Phone cases are (almost) here.

Wow, thank you all so much. We were overwhelmed by the response to last month’s email teasing a new! and exciting! product from Cotton Bureau. As many of you now know, Product X is phone cases. Specifically, a healthy range of beautiful yet durable cases available for iPhones 12 and 13 as well as Galaxy S22. If you are late to the party but still want to help test before the green flag, email us. We’ll do our best to squeeze you in. (If you are still waiting, hang in there! We’re working through the backlog of requests as quickly as we can.)

Let’s cover a few of the most frequently asked questions.

Can I convert an existing t-shirt design into a phone case?

Soon! We’re actively working on the ability to grab the artwork, title, and description from existing products to make porting designs to phone cases easier. That said, we opened up testing before this feature was ready for a specific reason: not every t-shirt design makes sense as a phone case! Still, we know, easier is better, so keep your eyes peeled. One of these days we’ll be slipping it in while you’re not looking.

Why only one background color option?

One of our guiding principles around the ol’ Cotton Bureau HQ is that more isn’t always better. Restriction of choice can be a good thing. However! In this case, we believe at least a little more would go a long way. We’ll be changing the limit posthaste from one color to… more than one color.

Tell me more about these cases.

Not a question! We will answer anyway. There are two case profiles, tough and slim. There are two case finishes, matte and glossy. There are two printing types, in-surface and UV. There are two supported brands, Apple and Samsung. Tough cases are what they sound like. Rugged (but smooth), made of an exterior polycarbonate shell and an interior TPU liner. The tough case (with MagSafe) is my daily driver.

If you’re more into the slim feel, the main difference is the lack of interior liner which results in less bulk (and protection). You get the same printing process on the outside and choice of finishes. There is also a MagSafe variant of the tough case and a clear variant of the slim case. All case styles and phone generations are included automatically when you create a product unless you explicitly exclude them.

Can the MagSafe hold my phone up in the car?

Nope. MagSafe in this context just means you can still use your charging equipment. These aren’t industrial-strength magnets.

What kind of witchcraft is this clear case?

Clear cases come with two pretty big caveats. First, the case material is not the same polycarbonate as the slim and tough cases. It’s more of a rubbery, soft material. It’s not bad, but it might not be to everyone’s taste. Second, the clear cases receive a UV (not in-surface) print. It’s a minor but noticeable difference in quality. That said, it’s the only way to see the color of the phone through the case, so it’s a tradeoff we’re willing to make.

What’s the difference between matte and glossy finish?

The glossy finish is slightly grippier and richer in color than the matte finish. As much as we love a good matte finish, we’ve found that glossy is the way to go with this particular product which is why we chose it as the default. There are certainly occasions that matte is the right move, but give the glossy a try, you might be surprised.

What’s next (for phone cases)?

General release is imminent. We have a short list of features to ship and bugs to squash, then we’re off to the races. We’ll be adding iPhone 14 as close to day one as possible, followed by Galaxy S23 in the spring. Beyond that, we’re expecting a quiet year as we monitor interest and production. If you have any particular requests regarding supported hardware, site features, etc., please let us know! We’re excited about the partnership we have developed with this manufacturer. The print quality, turnaround time, and service are outstanding. We’re expecting a very positive reception from everyone that has a chance to use one of these phone cases.