--- title: "Cushion Fabric Samples and Close-Up Photos Before You Order" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-samples-close-up-photos-before-ordering/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/" published: "2026-05-19" updated: "2026-09-24" keywords: "cushion fabric samples, fabric close-up photos, cushion fabric swatches, fabric color code, piping color pairing" --- # Can I see close-ups or samples of the fabric before I order? *A listing photo shows a room at its most flattering hour. Before you commit, meet the cloth itself: its grain, its sheen, its weight in your palm.* Also asked as: Do you have close-ups of these fabrics?; Pictures without staging or styling, please. > **The quick answer:** Yes: close-ups and real-life photos of specific fabric codes and color pairings are sent on request, and samples from the fabric-samples listing are the recommended way to judge texture in hand. The workshop can also confirm whether a textured fabric in a listing photo is the same cloth in another color. Unstyled customer photos aren't always available. ![Overhead view of an ash bench with backrest and caramel bouclé cushion, cream and rust pillows, tulips and a cinnamon bun](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/caramel-boucle-bench-cushion-glass-breakfast-corner-1600.webp "From above, the caramel cushion matches the faded rug and even the cinnamon bun, a breakfast palette in three textures.") ## Key facts - Close-ups and real-life photos of specific fabric codes are sent on request. - Requested color pairings are photographed together, such as off-white 910 with wine-red 936 piping. - The workshop confirms whether a listing's textured fabric is the same cloth in another color. - Samples from the fabric-samples listing are recommended for judging texture in hand. - Unstyled customer photos aren't always available. ## Ask for these before any fabric is cut - ✓ A close-up of each fabric code on your shortlist. - ✓ A photo of your exact pairing, body color and piping side by side, like off-white 910 with wine-red 936. - ✓ A yes or no on whether the texture in a listing photo is the same fabric in your color. - ✓ Samples in hand whenever texture matters more than color. - ✓ Your top two codes written down, so every photo answers one clear question. ## Off-white 910, wine-red 936, and a question about coarseness A buyer messaged the workshop wanting a sturdy, textured cloth, something that wouldn't wrinkle the way linen does. She had chosen off-white 910 with wine-red 936 piping and asked whether those colors carried the same coarse feel she saw in a listing photo. The workshop photographed her two colors together and confirmed that the textured fabric in that photo was the same cloth in another color. Then came the honest part: to judge texture, buy samples first and hold them. ## Why a close-up is not the end of the story A close-up tells you color and weave. It can't tell you how the cloth answers your fingers, and that is what you sit on. Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does. So I ask for the photo, then I ask for the sample. Read [fabric swatches before ordering](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/) and [screen color versus daylight](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/) before you decide, my friends. If wrinkles worry you, [real linen versus linen-look](https://cushionguide.com/guides/real-linen-vs-linen-look-cushion-fabric/) explains the difference. Keep your [fabric code](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#fabric-code) handy when you write. Which color are you holding up against your wall right now? ## What a photo can't promise - ✗ Hand feel: coarseness and softness only show up in your fingers. - ✗ An unstyled customer photo on demand: those aren't always on hand. - ✗ Your room's light: a screen shifts color, so check a sample by a window. > **Tailor's margin:** Ask for the body color and piping photographed together, like off-white 910 beside wine-red 936, before any cushion fabric is cut. > If texture matters, order fabric samples first: a close-up photo shows color, but only cloth in your hand shows the coarseness you'll sit on. > > — Élodie Marchand ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Can I see real, unstaged photos or close-ups before I buy? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. Close-ups of specific fabrics and colors and real-life photos are sent on request. Unstyled customer photos weren't always on hand, and the workshop offered to send them once new orders were made. **A common question:** How do I tell which fabric a color code belongs to? **The workshop's answer:** By the prefix: L is linen, K acrylic-linen, N cotton stripes, 100s velvet, 900s soft fabric, COR corduroy, M or T outdoor, DRM duck canvas, and codes starting 0- are bouclé. Two palettes of one fabric are identical. **A common question:** Are the cushion fabrics polyester, cotton or linen? **The workshop's answer:** Mostly polyester or polyester blends for durability and easy cleaning: velvet, soft fabric, linen-look and corduroy. Natural options are the 100% cotton stripes, linen-cotton blends, and separate 100% cotton and 100% linen charts. All wash at 86°F (30°C). **A common question:** Is everything a plain color, or are there patterns? **The workshop's answer:** Mostly plain, but stripes, oriental designs, plaid and tartan, patterned velvets and animal prints sit on extra charts at no extra cost. ## Questions buyers ask next ### Should I trust the fabric color on my phone screen? Use it as a first look only. Screens shift color, so ask for a real-life photo of your code, then check a sample in daylight next to the floor, wall or sofa it has to live with. ### Can two colors be photographed together, body and piping? Yes. Requested pairings are photographed side by side, such as off-white 910 with wine-red 936 piping, so you see how the two sit together before the fabric is cut. ### What should I check when a fabric sample arrives? Texture first: coarseness, softness and how the weave feels under your palm. Then hold it beside the room's fixed pieces, such as the floor or the sofa, by a window rather than under a lamp. ## Related at the atelier - [Are fabric samples free, or do I have to pay for them?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/are-fabric-samples-free-sample-fee/): The fabric swatches themselves cost nothing; you pay one small flat fee that covers shipping, charged per sample order rather than per swatch. - [If I send a photo, can you tell me which of your colors matches best?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/match-cushion-color-from-photo/): Yes, a cushion color can be matched from a photo: send a picture of the color you want, your sofa or your room, and the workshop compares it with its fabric charts, names the closest codes, checks… - [How big are the fabric swatches, and can I get bigger ones?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-swatch-size-bigger-swatches/): Standard fabric swatches are small, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in (3-4 cm) square, enough to judge true color, weave and texture. - [How to order fabric swatches that actually settle the decision](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/): Order cushion fabric swatches by shortlisting up to 5 fabric codes, including the piping colors you are weighing, and writing every code in the note of a single sample order. - [Navy Floral Window Seat Cushion, Up Close: How the Edge Ages](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-floral-cushion-piped-box-edge-closeup/): A printed window seat cushion with self piping ages more gracefully than a solid one with a contrast cord, because the covered edge and the busy floral hide the small marks daily life leaves. - [Bench Cushion Color Pairs: Five Piped Linen-Look Cushions](https://cushionguide.com/readings/five-piped-box-cushions-stacked-color-pairs/): To choose piping for a custom bench cushion, borrow the piping color from something already in the room, then judge the pair from across the room in daylight. - [What to write in a custom cushion order note: sizes, codes and extras](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-personalization-note/) *With color and care — Élodie* --- Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) 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/fabric-samples-close-up-photos-before-ordering/