FAQs

If you can’t find what you’re looking for on our website, give us a call. Sometimes having a conversation is better if you’re not quite sure and our experienced team can help you find what you need. We’re in the UK and our exceptional team will be pleased to hear from you.

UK        +44 (0)1225 667979

USA Free Phone 8666 158 187

We can supply umbrellas as quickly as in a week, but more complex umbrellas take for 4-12 weeks to manufacture and supply.

We make umbrellas in different stages, and would depend on the complexity of the umbrella design.
We generally use a standard range of umbrella frames, the umbrella fabric is printed or dyed to requirements and sewn onto the umbrella frames.

If you are in the UK you can purchase a single sample from the following page.
Order Umbrella Sample.
If you want to evaluate a range of samples contact our office and this can be arranged.

We will send out a model of the sample, usually of an umbrella we have manufactured recently, where we might have ordered a few extra to share as samples. We have plenty of different umbrellas in our showroom we can send out to you. Send us an email if you have a specific requirement, and we’ll try and match a sample to your request.

For USA and Ex-UK Clients requiring a sample please email us and we’ll provide instructions.

There are multiple customisation options for umbrellas, so when you request your sample, then let us know if you have an idea of how you would like to personalise it and send your artwork so we can provide a free visual for your approval.

Yes, we ship umbrellas to the USA. We cover duty, taxes and manage the import for you. You place the order, we look after the rest.

Find out more about what’s involved with shipping to the US by reading an overview about this. We take care of it, so you don’t have to.

Shipping umbrellas to the USA varies greatly depending on the origin country, the shipping method (air, sea, courier), and customs clearance times. It can range from a few days to several weeks. We keep you updated. every step of the way.

Costs for shipping umbrellas to the US depend on factors like weight, dimensions, shipping method, and the origin country. You’ll get a quote based on these details. The price we quote, is the price you pay – no hidden charges or taxes. We cover it for you. Find out more here.

We deliver your order to you and handle the export procedure, shipping, US customs clearance, and the payment of all applicable US import duties and taxes, with delivery to your specified address. You don’t worry about a thing, just take delivery of your order. Shipping umbrellas to the USA from UK is simple with us.

A ‘double canopy umbrella’ is ones that has inside panels printed and usually outside panels too.

Our vented umbrellas actually look like they have two canopies, but what a ‘double canopy’ actually refers to is an umbrella with a decorative interior lining. We’ve produced umbrellas with everything from cloud prints to bespoke maps on the inside.

A City Walker is a stylish umbrellas that are ‘walking length,’ traditional in style and slightly smaller than golf umbrellas – ideal for urban environments! Usually have a curved handle and traditionally made from wood – we also have a City Walker with a black shaft and curved handle.

Pongee fabric for umbrellas, is a high quality polyester fabric. Pongee 190T – T refers to thickness and strength. Owing to its fantastic water-repellent nature and quick-drying quality, it is perfect for use in umbrella making. Plus, it takes print very well so you can customise your umbrella with your artwork and logo to personalise them for your brand.

• Fibreglass: Strong lightweight, with an element of flexibility. Less brittle than wood.
• Aluminium: Lightweight, allows for miniaturisation of mechanism in smaller umbrellas.
• Wood for umbrella: Elegant, traditional and environmentally neutral.
• Carbonite steel: Provides great strength and durability in premium umbrellas.

All of the umbrella we manufacture are tested to withstand gusts of up to 40 mph, and unlike cheaper versions, are designed to turn inside out and recover.

All the umbrella models from The Umbrella Workshop are offered with an impressive two year guarantee as standard.

Vented umbrellas allow for extra resistance, allowing wind to pass through them, reducing tugging in high wind. However, their 16 panel construction limits branding.

See below how we test our umbrellas for wind speed.

Shadow show through on umbrella means an effect that looks like the print is a shadow, rather than directly printed onto the panel of the umbrella. The design shows through the fabric in a non-traditional print method. Umbrella material is thin and translucent. Shadow show through refers to a technique of using 2 pieces of material, printing on one of them and allowing the image the show through, creating a pleasant visual effect.

Umbrella sizes vary from large Sports Golf Umbrella which offers the largest branding estate, Walking Umbrella is slightly smaller than a golf umbrella and the shaft can be changed out from the traditional wood to a contemporary fibreglass and Telescopic Umbrellas – which are folding and open out then fold back down when not in use. We also offer a super compact umbrella. So four umbrella sizes to choose from.

Our umbrellas are made to last. They are made from premium fittings and high grade pongee (polyester) which is why we are comfortable offering a warranty with them.

All our umbrellas are covered by a two-year guarantee for quality. Unless specified or as a custom-model order, all models of umbrellas are covered by this.

We’re so confident in our umbrellas that we know they won’t let you down that we offer this 2 years from the date of supply (your date of delivery).

Our guarantee is with you, our client, so if you feel as though an umbrella fails on quality, then you should return it to us immediately and we will recompense you.

This covers manufacturing or print faults on our umbrellas. It does not cover damage caused by extreme weather conditions, breakage, or damage due to excessive force or inappropriate use.

To make a claim on the warranty, you can send in a photograph and/or video of the faulty umbrella to us. It will need to illustrate the issue.

On review of the faulty umbrella, we will find a solution for you that might include:

1. Repair of the umbrella if appropriate.
2. Replacement through new manufacture.
3. A credit note or refund for the umbrella.

Our warranty is valid for the organisation (our client) that purchased the umbrellas from us and not individuals who may have bought the umbrellas or be given the umbrellas from our client.

We have an extensive range of stock fabric, this we have matched close to pantone references to help selection.

It should be noted that when using a double canopy colour of the fabric can be darkened.

We can match the canopy of the fabric to pantone, using a special dye print solution. in essence we print the external canopy of the umbrella with colour required. The inside of the umbrella is of a lighter colour.

The difference between Stock fabric and Pantone matched can be seen below.

Personalised umbrellas improve guest comfort and event resilience while boosting branding. They provide shade and UV protection in heat, keep guests dry in rain, and, when storm-tested, resist gusty winds. Strategically place them around seating, food courts, queues, and stages to enhance the experience and dwell time. Custom printing with your logo, brand colours, thematic designs, or sponsor marks turns umbrellas into high-visibility media and encourages social sharing. Popular options include branded folding umbrellas (compact, with sleeves), personalised city or wood walker umbrellas (larger with durable handles), branded golf umbrellas (largest hand-held coverage), and printed garden parasols (widest canopy and visibility; stock can be overprinted in the UK or produced bespoke on standard lead times). Choose UV-resistant canopies and robust frames suited to your venue and climate.

Many cultures say opening an umbrella indoors brings bad luck. The superstition is often traced to ancient Egypt, where umbrellas were sun shades and opening one inside was seen as an affront to the sun god Ra. Today it’s a cultural myth rather than a proven risk, so whether you follow it is a matter of personal belief.

Yes. Inside printing requires a double-canopy umbrella and is available on golf, walking, and folding models. We print your artwork across the panels before assembly for seamless alignment. The minimum order is 100 units. We create a pre-production sample after receiving your artwork and a small deposit; once approved, full production begins. Typical dispatch is 4-6 weeks, depending on order quantity and design complexity.

Please supply vector artwork as PDF or EPS (AI also OK). Create in Illustrator/Photoshop/CorelDRAW, expand/outline all fonts, keep each colour on its own layer, group same-colour objects, and assign Pantone Coated (C) references. Save at final print size; any raster elements must be 300 dpi at size. Add bleed only for full-panel edge-to-edge artwork (centred logos do not need bleed). Extremely fine text, hairlines, and gradients are better suited to digital print; screen print cannot hold very small detail. Send high-resolution files via WeTransfer if email limits prevent large attachments.