The Cutting Table · compared on the table
Can I see close-up photos of a fabric before I order?
Also asked as:Can I see a close-up of P-60?Better photos of the linen colors L-18, L-19, L-20
A thumbnail is a rumor about a color. Ask for the close-up, and the rumor becomes a portrait.
SaveThe quick answer
Yes, close-up photos of any fabric code are free and sent on request in your message thread. Name the codes and you often get a studio shot beside a real-light shot, side-by-side comparisons of similar shades, sometimes a short video, and finished cushions in that fabric when they exist. Phone cameras shift tone, so order physical samples when color is critical.
What each kind of photo can tell you
| What you ask for | What arrives | Best for judging |
|---|---|---|
| A close-up of one code, e.g. linen L-18 | An unedited studio shot, often beside a real-light shot | Weave, texture and tone |
| Two near shades, e.g. pink and dried rose | A side-by-side comparison photo | Which one runs warmer, which grayer |
| Finished cushions in that code | Photos of past orders, when they exist | How the cloth sits on a real cushion |
| A patterned fabric | The PDF color chart (patterns on the last page) or a link to larger images | The scale of the repeat |
Key facts
- Close-up photos of any fabric code are free and sent on request.
- Studio and real-light photos are often sent side by side.
- Similar shades, such as pink and dried rose, can be compared in one photo.
- Photos of finished cushions or past orders in that fabric are shared when they exist.
- Patterned fabrics sit on the last page of the PDF color chart.
- Larger close-ups are not available for every code.
- A photo of the actual fabric is sent when production starts.
- The soft fabric chart alone runs from 901 to 946, about 46 colors, and neighboring codes can differ only in tone, so close-ups settle the shortlist.
Have it made
Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you
Describe the room at four in the afternoon: the floor, the wall, the one color you love. That is where a good fabric choice begins. — Élodie
Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.
Why the studio shot and the daylight shot disagree
Put a studio photo of slate gray velvet beside a window-light photo of the same velvet and they will argue. Neither is lying. Studio light flattens the pile; daylight finds every shadow in it. The workshop sends both, unedited, so you can read the fabric between them.
Phone cameras add their own opinion, often a shade lighter or darker than the cloth, so treat the close-ups as your color reference. The screen versus daylight Pattern explains the drift.
Ask by fabric code, and ask for everything at once
Name the fabric codes, not the colors. 'L-18, L-19, L-20' brings back three photos; 'the beige linen' brings back a question. For a velvet cushion on an entryway bench, ask for finished-cushion photos too; a row of past orders in one code says more than any chart.
Two honest limits. Larger close-ups aren't available for every code, and when no cushion exists in your exact combination, you get swatch close-ups instead. If color is critical, order physical swatches as well. Which two shades are you torn between, my friends?
If cushion color is critical, treat the close-up photo as the reference and a physical swatch as the proof; phone photos can run a shade darker.
Élodie
Buyer questions
- A common question
Can you send sharper close-ups of the fabrics I'm deciding between?
The workshop's answerYes. Name the codes and you get unedited close-ups of those exact fabrics, often a studio shot plus a casual real-light shot, and sometimes a finished cushion made in that code. Any tone difference between the photos comes from light and camera, not the cloth.
- A common question
Is there a bigger image of a patterned fabric so I can see the repeat?
The workshop's answerYes. The workshop sends its PDF color chart, where the patterns sit on the last page, or a link with larger images of the pattern, so you can judge the repeat without ordering a physical sample.
- A common question
Your finished-cushion photos look darker than the swatch. Which one do I trust?
The workshop's answerTrust the close-ups. Finished cushions photographed on a phone in poor light can look darker than the real fabric. For full certainty, order physical samples. When your order goes into production, you also get a photo of the actual fabric your cushion will be made in.
- A common question
How big are the swatches if I order samples?
The workshop's answerStandard swatches are small, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in (3 to 4 cm) square, enough to judge color and texture. Velvet can be sent as 4 in (10 cm) squares on request; otherwise ask for finished-cushion photos.
Questions buyers ask next
Do fabric close-up photos cost anything?
No. Close-up photos of any fabric code are free and usually arrive in the same message thread soon after you ask. List every code you are weighing in one message, so the photos come back together and you can compare them side by side.
Can the workshop name the fabric on a cushion from a review photo?
Yes. Point to the review photo and the workshop can identify which fabric code was used on that cushion, then send close-ups of the code so you can check it against the other fabrics on your shortlist.
Will my finished cushion match the close-up exactly?
Close-ups are the most reliable photo reference, but lighting and phone screens can shift tone slightly. The physical fabric is the final word, which is why a swatch is suggested for color-critical rooms and a photo of your actual fabric is sent when production starts.
