How long will it take to make my order?

All items are hand-made and unique. Time differ epending on the product, for example, our kiln fired low relief border tiles and tubelined art nouveau tiles take up to two to three weeks. This is because we make these to order, press the designs in mould, which then need up to a week or more to dry before bisque firing, then glazing, then glaze fired.

 

How long does it take to make the sublimated tiles?

These tiles are much quicker. We can produce these in a couple of days, depending on how big the order is and how busy our workshop is, but usually we can dispatch these within 3 - 4 days.

 

How do I pay for my order?

When you are at checkout, the payment options will appear, such as bank debit card or Paypal.

 

How many customers do you deal with?

We have provided our services to a couple of thousand satisfied customers over the past couple of years. We have new products in our online shop, so we always have new customers coming to have a look.

 

How long have you been in business?

We have been up and running for approx four years and growing each year.

 

Who owns the company?

Atomic Design Studio is part of Atomic Enterprises Ltd and owned by Gary, a former television camera operator. After many years in broadcasting, he returned to his first love…making stuff with clay. He enjoys learning many of the old methods of tile making as well as utilising modern technology. Making plaster moulds still requires craft and patience, but producing sublimated tiles is fast and cheaper. Whilst these do not have the same feel and durability as kiln f.ired tiles, they are good for customers on tight budgets and deadlines. Alongside Gary is his wife Jane. She helps with sublimated items and bookkeeping. Son Riley also gets involved with packaging, printing and keeping the workshop clean and tidy.

 

Where are you based? Can I visit?

We are in the Buckinghamshire countryside, with beautiful views of the Chilterns. Unfortunately we are not able to accept visitors due to insurance constraints. 

 

Do you ship your tiles worldwide?

We ship to most main continents, except for the USA, due to the recent changes in tariffs and the removal  of the deminimus rule, which can add considerable costs to our customers, which is outside our control. The knock-on effect is dissatisfied customers (not in the product but in the charges). We may resume shipping to the USA if things change.

 

Can I get a sample tile?

Yes, just order one of your chosen designs.

 

What are heat set tiles?

Heat set tiles are glazed tiles, coated with a polymer coating which, when heat pressed with a sublimation ink print, allows the printed image to infuse into the polymer coating. This gives a solid gloss finish, but the tile coating can be scratched and can fade over several years of exposure to UV light (sunlight). We coat the finished product with UV wax protection and suggest you maintain your tiles with such products on a regular basis.

 

Why does postage cost so much?

Very simple, that is what the postal companies charge us. We try to ensure our costs are reasonable, but heavy fragile items are expensive to send by post, so unfortunately we have no option but to charge you at cost.

 

What happens if my item(s) arrive smashed?

We pack our products as best we can to avoid damage in transit. However, occasionally items do get broken enroute to customers. In the first instance, please email us with pictures of the damaged items. We will aim to replace them as soon as possible, but we do need a video sent to us for insurance purposes. If the order is a special design/colour, we may not be able to match the first batch. In this case we may ask you to return all the order (we will pay return postage) and we will make you a new batch, which when fired at the same time, will all match. Due to fraud using AI, we must insist on a video only of the broken items, with your hand in the video (this makes it hard for AI generated fraud). The insurer also requires this from us.

 

IMPORTANT: There is no return or refunds for tile murals or bespoke designs provided by you. You can order one tile to check quality and finish before committing to a larger order. NO returns or refunds will be accepted for these items.

If you have an issue with your order, please contact us to allow us the opportunity to resolve the issue, before leaving feedback.

If ordering from abroad, please be aware there may be an additional charge by the courier for import duties. This is not something we can deal with as it is out of our hands and down to the rules of the import country and local tax authorities.