Frequently Asked Questions

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

The vast majority of our Mask designs are digital products that you download and print for yourself. Mask templates and instructions are supplied as an instant download that you print at home. You build the Masks from whatever material you choose. Cardboard of about 300gsm - the thickness of a 'branded' cereal box - is our first choice because it's easy to crease, score and fold.

If you bought a book, a lamp or some jewellery then your order will be shipped at our earliest possible opportunity.

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.

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.

I’m based in the UK 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.

To use your voucher just shop on our website as normal. Once you’ve chosen your goods, proceed through to the checkout where you’ll see a box to enter your voucher code before you checkout.

No problem. When you input your voucher code the site automatically deducts the value of your gift voucher leaving a balance due which you can pay using any of the usual methods.

Any problems processing your voucher, get straight in touch using this link: info@wintercroft.com

All of our masks are designed to comfortably fit an average adult. Steve 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.

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.

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

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.

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 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/

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.

Reclaimed/recycled card - cereal box card tends to be ideal - is the first choice and the most Eco friendly.

I recommend using cardboard that is about the thickness of a 'branded' cereal box - basically you need something that will hold a decent crease. Being able to score and fold it is the most important factor.

If you do want to go out and buy supplies, office supply shops sell card. The minimum weight needs to be around 300gsm (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.

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.

Option 1: 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.

Option 2: 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.

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

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.

If you have other questions regarding building your mask please firstly take a look at this How-To video:

https://wintercroft.com/pages/how-it-works, but also remember that if you do have any major problems we're here to help. Email us here: info@wintercroft.com

It all depends on the shape and style of your specs. And on which mask you choose. The full head masks are pretty spacious. Steve has designed the masks to fit his own head (he is 6’ 5” tall, with a head circumference of 62cmish) so the full head masks are all quite roomy inside. Negotiating the mask on over your glasses might take a a bit of contortionism, but once on it should be fine. Quick rule-of-thumb: If it looks like it might work but you're not sure you can always ask us here: https://wintercroft.com/pages/contact-us

Unfortunately none of our half masks will fit glasses underneath as they all fit too snug to the face. We have had a couple of customers manage to fit glasses on top – you can always cut a notch in the bridge of the nose if needed – but unfortunately we still can’t guarantee how close you will be able to get the glasses to your actual eyes.

On most of the full head masks you can get away with making a couple of small slits at the back of the mask to create a flap if you need more wriggle room to get the masks on. It can be quite difficult to adjust your glasses once they're inside the mask, so making the mask easier to get on can often be a really good move.

If you bought a mask previously then the file PDF should still be stored on the device that you downloaded it to. Though it is the customer's responsibility to keep track of of their own files, if your dog eats your HD or memory stick, simply get in touch and we'll be able to help in most cases.

Lots of people ask about using our masks in their films and videos. Our designs are licensed for private use only so if you want to use one of our masks for any public use you'll need to get our consent. We'd love to hear your ideas - promoting creativity is a quintessential element of our business ethos - so please get in touch and let us know what you have in mind by contacting us here: https://wintercroft.com/pages/contact-us

Yes. Always. Our designs are licensed for private use only, so if you want to use one of our masks for any business use you'll need to talk to us first. If you think your proposal will excite us - and if your business ethics are compatible with ours - then we'd love to hear your idea. Get in touch and start a conversation here: https://wintercroft.com/pages/contact-us

If you live outside mainland Europe we need to arrange a custom delivery for you. We ship directly from our office here in the UK. There is no single standard shipping rate outside of the European Union so we have to treat each book customer uniquely depending on the shipping destination and how many books you want to order. Just email us for more info: info@wintercroft.com

Yes. We send all of our books using Royal Mail. The shipping is charged at cost and is priced by weight. Although the cost of shipping books across the ocean is high, we do offset this cost by including a Voucher for a Free Digital Mask of your choice with EVERY book that you purchase. For specific information on shipping to your country get in touch here: info@wintercroft.com

We send all of our books by Royal Mail using the service that's the most compatible with the destination country. The shipping is charged at cost and is priced by weight.

Outside of Europe transit time is normally anywhere around 5-7 working days, plus any unforeseen customs hold-ups, delays etc. For your information: we have no control over the Goblins in the post!

As soon as you've confirmed by email which books you want to order we'll raise an invoice. This will include an online payment option.

Please email us using the following link. We'll be in touch with you as quickly as we can. info@wintercroft.com

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!

Contact us on info@wintercroft.com and we'll be happy to update your details.