--- title: "Confirm your fabric color code after ordering a cushion" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/confirm-fabric-color-code-after-ordering/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/" published: "2026-01-07" updated: "2026-09-24" keywords: "confirm fabric color code, change cushion color after ordering, fabric code for cushion order, change piping color, cushion color confirmation photo" --- # How do I make sure you use the right color after I change it? *Right, then. Colors change after checkout more often than you'd think, and the fix is one line of text plus one photograph.* Also asked as: Can I actually get color #34 instead?; I forgot to mention I need it in navy > **The quick answer:** To change or confirm a cushion color after ordering, send the exact fabric code, such as COR-209 or velvet 14, not a description like “dark gray.” The workshop then sends a photo of the chosen color, because screens show colors slightly differently. If your receipt and your messages disagree, the color agreed in messages is the one made. Changes work only before production advances. ![Four long dotted chenille bench cushions stacked on a slatted oak bench: charcoal, mustard with rust piping, navy, oatmeal](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/four-long-bench-cushions-stacked-rust-cream-piping-1600.webp "Mustard gets a rust velvet cord and navy a cream one, while charcoal and oatmeal stay plain.") ## Key facts - A color change needs the exact fabric code; a description like “dark gray” is not enough. - After each order, the workshop sends a photo of the chosen color to confirm it. - Screens show colors slightly differently, which is why the photo is sent. - When the receipt and the messages disagree, the color agreed in messages is the one made. - Piping color changes are checked with the production team before they are confirmed. - Color changes are possible only before production advances too far. - Fabric swatches are roughly palm-sized, about 4 x 4 to 6 x 6 in (10 x 10 to 15 x 15 cm), and come with exactly the codes you order. - The shop's policy allows a cancellation within 6 hours of purchase; a color change stays possible until production advances. ## Why “dark gray” is not an instruction Every chart has four or five dark grays, and the cutter reads your message, not your mind. A [fabric code](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#fabric-code) points at exactly one fabric, so write the code the chart gives it: COR-209, velvet 14, emerald #34. The photo that comes back after you order is your second chance, real fabric instead of a screen's guess. Still undecided? [Order swatches first](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/) and judge them [in daylight](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/). ## Receipt said COR-205, messages said COR-209 A buyer in the US changed a corduroy color in the order conversation after checkout. The receipt still showed COR-205; the messages agreed COR-209. The cushion was made in COR-209. Other real switches: brick to green, and velvet 12 to 14 after a photo of a finished cushion. ## The follow-ups, in the order they arrive 1. **“Is it too late?”**: Not until production has moved on. Write the moment you decide. 2. **“And the piping?”**: Checked with the production team first, then confirmed. Send the piping's own code; see [contrast piping](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#contrast-piping). 3. **“Is this my shade?”**: Check the photo you're sent, and speak up before cutting starts. > **Tailor's margin:** A color name is an opinion; a fabric code like COR-209 is a fact. Put the code in your message and nobody at the cutting table has to guess. > If the receipt says COR-205 and the messages say COR-209, the cushion is made in COR-209: the color agreed in writing wins. > > — Maggie ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Can I still change the fabric or piping color after I've ordered? **The workshop's answer:** Usually, if production hasn't gone too far. Send the exact fabric code, not just “dark gray,” and the order is updated. Piping changes are checked with the production team first. **A common question:** I picked the wrong color at checkout. Can you switch it? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. Message right away and it's changed before production, for example from sour cherry to orange, or to emerald #34. A photo of the chosen color follows every order. **A common question:** My note asks for a different size than the one I paid for. What happens? **The workshop's answer:** It's compared with the payment before production. Paid for less? A payment link for the balance is sent. If the paid size range already covers your size, nothing more is needed. ## Questions buyers ask next ### Why does the workshop send a color photo after I order? Because screens show colors slightly differently. The photo shows the real fabric you chose, so you can confirm it or switch before cutting, as one buyer did from velvet 12 to 14. ### Which counts when my receipt and my messages list different codes? The messages. A receipt showed COR-205, the conversation agreed COR-209, and the cushion was made in COR-209. Keep every color change in writing in the order conversation. ### Can I change only the piping on my order? Often, yes, before production moves on. A piping change is checked with the production team and then confirmed to you. Send the piping's own fabric code, as you would for the body. ## Related at the atelier - [Can I change the color of my cushion after I've already ordered?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/change-cushion-color-after-ordering/): Until production starts, you can change your cushion color after ordering, even after payment. - [I picked the wrong fabric or piping color. Do I have to cancel my order?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/change-piping-color-after-ordering/): No, you don't need to cancel: before production starts, message the new body fabric code and piping code and the workshop updates the order, with no refund or reorder. - [Will you double-check my order details with me before you make it?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/check-custom-cushion-order-before-production/): Yes, the workshop checks every custom order and holds it when something is unclear or mismatched: two sizes in a one-cushion order, a missing fabric code or dimensions, or pieces that should match… - [Custom Bench Cushion in Terracotta Boucle: Order It Right](https://cushionguide.com/readings/terracotta-unpiped-cushion-oak-bench-steel-window/): To order a custom bench cushion right the first time, send the bench top's length and depth, the thickness, the fabric chart code, the piping choice and any extras in one message. - [Navy Velvet Bench Cushion Corner With Twisted Ivory Cord Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-velvet-cushion-corner-twisted-cord-piping/): To order a custom velvet bench cushion right the first time, send one message listing the exact size, body fabric code, piping style and code, tufting, foam and wrap, zipper and fastening. - [Custom Bench Cushion in Pistachio: Codes, Swatches, Notes](https://cushionguide.com/readings/pistachio-basketweave-box-cushion-self-piping-closeup/): To order a custom bench cushion color right the first time, choose from physical swatches in daylight, write the exact fabric code in the order note, and give all three dimensions. - [How to order fabric swatches that actually settle the decision](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/) - [What to write in a custom cushion order note: sizes, codes and extras](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-personalization-note/) *Stitch straight — Maggie* --- Written by Margaret Holloway (https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/confirm-fabric-color-code-after-ordering/