Frequently Asked Questions

Our site is built with the latest HTML 5 technology, and although we’ve made every effort to make it backwards-compatible, you may need to upgrade your browser to get the optimum experience (you should anyway!). We recommend either Firefox, Safari, or Chrome.

It’s easy. If you go to the “log in” area, you’ll see a “I forgot my password” and a “I forgot my username” link. If for some reason that doesn’t work, contact us at support@thumbtackpress.com and we’ll look it up for you.

You might have JavaScript and/or cookies turned off. You must enable JavaScript and cookies in order to properly use the site and the shopping cart.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and PayPal.

For orders shipped to Illinois, we collect Illinois State Sales Tax, 8.5% of the order, before shipping is calculated.

Yes, and they’re easy to use. Please go to http://www.thumbtackpress.com/giftcards/new to order yours today.

No, we don’t provide our prints wholesale.

Yes, you can resell your print just as you can resell a book you own. But also like a book, you cannot make copies of it and sell the copies.

No, the copyright belongs to the artists, and you may not re-purpose them for other objects. Please, just hang the art on your wall and enjoy it like it was meant to be viewed!

We sure do. Our newsletter has Thumbtack Press news, special discounts, and offers.

There are many places on our website where you can sign up to receive the newsletter from us. It’s a great way to be reminded of the newest offerings on Thumbtack Press and we’d love for you to subscribe. Please be assured that your email address, and any of your personal information for that matter, will never be shared with any third party whatsoever.

Yes, you can follow us on Twitter at @thumbtackpress and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ThumbtackPressArt.

We don't know, but as the late great cartoonist B. Kliban once said, bring a sandwich and a change of clothes.

A print is a reproduction of an original work of art. Our artists, using our guidelines for quality and resolution, provide us with the best possible images for reproduction.

Thumbtack Press’ gicleé prints are output on 8-color Epson 9600 ink jet printers and are created using the best archival-quality inks available, and printed on high quality fine art paper. Our gicleé process produces superbly detailed prints of fine art.

Our prints are packed and shipped by professionals and come in sturdy tubes or boxes, depending on the size of the print and whether or not it’s framed. Prints are shipped flat up to 24 x 24 inches. Bigger prints ship in a tube. Each print is also wrapped in a poly bag.

Tips for care and display:
• Avoid hanging art where it can receive direct sunlight
• Lay art flat for a couple of days before framing
• Mat the prints---this keeps the prints from touching the glass. Mat with acid-free board (our mats are acid-free)
• Clean frames with ammonia-free cleaner
• Avoid touching the prints, even if your hands are clean. They still have oil on them

Gicleé (pronounced G-clay)— "to spray" in French—is a highly sophisticated inkjet printing process. This is not the same thing as your printer at home.

Probably not but very very close. Because of the differences between “real life” and computer monitors, prints don’t always look the same.

While the printing process is often identical, open edition art is not limited to a certain pre-set quantity, nor are they typically signed and numbered by the artist. Limited edition prints are printed in a certain set quantity, typically 25 to 100 prints and often printed on more exotic and specialized papers. They are nearly always individually signed and numbered by the artist.

We offer as an option “stretched canvas prints” that have the image printed on the canvas, then stretched over a wooden frame. It makes the image look as though it were painted on canvas. Most people can’t tell the difference between a stretched canvas print and an original unless they inspect it very closely.

The artists receive a royalty for each print we sell.

Thumbtack Press is a 100% curated site and will never deviate from that. If you want images of Michael Jordan, prints of Picasso, or pictures of cute kittens hanging from trees, you’ve definitely come to the wrong place. We scour the globe for the best in unique and contemporary art from the world’s most compelling artists. We’re proud of our mix of artists and their art and we feel it’s among the top collections anywhere in the world.

It’s simple—just use the “log in” link at the top (header) of any of the pages of our site, or use this to log in now.

An account provides you with all the social and community features of our site, plus the flexibility to be able to ship to multiple shipping addresses, and everything but your credit card information will be stored so you don’t have to re-enter it. For security, we ask that you re-enter your credit card information on each visit.

No, but it’s a better experience if you do. We promise.

Thumbtack Press has a neat feature where you can preview any piece of art on our site on a “wall”. We've provided different wall templates that you can use to visualize the art you're thinking about buying, or even better, any of YOUR own walls in your home or apartment. All you need to do is take a photo and upload that image to the site. Here you can see the art, framed and matted just the way you would like it, see how it looks with the furniture in your bedroom, living room, etc. Neat, huh?

We are based in the United States – Chicago to be exact - and yes, we ship internationally – pretty much anywhere in the world.

No, sorry. A downside to existing in the virtual world.

About a week.

Most orders are shipped within 4-5 business days.

We offer an expedited shipping service, both overnight, and 2-day. However, with regard to producing your order quicker, because it takes time to actually custom-build a picture frame and each one is custom-built to order, we are limited with how much faster we can turn around an order. Most orders are completed and shipped in 4-5 business days.

International delivery times vary widely, depending on where you are located, however on average, they typically arrive within 10-14 business days, regardless of the shipping method used. Tracking is available when you use USPS Global Express EMS and FedEx International Economy. USPS Parcel Post-Air does not offer tracking.

Please keep in mind that you are responsible for all taxes, duties and tariffs that may be imposed by your government.

As rates vary widely depending on where a shipment is to go to, we ship via FedEx, UPS and the US Postal Service, depending on which is the most economical. Regardless of how we ship, we will always provide you with tracking information in case you want to find out the status of your shipment.

Prints are either shipped flat (up to 24 x 24 inches) or in a tube.

The maximum size of a framed print for an international order is 35 “combined inches.” Combined inches means the measurements of each dimension of the frame. For example, a 10 x 20 inch frame is 30 combined inches.

After the order is shipped, we provide tracking numbers so you can see the progress of your shipment.

If we ship to a location outside the United States, you are responsible for taxes and duties that country may charge.

If for any reason* you are not satisfied with the product(s) you purchased from Thumbtack Press you can return the item(s) in its original condition for a refund or exchange within 30 days of the date of purchase. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our return policy or procedure, please don't hesitate to contact us at returns@thumbtackpress.com

To return a print - or print/frame combination - follow our two-step process:

1. Send an email to returns@thumbtackpress.com and let us know that you would like to return the print(s). Please add your order number and the reason for the return so that we can better serve you in the future.

2. Place the items you would like to return, with all the original packaging in the box (including all certificates) and address it to:

Returns
Thumbtack Press
600 West Chicago Avenue
Suite 725
Chicago IL 60654

Once your return is received, it will be inspected. Any unauthorized or improper packages will be returned to sender.

Thumbtack Press is not responsible for loss or damage of return shipments.

*Shipping costs can only reimbursed for damaged merchandise.

Orders to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam & Canada are shipped First Class by US Postal Service or FedEx.

Please see our Sell on Thumbtack page.

We think Thumbtack Press is a great way to start an art collection. We offer unique art printed with care from artists around the world—all at affordable prices.

We encourage you to fill your collection with pieces you really love—colors, styles, subjects—and go from there. Art in your home or office should make a statement about who you are. Usually, selecting a variety of art—different colors, media, themes, styles—will bring the greatest satisfaction and the most impact when hanging on a wall in your home or office.

You should collect art because you love art—collecting art as a financial investment carries a great deal of risk.