Order/Shipping
What is the ordering procedure?
Is my transaction secure?
What is SSL?
What are my choices for shipping?
What do you charge for shipping?
When will I be notified of the shipping costs?
How long before I receive my order?
What forms of payment do you accept?
What is the return policy?

Products
What if I don't want a custom design, do you sell your own designs?
What do you mean by assembled?
What do you mean by kits?
Do you sell just tiles?
 

Installation/Maintenance
Can I use this type of tile for......?
How can I maintain my mosaic?
How do I install my mosaic once I receive it?
 
 

Design
Q:How does it work?
A:YourMosaic offers the facilities to design your own mosaics based on digital images. We can then manufacture your design. To start your design, CLICK HERE.  YourMosaic.com will automatically generate a sketch of the finished mosaic product as well as pricing information.. We also offer some popular designs. To view them, CLICK HERE. Finally, we sell  the same tiles used to build the mosaics, by the square foot.  To view these tiles, CLICK HERE. You may order these mosaics assembled or in a  kit.  Both assembled and kit mosaics are built using 3/4" x 3/4" vitreous tiles.

Q:How can I create my own design?
A:YourMosaic needs a JPG digital image to sketch your design. The content of the digital image is entirely up to you. Some of the common choices include photographs, paintings, drawings, logos, etc. The source of the image may be from a scanner, a digital camera, or digitally created (i.e.: a graphic or drawing program). At this moment, YourMosaic.com can only process JPG images. The good news is that most graphic programs allow you to save your images in JPG format. There is a good chance that in your computer you already have one of these programs. If you do not have a graphic program to create or convert a JPG image, you can find a wide variety of programs HERE (multimedia & design). Some of these programs are free or shareware. Once you have chosen a design, CLICK HERE to submit it and automatically view a sketch of the final product.

Q:Will there be a charge for experimenting with different designs?
A:There is no charge for experimenting with your pictures or designs, however our system will remove any inactive design every two hours unless an order is placed. YourMosaic encourages you to experiment as much as you want. We would like you to be 100% satisfied with your design before placing an order. To view some tricks that may enhance your design, CLICK HERE.

Q:What is the difference between aliasing and non aliasing?
A:When you submit your design to YourMosaic.com,  you are asked to select whether you want the image to be aliased or not. When the sketch is being created, if aliasing is selected, the system averages the colors in the vicinity. This provides for smoother changes in color in the final result. As a rule of thumb, aliasing works best for pictures with soft edges, like photographs. Non aliasing works best in images with sharp edges, like modern paintings. To view an example of the difference between alias and non alias sketches, CLICK HERE.

Q:How can I improve the result of my design?
A:There are several ways to improve your design. These improvements must be done using your graphic program and then resubmit the image to YourMosaic.com to view the improved sketch.

1. Images scanned or digitally photographed have a tendency of lacking contrast. We suggest that you increase the contrast of the image. In most cases, this results in more vivid mosaics.
2. If the mosaic sketch appears pale, increasing the saturation of the original image, may give better results.
3. If the design does not show the desired detail, increasing the size of the mosaic will greatly improve detail and sharpness.
4. The final sketch will have the same features as the original image. If a portion of the image is not wanted, we suggest that you use your graphic program to clip that part out.
5. If the sketch is not sharp, you may try to resubmit your original image with the aliasing box turned off.
6. If the image has too many speckles, you may try to turn on the aliasing box.
7. Our mosaic tiles are glassy and have deep, rich colors that are not easily conveyed by the sketch given. In general, the resulting mosaic has a more rich appearance than the generated sketch. We recommend that you order a sampler set of tiles for a better understanding. To view the tiles or order a sampler set, CLICK HERE.

Q:What if my design doesn't come out like I want?
A:As a last resort, if you are not able to obtain a sketch that is to your liking, you may
CONTACT US. Please provide us with all the details.
 

Order/Shipping

Q:What is the ordering procedure?
A:The ordering procedure includes the following steps:

1. Design your own mosaic or choose one of our designs.
2. Select whether you want the mosaic to come assembled or in kit form.
3. Through our secure order form, enter your payment and shipping information.
4. YourMosaic contacts you to verify that shipping charges as well as delivery time are to your satisfaction.
5. YourMosaic prepares your order.
6. YourMosaic delivers your order upon completion.

Q:What is SSL?
A:SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. This protocol, designed by Netscape Communications Corp., is used to send encrypted HTTP (Web) transactions.  Seeing "https" in the URL box on your browser means SSL is being used to encrypt data as it travels from your browser to the server. This helps protect sensitive information such as credit card numbers, bank account balances, and personal information as it is sent.

Q:What are my choices for shipping?
A:You have your choice of USPS (U.S. Postal Service), UPS, Federal Express, and DHL for international orders. We may also accommodate customers' requests for specific carriers. No C.O.D. accepted.

Q:What do you charge for shipping?
A: YourMosaic will charge for shipping and packaging at cost. However, we request that all shipments be insured.

Q:When will I be notified of the shipping costs?
A: After an order is placed, you will be informed of the total cost and delivery time. If for any reason this is not to your satisfaction, the order can be canceled at that time at no charge to you. If you would like to verify shipping costs to your address, each square foot of tile weighs about 2 lbs, we are located in Germantown, MD 20875.

Q:How long before I receive my order?
A:Building mosaics is labor intensive, therefore, the delivery time may depend on the size and complexity of the design. In general, YourMosaic assembles custom designs within four weeks. A more exact estimation of expected delivery will be indicated together with your shipment information. If the delivery time is not to your satisfaction, the order can be canceled at that time without any charge to you.

Q:What forms of payment do you accept?
A:We accept Visa, Mastercard, Money Order, and Cashiers/Personal checks. YourMosaic will start preparation of your order as soon as payment is received and cleared.

Q:What is the return policy?
A:Once your order has been submitted, YourMosaic will contact you to verify shipping costs and expected delivery time. You will be requested to confirm your order and if at that time you decide to cancel, no charge will be incurred. If you decide to cancel the order after confirmation, a 50% restocking fee will be charged. Upon receipt of the mosaic, you have seven days to return the mosaic for a 50% refund. To receive this refund, the mosaic must be returned in original condition and packaging. Shipping paid by you. We will not accept returns after the seven days.  Building mosaics is very labor intensive, this explains our high restocking fee.  We highly encourage you to experiment with your design as many times as you wish and to make sure all your questions are answered.

Products
Q:What if I don't want a custom design, do you sell your own designs?
A:We sell a variety of mosaics, either assembled or in kits. To view these designs, CLICK HERE. Even though the sketches of these designs are shown for a particular size and price, we can customize the mosaics to your size requirements.

Q:What do you mean by assembled?
A:An assembled mosaic is delivered in square foot paper sheets. On these paper sheets, we have glued with water soluble glue, the tiles forming your mosaic design. If your desired mosaic is larger than a square foot, these paper sheets will be clearly numbered so that the installation can be easily accomplished. The tiles are placed face down on paper sheets with enough space for grouting. YourMosaic does not supply the mastic necessary for installation. The assembled mosaics use 3/4" x 3/4" sq. vitreous tiles.

Q:What do you mean by kits?
A:When you order a kit, you will receive a set of sealed plastic bags. Each bag will contain the exact number of tiles of a color needed for the completion of your designed mosaic. You will receive one bag for each color in your design. You will also receive a customized set of  instructions that will show you the exact placement of each one of the tiles. Please be aware that assembling a mosaic is a time consuming project.  YourMosaic does not supply any materials needed for aligning, gluing, and installing the tiles. Building a kit can be a challenging and enjoyable activity similar to jigsaw puzzles, with the benefit that instructions are included. The final results of assembling the kit are meant to be installed on walls, floors, swimming pools, etc.
 

Q:Do you sell just tiles?
A:Yes, we also sell the tiles used for building the mosaics.  We require a minimum order of one square foot per color.  We also have sampler packages that include a variety of colors. CLICK HERE to view the tiles.
 

Installation/Maintenance
Q:Can I use this type of tile for......?
A:The tiles used by YourMosaic are vitreous 3/4" x 3/4" square tiles. They are not only attractive, but also durable and functional. Ideal places for the home are in kitchens, bathrooms, gardens, and swimming pools.  For the business place, mosaics can be placed in schools, health clubs, restaurants, and even used as storefront advertising signs. The possibilities are endless!

Q:How can I maintain my mosaic?
A:Because these mosaics are vitreous, they are easy to maintain and keep clean. Cleaning methods for these mosaics are the same for any ceramic tile. YourMosaic does not guarantee the tiles.
 

Q:How do I install my mosaic once I receive it?
A:Assembled mosaics are installed in the same fashion as ceramic tile. Depending on the application, different mastics are recommended.  The delivered product can be installed by any knowledgeable tile installer or anyone handy in home improvement.