Guides for people who order glass lamp shades
Practical notes from the factory floor: how custom orders work, what to specify and what to avoid.
All guides
Acid-Etched, Sandblasted or Opal: Choosing a Frosted Finish for a Glass Shade
How acid etching, sandblasting and opal glass differ in touch, cleaning and light.
What Is Murano Glass, and What Does "Murano-Style" Mean?
What the Murano mark certifies, and how to describe hand-blown shades made elsewhere.
Smoked and Grey Glass Pendant Shades: What Is Possible
How grey is made, how it changes the light, and what to send to match a tone.
Amber Glass Lamp Shades: Light Amber or Deep Amber?
Light or deep amber, how the tint changes the light, and how to specify a match.
How to Tell If a Glass Lamp Shade Is Hand-Blown
What to compare across a set, what bubbles mean, and what to ask the factory.
How to Check Glass Lamp Shades Before They Ship: A Buyer's Inspection Guide
What to agree, how sampling works and what an inspector should measure.
Fluted, Ribbed and Textured Glass Pendant Shades: Styles and How They Are Made
How optic molds make ribs and flutes, and how to choose a molded or hand-blown pattern.
How to Specify a Custom Glass Lamp Shade: Measurements and Drawing
The three numbers, the tolerance and the holder a factory needs to quote.
E26 vs E27: Bulb Bases and Lamp Holders for Glass Shades
Base size, voltage and what to send so the opening fits your holder.
Soda-Lime vs Borosilicate Glass for Lamp Shades: What Buyers Need to Know
Thermal shock, bulb heat and cost compared, and what our soda-lime shades mean for you.
Clear, Tinted or Milk Glass: Choosing the Glass for a Lamp Shade
Clear, tinted or milk: how each looks lit and what to send to match a color.
Mold, Sample and Shipping Costs: Who Pays What
Fees, how long we keep a mold, and what happens to transit breakage.
What Sets the Price of Custom Glass Lamp Shades
Why we quote from your drawing, and what to send for a fast quote.
Hand-Blown vs Mold-Blown Glass Lamp Shades: How to Choose
Size, consistency, mold cost and time, side by side.
How to Order Custom Glass Lamp Shades from China: What to Decide First
From first drawing to shipment: timing, samples, payment and shipping.
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