Questions
Where do the drawings come from?
From natural history books of 1785 to 1913: Bloch’s fish, Smith’s whale shark, Vérany’s octopuses, Klunzinger’s Red Sea corals, Haeckel’s jellyfish and Garman’s sharks and rays. The plates are in the public domain. We cut each animal from a scan of its page; we do not redraw them.
Printed or embroidered?
The plates are printed: big on the back, about 30 cm wide, or small on the left chest, about 8 cm. The embroidered pieces are stitched on the chest of a tee or a hoodie, or on the front of a cap.
Which books?
Marcus Elieser Bloch, Ichthyologie (Berlin, 1785–97); Andrew Smith, Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa (London, 1849); Jean-Baptiste Vérany, Mollusques méditerranéens (Genoa, 1851); James de Carle Sowerby and Edward Lear, Tortoises, Terrapins, and Turtles Drawn from Life (London, 1872); Carl Benjamin Klunzinger, Die Korallthiere des Rothen Meeres (Berlin, 1877); Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur (Leipzig, 1904); Samuel Garman, The Plagiostomia (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1913). Each product page names its book.
Where do the depth charts come from?
From NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (2022), ETOPO 2022 15 Arc-Second Global Relief Model, doi:10.25921/fd45-gt74: the seafloor of the whole Earth, from ship soundings and satellites. We draw the depth bands from it; NOAA did not make these pieces and does not stand behind them.
Is the whale shark season real?
Yes. Young whale sharks gather each spring at Shib Habil, a reef off Al-Lith, as the scientists who studied them there reported: Berumen, M. L. et al. (2014), Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregation at Shib Habil, off Al-Lith, Saudi Arabia, PLOS ONE.
Which colours?
The plates printed in one ink come on light colours with a dark ink and on dark colours with a pale one. The colour plates keep their own colours. Every colour a piece comes in is on its page, with a photo.
Why does a piece show as sold out?
A new piece can show sold out for a few days while its making is set up with our production partner. Once it is ready, every size opens; nothing else changes.
How do I choose my size?
Every tee and hoodie has a table in centimetres in the size guide. The tee is relaxed: take your usual size. The hoodie is cut loose: check the measures first. Caps and totes are one size.
How long does delivery take?
Your piece is made after you order, then shipped to you. Orders arrive between 12 and 19 Nov, with free tracked shipping.
Where do you ship?
To 75 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The full list is at checkout. Shipping is free on every order.
Any customs charges?
The carrier may collect import tax or duties on delivery, under your country’s rules. Those go to your government or the carrier, not to us.
Where is it made?
By a production partner at one of its print and embroidery shops around the world, then sent straight to you.
How do I look after it?
Wash cold, inside out, hang to dry, never iron the print, and iron around an embroidery, never on it. Caps: spot clean only.
Can I change or cancel?
Yes, within 2 hours of ordering, before making starts. Write to hello@miniblank.com.
Can I send it back?
Not for size or a change of mind: it was made for you. Damaged, misprinted or wrong: we replace it or refund you. Write within 14 days of delivery with a photo. Details in the replacements policy.