FAQ

I know, it's like we just met and you have so many questions you want to ask. Maybe you will find your answers below. If your question is not answered here, no worries, e-mail us and we will reply soon.
 

ORDERING, SHIPPING & OTHER POLICIES 

What monetary currency are your prices in?

All product prices on this website are in CAD, the Canadian Dollar. 

Do you charge tax?

For Canadian customers, we collect HST at the rate applicable to your province – this will be done at checkout. For orders from outside Canada, we don’t collect sales tax.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept payment by Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) and PayPal. If your payment has not been received within 48 hours of placing your order, we reserve the right to cancel your order.

What are your shipping fees?

We offer various shipping options you can choose at checkout to suit your needs – Economy (no tracking number), Tracked, and Priority. The amounts for each vary based on the size, shape, and weight of the items ordered. On the checkout screen of your order you will be able to view the shipping amounts specific to your order.

 

How do you ship your products?

Cards, posters, and calendars are placed inside clear protective plastic sleeves, and shipped flat in rigid cardboard envelopes or in an envelope supported with cardboard or chipboard.

Buttons and bottle openers are wrapped in tissue paper and shipped in protective bubble envelopes.

Larger orders that include a combination of products may be shipped in larger protective bubble envelopes, corrugated cardboard boxes, or wrapped up with protective insulation within a parcel. Rest assured, we will pack everything with great care to protect your items. Should your items become damaged in transit due to circumstances beyond our control, please tell us within 30 days of the purchase date and we’ll see what we can do.

We almost always send your entire order in one shipment, however, in the rare situation where your order has to be shipped in multiple packages (for example, due to maximum weight restrictions), we will notify you.

When will I receive my item?

Items are usually shipped from the Greater Toronto Area in Canada within 24 to 48 hours upon receipt of payment. Custom orders may take longer. Our default mail carrier is Canada Post (equivalent to USPS in the US), which typically takes 3-10 days within Canada, 4-14 days to US, and 7-21 days to other countries. Please note that international shipments may experience delays because of customs inspections after leaving Canada. Any additional charges incurred by taxes and duties from your country are your responsibility.

We will notify you when your package has shipped, however, if you selected the Economy Shipping option at checkout, please note that there is no tracking number. If you want a tracking number, please select the Tracked Shipping option at checkout. If you are in a hurry to receive your shipment, please select the Priority Shipping option at checkout but be warned that it is considerably more expensive.

I feel that the item I received is not an identical match to the product photo in your shop. Why is that?

Although we feel that the reproducibility in the design of our products is pretty darn good, our products are handmade and most items are inked by hand, one by one. All handmade items, no matter who the maker, has slight variations from product to product or from product to photograph - they will always be very similar but never identical. The handmade process of making is an organic one and we feel that the slight variations in handmade products make each piece an original work of art to be appreciated even more.

Some reasons for slight variations in the the colour of the item compared with product photographs include:

1. Differences in your computer monitor or mobile device settings.
2. Differences in the batch of card stock purchased at different times that may have been dyed by a different dye lot from the paper mill.
3. Differences in the finish (smooth, matte, glossy, shimmer) of different card stock. For example, the happy engagement card has a shimmer finish which might look different depending on the type of light and angle of light shining on the card.

What is your return policy?

Custom orders are nonrefundable (sorry). For everything else, if you are unhappy with your purchase for whatever reason, or if your item is damaged or lost in the mail, please tell us within 30 days of the purchase date and we will gladly replace, exchange, or refund your item.
 

PROCESS, PRODUCTION & AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCT

Are the chemical structures really correct?

Absolutely!  We are scientists and we pride ourselves on scientific accuracy.  Each idea and concept becomes a design only after rigorous research from peer-reviewed science journal articles, books, and other sources.  This research can take a couple of days for a single-chemical card to a few months for a multi-chemical poster.  Printed on the back of each card is the chemical name and a very brief explanation about the logic and the chemistry, in a way that can be understood by anyone with or without a science background.  Multi-chemical posters include a separate information sheet explaining the chemistry in layman's terms.  If you want a more thorough explanation or want to talk science with us, we'd be so happy to chat. 

Do you make every item by hand?

Yes, each and every card, poster, calendar, button and bottle opener is made by hand – from cutting the paper all the way through packaging the finished product.  It is truly a labour of love that comes from our heart.

The chemical structures and text on each product are originally drawn/written by hand, then converted to a digital format for printing. 

For cards, posters, and calendars, larger sheets of card stock are cut down to size. Cards are then hand-folded. For buttons and bottle openers, a two-step hand press button maker is used to construct each item using sturdy metal parts.

What kind of paper do you use?

For cards, posters, and calendars, we use 65 to 110 lb cover or card stock, acid-free and lignin-free, in all the brilliant colours that you see in our photographs, usually with a smooth matte finish. Should the occasion call for it, we may sometimes use vellum paper or card stock with a glossy or shimmer finish (our happy engagement card is a good example). Envelopes are made with FSC certified 24lb paper. For buttons and bottle openers, we use 20 to 24 lb coloured paper.

Why are your cards blank inside?

Our cards are blank inside because we celebrate freedom of expression. Your personalized handwritten message in a card is the most special way to connect with another person. Having a blank interior also makes our cards versatile and practical because the same card might be suitable for more than one occasion.

Are your products found in retail shops?

Yes, our products are available at select retail shops and galleries in North America. Check our list of stockists to see if there is a location near you.

I would like to carry your products in my store. Do you wholesale? What about consignment?

Wholesale - Of course! Let's discuss more by e-mail.  We would love to work with you!

Consignment - No, we do not do consignment. It is just not feasible for our products. 
 

COMMISSIONS & CUSTOM CREATIONS

Do you take commissions or design custom creations?

Yes, depending on what you would like made and our schedule to accommodate special projects. Let’s discuss this here.

Can you change the colour of the card or poster?

Yes, for an additional charge of $0.50 per item, we can change the colour of a card or poster to another colour of your choice from our generous list of colour offerings. If you want to change the colour of a card or poster, please add this customization option to cart and follow all instructions. Please note that for certain colours of card stock, a different colour of ink might be used to draw the chemical structure and write the text, so as to ensure a good aesthetic to the card. For example, we will not use black ink to draw a chemical structure on brown card stock because it will be poorly visible.

Can you change, add, or remove text on the front of a card? What about changing the chemical structure?

Changing text

Yes, for an additional charge of $1.00 per card, we can change the text on the front of a card, as long as the message is not too long or does not deviate too much from the meaning of what the chemical structure represents.

For example, we can change the happy card to say “happy birthday” or “happy graduation” but we cannot change it to say “you’re dynamite” (we already have a you’re dynamite card by the way). For another example, we cannot change the alcohol card to say “coffee” or “banana” or anything unrelated to alcohol. This would render the card inaccurate or meaningless.

If you are unsure, please ask first before placing your order. If you are sure, you can go ahead and change the text in front of a card by adding this customization option to cart and following all instructions.

Changing chemical structure

If you want to change the chemical structure in front of the card, then you are asking about a custom creation that will require further discussion here.

Can you include a printed personalized message inside the card? What about a handwritten message? 

Printed message

Yes, for an additional charge of $1.00 per card, we can include a printed message inside the card. If you want a printed message inside a card, please add this customization option to cart and let us know the exact text of your message in the “Note to the Chemist Tree” box when you checkout your order. Please be sure to check that all spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct as we will print your message exactly as is.  

Handwritten message

No, unfortunately at this time we don’t offer a service of including handwritten messages inside our cards. We encourage you to write your own messages. If you are worried about imperfections in your handwriting, don’t be. We believe that they add character and charm to your handwritten message.

Do you make invitations for weddings or parties?

No, unfortunately at this time we are not taking orders for wedding or party invitations.