FAQ

PAYMENT

  • I have no credit card. Can I pay with PayPal?

Yes of course. Select the PayPal button at the top of the checkout page and you'll be automatically redirected to the relevant payment portal.

HOW DO I RECEIVE MY PURCHASE

  • Do I get a download or do you ship it to my address?

If you bought a digital product then you get an immediate download that you then print out. Once your payment has cleared successfully you'll get an email to your registered address with a link to your digital download. It couldn't be easier. It's as close to instant access as we've found.

  • Can you instruct me how to do the digital download?

Just click on the link and follow the instructions to download the pdfs to your computer’s hard drive. Make sure you make a note of the folder where the files are being saved to. I usually choose the file folder named ‘downloads’ to keep things really simple. Once the files are saved you can open the pdfs, print the templates onto plain letter paper and start building.

  • Do you sell completed masks?

I’m based in the Latvia and I think that the cost, difficulty and not to mention the environmental impact of shipping a large, fragile object to the US, for example, would be prohibitive.

The original idea was to produce a low impact alternative to shop bought masks. The instructions and templates are designed to be easy to follow, so that the mask can be assembled by anyone, using local materials and removing the need for shipping. Besides it’s very satisfying turning what is waste 2D material into a 3D mask.

PRINTING: QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS/SOLUTIONS

  • So do I need a colour printer for these masks?

No need. The PDF templates are black and white with the idea that you can decorate the mask yourself.

  •  I'm in the US where letter-sized paper is easier to come by than A4. Do any of your plans run right up to the edge, or will I be okay printing on letter? Letter is a bit wider and a bit shorter than A4.

I try to make all the templates FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH BOTH A4 AND US LETTER PAPER. The templates are 1:1 scale and are intended to be printed at ACTUAL SIZE on either A4 paper (210mm X 297mm) or US Letter paper (8½" X 11"). In your printer setting please select the type of paper that you are printing on but DO NOT SCALE THE TEMPLATES TO FIT THE PAPER.

  • I am trying to print out the template and it is between half an inch to an inch different in size. I cannot get the 150mm line to be the size I need it to be. Is there a way to adjust this to fit the way It needs to?

Please check your printer settings.

Usually when you press print you get a dialog box with either print settings or print options. Just check that you are printing at full size and not scaling to fit the paper.

  •  The program won't let me print them without signing up with a program that changes PDFs into other things. I’ve downloaded the masks how do I print them?

The easiest way to open and print the templates is by using Adobe Reader. It is a free PDF Reader from Adobe.

You can download it for free from here: get.adobe.com/uk/reader/

  • Some of the fold lines are missing on the print-out. What should i do?

This is usually caused by the way that your printer driver interprets the data from your PDF reader. It can be caused by an out of date PDF reader or printer driver. It can also happen if you print the PDF directly from your browser rather than downloading and saving the PDF to your hard drive and then printing from the Adobe Reader desktop app.

Please check the following:

Make sure that you have the latest version of Adobe Reader and your printer driver installed.

Download and save the PDF to your hard drive and print from the desktop app rather than your browser.

MASK SIZING

  • Will your masks fit an adult?

All of our masks are designed to comfortably fit an average adult. Robert designed the masks to go on his own head (he is 6’ 5” tall, with a head circumference of 62cm -ish) so if you're a regular-sized human, you should find the full head masks are quite roomy inside.

  • Can I make the mask smaller so that it fits a child?

Yes, you can easily scale down the masks in your printer settings when you print the templates. We found that printing at around 85% of the original size worked well for our 5 year old. Try 90% for a 10 year old? Remember though - no two kids' heads are the same size so be prepared to experiment.

MATERIALS

  • Could you recommend where I could buy "thin card" and "spray mount"? ...I'm a beginner at all of this and I want to buy the right supplies.

Just go out and buy supplies, office supply shops sell card. The minimum weight needs to be around 160gsm (any less is too flimsy).

As for glue - most of the time I use a 'Pritt' stick (or its equivalent) as it is inexpensive and easy to use. Make sure that whichever glue you choose that you pick a non-toxic one.

CONSTRUCTION

  • I'm just reading the instructions for the skull mask and was wondering what does it mean when you "score the valley folds"?

Most masks contain two type of folds, valley and mountain.

Valley folds look like a valley on a flat sheet. Mountain folds look like a raised ridge. By 'score', I mean if you take a rule and line it up with the fold line you can then run something blunt like an old ball point pen along the fold. This weakens the card so that when you make the fold the crease follows the score line.

  • How do you suggest binding the edges together?

Option1 Tabbed

Using the tabs will result in a much more structurally-sound, finished mask. The tabs give the edges more integrity and I find I can be much more meticulous and methodical in both the preparation and the construction. In addition the joins are less likely to leave any visible gaps showing.

Option2 Untabbed

The quickest and easiest way to join the edges is using clear adhesive tape. Any brand is OK, but I like to use invisible tape. This works perfectly well in the short term and if you want a mask in a hurry, but the build quality will be nowhere near as solid as it will be if you use tabbed construction.

  • Do all of the mask templates include tabs?

YES, even our older designs now offer you the option to build with or without using tabs.

  • I can't get edge number 1 to join up with edge number 2

There are always two of each number. As you proceed you’ll notice that the numbers are all in pairs. Just match the pairs. Don’t try and build your mask by following the numbers sequentially – that way leads to madness and the loss of the will to live. Always begin constructing your mask in alphabetical order – start with component A, then component B, component C etc. Make the smaller features – eyes, nose and mouth - first. Following the A,B,C rule will normally lead you to build these parts first. Continue through the alphabet, matching paired numbers until you have finished the mask. Always remember that, as an example, tab/edge 5 joins ONLY to edge 5. Don't worry if you run out of lettered components. By that time the mask should be taking shape and it should be obvious what your next component will be.

  • What if I get really stuck?

If you do have any major problems we're here to help.  Email us here: roberts.balins@gmail.com

CUSTOM MASKS

  • Please can you design me an Iron Man mask?

Producing a mask based on an existing design would require a license from the owner of the design. All designs are unique to their owners and subject to international copyright. It's unlawful and unethical to reproduce anything without the original artist's permission. So, if you own the copyright to a design and you can persuade Steve that your idea is different enough and you've got enough time and he's got enough time and money is no object or your idea is suitably world-changing and worthy, then sure we can make you a custom mask - just probably not Iron Man!