With Giclée prints, the art of fine art printing become even more precise with more dynamic color. The Giclée process was the work of a fine art production facility and printing craftsman working directly with the artist. They customized equipment, designed programs, and developed protective coatings to ensure quality standards for the collector. Giclée prints gained wide acceptance from artists, collectors and major art institutions.

Giclée Today

.......The Iris printer technology is dying as it has not been manufactured for almost four years resulting in limited options for maintenance and support.
.......So now where do we go? Artists and printers agree the higher end Epson's are easily matching if not surpassing the Iris, with a larger color range and incredible stability when using K3 inks. Prints can last 60 to 200 years depending on the ink paper combination. Color rivals the original.
........At $800 to $10,000 instead of the $100,000 price of an Iris, an artist can realistically own their own "fine art" printer giving them complete control over the final print. With profiles and software the artist can produce the exact color expression they imagined. Prejudice against the ink jet should be reconsidered. Consider which ink jet is producing the print. An Epson ink jet using "permanent pigment inks" is the new "Giclée" or as some suggest should we drop the pretense admit they are all ink jet prints?
........Ink jets and other print processes not using archival inks and papers may fade quickly, especially if unprotected. "Giclée" is not just pretense or marketing, it identifies a "fine art" level of quality and longevity.

All Giclée prints are ink jets but not all ink jets are Giclée.

Sizes

ClockPrints faces are not mass produced.
This allows you to order exactly the size you need.
I have offered pay buttons in one inch increments for
convenience and price steps.

Dials are priced by the size of the background. (Prices in effect until July 2007)

Backgrounds over 13" are $28.99
Backgrounds over 11" are $24.99
Backgrounds over 8 1/4" are $19.99
Backgrounds over 4 1/2" are $14.99
Backgrounds under 4 1/2" are 2 for $12.99

Maximum size is 17" x 37"

Please check that the design will fit within your frame window. There is a "Message to Seller" text box on the last page of the order process. You can give any special instructions there.

....

Check out the detail pages for color variations on many styles.

Don't want a square face?

Ordering

You may use the add to cart buttons on the detail pages to pay by credit card via Paypal.
ClockPrints can now accept MasterCard and Visa by mail or phone.

If you prefer to pay by check or money order you may mail payment to:
ClockPrints
1111 Hanby Circle
Lawrenceburg IN 47025

Order Form

Add $7 per order for shipping and handling.
You only need to add sales tax if you live in Indiana.

How does ClockPrints handle returns?

You may return faces for refund or exchange for any reason for one full year to:

ClockPrints
1111 Hanby Circle
Lawrenceburg, IN 47025

Please state the reason for return or any replacement desired.
Clock Prints will replace damaged prints no matter what the cause for one full year.
I will even accept returned faces damaged due to a slip of a knife or glue accident.
Return what is left and I will ship a replacement at no fee.

How can I display in the customer gallery?

Send a picture of your clocks featuring a ClockPrints face via email or mail. Include any caption, pricing and contact information you would like posted. I can link this page to your other web sites. I can also download the images directly from your web site if you request.
Please use this subject line in your email "Submit to Gallery"

Can ClockPrints restore a damaged clock face?

ClockPrints does not supply any parts except paper clock faces. Our affiliate Clockparts has a very comprehensive supply of other clock parts. Please use this banner link to go to their online catalog.

Innovation Specialties’ Clockparts.com is proud to celebrate its 28th year as a leading supplier of clock parts. Please take a look at our on-line catalog which contains a huge variety of quartz clock movements and clock making supplies.

The IIII as the 4 on a Roman clock face is based on
hundreds of years of tradition. (Maybe thousands)

There are many theories as to how the IIII came to be used as the 4 on roman clock faces:
1) IV was the Roman symbol for God. It could have been considered blasphemous to use it as the 4 on a clock.
2) A king requested his craftsmen to make a clock and when it was presented to him he went into a rage that the 4 was IV. Rather than loose his head the craftsman said I am sorry it is supposed to be IIII and changed it. Clocks since have used IIII instead of IV.
3) It may have come into use as the IIII is directly across from the VIII. Using IV gives the face a very unbalanced look.
4) IV was not widely used as 4 in early Roman history so sundials used IIII. Clocks evolved from the sundials hence the preference for IIII.

For more in-depth discussions on this subject try these sites:
http://elginwatches.org/help/roman_IIII.html
http://www.ubr.com/clocks/faq/iiii.html
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/apr2001/986569559.Sh.r.html
http://members.aol.com/lolathrop/roman/iv.html

The only Roman face I can remember seeing that uses the IV is Big Ben. ClockPrint's Baby Ben styles are based on Big Ben that is why they use IV.

Why do we make clock faces?

My years of working in digital art and photo restoration
combined with my husband Jack's woodworking hobby.

Clocks became a favorite project. It is fascinating to build something that moves and works. Constant reference during the day for the time gives a continual appreciation of the design and craftsmanship. With our second clock I began using Illustrator and PhotoShop to design custom faces. ClockPrints came about to share these designs and soon many more styles followed.

Where did we get the "Clock Face Software"?

Our clock faces are not created with "Clock Face Software" or clip art. I have created all of the art for our clock faces using Adobe's professional illustration software. I often begin the face in "Illustrator" then finish in "PhotoShop". Sometimes the face is created entirely in "PhotoShop". I am currently using Illustrator 10 and PhotoShop CS2. A software bundle for the current Adobe design package costs about $1300. I have learned to use this software by working in some of the top pre-press and printing facilities in the Cincinnati area. I have over 25 years experience as a pre-press technician and have worked with packaging, commercial printing and fine art reproduction. I also have a degree in commercial art.

Designs are created using a pen or brush tool to draw the basic shapes. I use fonts for some of the numerals. Some of the numerals are drawn using the pen tool as there are not fonts to match many of the hand drawn antique faces. Textures are obtained using a Sony DSC-F717 or Canon XTi digital camera or they are digitally created using multiple applications of PhotoShop's extensive filters and layer blend modes.

I research antique clocks, furniture and fabric styles as well as current design trends as inspiration for our faces. I will spend from 4 to 10 hours designing each face. Some designs are exact representations of historical classics. Some faces are inspired by traditional design. Some designs are purely out of my imagination.

I will not be creating "software" from my designs
as I would not be able control the quality of paper, ink or printing.
Your craftsmanship will last for years, so should the clock face.

Klockit has developed a booklet to assist you with the selection of a mechanical movement.

When this booklet is used in conjunction with Klockit's "Mechanical Movement Dimensional Specification" you can easily determine what is the best movement for your clock case. Click here to download this booklet

Designing your clock case for a specific movement.
1. Choose the movement, dial and pendulum
2. Download the "Mechanical Movement Dimensional Specification" for your chosen movement from Klockit.com
3. Using the "Mechanical Movement Dimensional Specification" and this booklet, determine the case dimensions needed for the movement/dial assembly you have selected.