FAQ
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1. Ordering and payment
Yes. Schools and organisations can request a free material sample before ordering. The sample shows the feel, thickness, finish and approximate print quality of the mat material.
To request a sample, please email us with your name, school or organisation, postal address, and the product you are interested in.
Please email us with the mat you are interested in, your school or organisation name, delivery postcode, and whether you would prefer to pay by invoice, purchase order or card. We will confirm the price, expected delivery timescale and next steps before the order is placed.
Yes. Schools and other educational organisations can pay by invoice. Please send the school or organisation name, billing address, delivery address and any purchase order number required by your finance team. Unless agreed otherwise in writing, printing and dispatch begin once payment has been received.
Yes. We accept card payment using a secure payment link. We will send payment details once the order, delivery address and final price have been confirmed.
We are not currently VAT registered, so VAT is not added to our prices. Prices include UK delivery where applicable.
Yes. If your school or organisation needs to raise a purchase order, please send the purchase order number and any required billing details before the invoice is issued.
2. Delivery and lead times
Most mats are printed to order. Standard UK production and delivery is usually expected to take around 10–14 working days from receipt of payment. Once payment has been received, we will send you confirmation and begin the print process.
The mat is delivered by courier, usually direct from our print supplier. Delivery will normally be to the address supplied when the order is confirmed. The mat is delivered rolled to help protect the printed surface and avoid permanent creases.
At present, standard ordering is for UK delivery. If you are outside the UK, please contact us before ordering so that we can check whether delivery is possible and confirm any additional cost.
We will let you know if we become aware of a significant delay. As the mats are printed to order and delivered by courier, occasional delays can happen, especially during busy periods. If you need the mat for a particular event or teaching date, please tell us before ordering.
Delivery is usually by courier, often UPS, DPD or DHL.
3. Returns, faults and damaged delivery
Mats are printed to order and are not normally returnable unless they arrive damaged, have a confirmed fault, or the wrong item has been supplied. Please check the product details carefully before ordering and contact us promptly if there is a problem with your order.
Please check the product details carefully before payment. Once payment has been received, the order will normally enter the print process and changes or cancellations may not be possible. Because mats are printed to order and are large items to return and store, we do not normally accept returns where the wrong item has been ordered.
If a return is needed because the mat is faulty, damaged in transit, or the wrong item has been supplied, we will advise on the return process and cover reasonable return delivery costs.
Because mats are printed to order and are large items to return and store, we do not normally accept returns for change of mind or customer ordering errors. If a return is agreed for any other reason, the customer will usually be responsible for suitable repacking and return delivery costs.
Please do not return a mat without contacting us first.
4. Care, cleaning and storage
The mat can usually be wiped clean with a soft damp cloth. For heavier marks, use mild soapy water and avoid harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners or rough scrubbing, as these may damage the printed surface.
The material is waterproof and suitable for indoor and outdoor use. However, for school use we recommend using the mat on a clean, dry, reasonably smooth surface and bringing it back indoors after use. Do not leave it outside permanently or use it in high winds, heavy rain, mud or standing water.
Store the mat rolled rather than folded, ideally in its original tube or suitable protective packaging. Keep it in a dry indoor space away from excessive heat, sharp objects and heavy items that could crease or damage it.
When the mat first arrives, carefully unroll it on a clean, dry surface and allow it time to relax and flatten. If the edges curl slightly at first, this should improve after it has been left unrolled for a period of time.
If needed, the edges may be secured with suitable low-tack removable tape, but this should be tested first on both the floor surface and a small area of the mat. Schools and organisations should follow their own site safety procedures and avoid any tape that could leave residue or damage the surface.
We recommend that children do not walk on the mat. It is designed as a large visual learning resource rather than a walk-on floor covering. Sitting, kneeling or standing around the mat will help reduce slipping risks and protect the printed surface from dents, grit, shoes or uneven flooring.
5. Materials, safety and durability
The mat is printed on durable 510 gsm PVC. This is a sturdy, waterproof material commonly used for large-format printed banners and display graphics.
The material is durable and reusable, and is suitable for supervised educational use in schools, museums and learning spaces. However, it should be treated as a large printed learning resource rather than playground equipment or a permanent floor covering.
The PVC material is waterproof. If the mat gets wet, it should be thoroughly dried before being rolled up or stored to help prevent mildew. Other liquid spills should be cleaned with warm, slightly soapy water before being rinsed in clean water and dried.
The mats do not have a slip-resistance rating. They should be used on a clean, dry, reasonably smooth surface, and children should be encouraged to sit, kneel or stand around the mat rather than walk across it or stand on it. Schools and organisations should follow their own site safety procedures when using the mat.
The 510 gsm PVC material is described by the supplier as B1 certified, meaning it is classed as fire-retardant / difficult to ignite under the relevant test standard. B1 materials have a lower tendency to catch fire or spread flame than normally flammable materials, but they are not non-combustible.
If your school, museum or organisation requires formal fire-rating documentation for approval, please contact us before ordering so that we can check what certificate or supplier documentation is available.
The mat is printed using a UV-print process on 510 gsm PVC. It is intended for normal supervised educational use. It is not intended for food contact.
The mat should be used on a clean, dry, reasonably smooth surface. Avoid rough, gritty, uneven or wet surfaces, as these may increase slipping risk or damage the underside or printed surface. If using tape to hold the edges down, test it first and follow your organisation’s own site safety procedures.
6. Product-specific questions
All world maps involve compromise, because the curved surface of the Earth cannot be shown as a flat rectangle without some distortion of size, shape, distance or direction.
This map uses a familiar classroom world-map format because it allows pupils to see countries, continents, oceans, latitude and longitude, time zones and other features together in one clear resource. It is intended as a practical teaching map and a starting point for discussion, rather than a perfect representation of the globe.
Time zones do not follow longitude lines perfectly. They are shaped by borders, governments, geography and local decisions. The map introduces the broad relationship between longitude, the Earth’s rotation, daylight and world time, while leaving the more complex real-world exceptions for later discussion.
The map is designed to show the countries of the world as clearly as possible at classroom scale. Very small countries, islands and territories may be difficult to show or label because of the limits of scale and legibility.
The aim is to provide a clear educational overview of the world, rather than a fully detailed atlas.
The countries are coloured in broad continent-based groups to help children recognise global patterns more easily. This makes it simpler to identify continents, compare neighbouring countries and see how individual countries relate to wider regions.
The colours are a teaching aid, not a political statement about borders, alliances or national identity.
7. Custom orders and future products
Custom versions may be possible, depending on the subject, size, design work required and likely print cost. Please contact us with details of what you have in mind and we will let you know whether it is practical.
Yes, we are open to discussing commissioned designs for schools, museums and learning organisations, particularly where the idea would work well as a large-scale educational resource. Commissioned designs would need to be discussed individually, including the subject, size, design work, timescale, cost and rights to use the finished artwork.
Yes. Suggestions for future large-scale educational resources are welcome, especially from teachers and learning organisations. We cannot promise to develop every idea, but feedback from users is very helpful.
8. Contact and support
Please email us if you have a question before ordering. It is helpful if you include the product you are interested in, your school or organisation name, delivery postcode, and any particular question about ordering, delivery, payment or use.
If there is a problem with your order, please email us as soon as possible with your name, organisation, order details and a clear description of the issue. If the problem concerns delivery damage, a fault or a printing issue, please include photographs where possible so that we can review it properly.
We normally provide support by email rather than by phone. This helps us keep clear records of orders, delivery details and any issues that need to be checked with the print supplier. If a matter is urgent or difficult to resolve by email, we can arrange a call where appropriate.