RUPERT, GIBBON & SPIDER, INC.

What RUPERT, GIBBON & SPIDER, INC. does

Rupert, Gibbon & Spider, Inc., doing business as Jacquard Products, is a 44-year-old, family-owned manufacturer of artist-grade textile colorants, mixed media, and craft supplies, headquartered in Healdsburg, California. Founded in 1981 and operating with approximately 8 employees, the company owns the end-to-end formulation and brand of a catalog of 239+ SKUs spanning fiber-reactive dyes (Procion MX), acid dyes for protein fibers, iDye for natural fabrics and synthetics, SolarFast UV-activated dyes, deColourant discharge chemistry, cyanotype chemistry and pretreated substrates, alcohol inks (Piñata), fabric paints (Dye-Na-Flow, Lumiere, Neopaque, Textile Paint, Airbrush Color, Basic Dye), Pearl Ex pigments, plus adjacent applicators, brushes, pipettes, steamers, silk scarves, hoops, and chemical/screen-printing supplies. Product differentiation rests on proprietary dye chemistry and formulation know-how, including three technically distinctive lines: dissolvable iDye packets, heat-activated deColourant discharge paste, and SolarFast sun-activated color development for photograms and shadow-prints.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model, selling exclusively through a Shopify-hosted storefront at store.jacquardproducts.com with worldwide shipping via FedEx and FedEx International, domestic free shipping on orders over $150, and a wholesale tier (12+ units) accessible through a promo code. A 20%-commission affiliate program, operated on the UPPROMOTE platform, drives top-of-funnel demand through content creators and educators across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest, supplemented by an email newsletter and organic SEO. Primary customer segments are professional and hobbyist artists and makers, art educators, content creators, and craft enthusiasts, with no named enterprise or B2B anchor customers and no retail/wholesale distribution partners disclosed.

Revenue is generated from one-time purchases of consumer-priced SKUs; there are no subscriptions, no disclosed enterprise contracts, no institutional investors, no M&A activity, and no public listings. Geographic reach is nominally global but constrained for chemical SKUs (Piñata Alcohol Inks, Gutta Resist, Gutta Solvent, PrintFix, Sodium Hydrosulfite) which cannot ship internationally under transport regulations. The company holds no disclosed patents, trademarks, certifications, regulatory actions, or leadership changes in the input data, and contacts are routed via [email protected] and three US phone numbers.

Name

RUPERT, GIBBON & SPIDER, INC.

Legal name

Rupert, Gibbon & Spider, Inc.

Website

https://silkconnection.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jacquard Products is a family-owned Healdsburg, California manufacturer of artist-grade textile dyes, paints, and craft supplies, selling 239+ SKUs directly to artists, educators, and makers worldwide via a Shopify storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art and Craft Manufacturing Supplies

NAICS

Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513), All Other Textile Product Mills (31499), Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Yarn, Knitting & Crochet Supplies Retail (CRALACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Colored, Art & Premium Paper Manufacturing (IMAMAEAG), General Fabric & Textile Stores (CRALADAA), Needlepoint & Embroidery Shops (CRALADAE)

Keywords

• Textile dyes
• Fabric paints
• Cyanotype supplies
• Silk painting
• Craft chemistry

Headquarters

HQ city

Healdsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Product Sales: The company generates revenue through direct online sales of its manufactured dye, paint, and craft product lines via its Shopify e-commerce platform. Products are sold as one-time purchases with no subscription component. The company offers wholesale/bulk pricing for orders of 12+ units of the same SKU through a promo code system.
2. Affiliate Program Revenue Share: Jacquard operates an affiliate program where partners (content creators, artists, educators) earn 20% commission on qualifying sales generated through their unique affiliate links and discount codes. This drives additional revenue through commission-based referrals without upfront marketing costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rupert, Gibbon & Spider, Inc., doing business as Jacquard Products, manufactures and sells artist-grade textile dyes, fabric paints, alcohol inks, cyanotype chemistry, and related craft supplies for artists, makers, and educators. The product line spans fiber-reactive dyes, acid dyes, synthetic fabric dyes, sun-activated dyes, discharge agents, silk scarves and hoops, screen-printing supplies, and finishing tools. All products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company's Shopify-hosted e-commerce store with worldwide shipping.

Product overview

RUPERT, GIBBON & SPIDER, INC. (Jacquard Products) is a manufacturer of artist quality textile, mixed media, and craft products operating since 1981. The company operates as a single brand portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product line consists of professional-grade dyes including Procion MX (fiber reactive dyes for cellulose), Acid Dyes (for protein fibers), iDye Poly (for synthetics), SolarFast (sun-activated dyes), and iDye for Natural Fabrics. Supporting products include deColourant for color removal, silk fabrics (Habotai and Crepe de Chine scarves, Silk Hoops), and cyanotype chemistry and kits. The paint and ink offerings span Dye-Na-Flow, Textile Paint, Lumiere (metallics), Neopaque, Airbrush Color, Basic Dye, and Piñata Alcohol Inks. Additional specialty products include Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments, masking fluids and gutta resists, screen printing supplies, and professional tools including fabric steamers, applicator bottles, brushes, and pipettes. The company sells through its Shopify-hosted e-commerce store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Procion MX Fiber reactive dyes for cellulose fibers, used for tie dyeing and fabric painting on cotton, linen, and other natural fabrics.
• Acid Dye Highly concentrated powdered hot water dyes for protein fibers including silk, wool, feathers, and nylon, producing bright, fade-resistant colors.
• iDye Poly Hot water dye specifically formulated for synthetic fabrics and polyester, producing vibrant, uniform colors.
• SolarFast Sun-activated dye that develops and becomes permanent upon UV exposure, used for creating photograms and shadow-prints on fabric or paper.
• iDye for Natural Fabrics Hot water dye in dissolvable packets for natural fabrics including cotton, linen, silk, and rayon, usable on stovetop or in washing machine.
• deColourant Ready-to-use printing paste for removing areas of color from dyed natural fabrics without damaging fibers, activated by heat.
• Silk Scarves - Habotai Pure silk habotai scarves, lightweight with soft luster, ready for dyeing, painting, and wearable art projects.
• Silk Scarves - Crepe de Chine Silk Crepe de Chine scarves with characteristic textured weave, suitable for dyeing and silk painting applications.
• 8" Silk Hoops Silk stretched hoops in 8-inch diameter, designed for silk painting and textile art projects.
• Cyanotype Set Complete starter kit for cyanotype printing including chemistry and instructions for creating blue-and-white photographic prints.
• Cyanotype Kit Comprehensive cyanotype printing kit with all materials needed for creating cyanotype prints on paper and fabric.
• Dye-Na-Flow Bodiless watercolor-like acrylic paint for situations requiring soft dyeing where traditional dyeing is impractical.
• Lumiere Heavy-bodied metallic and pearlescent paint with maximum coverage, opacity, durability and adhesion on most surfaces.
• Neopaque Opaque fabric paint providing maximum coverage and durability on dark surfaces.
• Textile Paint Bodied paint specifically formulated for fabric with soft feel and transparency.
• Piñata Alcohol Inks Vibrant alcohol-based inks for use on non-porous surfaces including glass, ceramics, and polymer clay.
• Airbrush Color Transparent airbrush paints in 44 colors formulated for smooth atomization and even coverage.
• Basic Dye Basic cationic dyes for coloring synthetic fibers and plastics with vivid, bright colors.
• Masking Fluid / Drawing Gum Liquid masking product for creating resist effects when painting or printing on fabric.
• Gutta Resist Resist product for silk painting that creates clear lines and barriers when applied before dyeing.
• Stovetop Fabric Steamer Commercial-grade stovetop steamer for heat-setting dyes and steam-fixing fabric colors.
• Vertical Fabric Steamer Professional vertical fabric steamer with various cylinder lengths and components for steaming larger fabric pieces.
• Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments Interference and metallic powdered pigments for creating pearlescent and shimmering effects on various surfaces.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider hosting the Jacquard Products online store. Shopify processes payments and provides the technical infrastructure for the e-commerce operation. Payment data is stored by Shopify per their privacy policy.
• UPPROMOTE (Affiliate Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party affiliate management platform (uppromote.com) that powers the Jacquard Products Affiliate Program. Handles affiliate registration, tracking, commission processing, and dashboard functionality.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pro Chemical & Dye: Pro Chemical & Dye is a small US specialty dye manufacturer offering professional-grade acid, fiber reactive, and direct dyes DTC to artists and educators — operating essentially the same business model and customer segments as Jacquard.
• Speedball Art Products: Speedball is a specialty manufacturer of printmaking inks, screen printing supplies, and fabric paints — competing directly with Jacquard's screen printing, ink, and textile paint lines sold to the same artist and educator audience.
• Tulip Color: Tulip is a craft-focused brand best known for tie-dye kits and one-step dye products sold to hobbyists and families — it competes with Jacquard's tie-dye and craft SKUs at the consumer/hobbyist end of the same customer spectrum.
• Dharma Trading Company: Dharma Trading is a direct peer — a long-established US textile dye, paint, and fabric supplier serving artisans and educators with a similar DTC catalog (Procion MX, acid dyes, silk blanks) competing head-to-head for the same creative customer base.
• Aljo Dyes (M. Lavietes): Aljo is a smaller specialty dye manufacturer serving silk painters, textile artists, and crafters with acid and fiber reactive dyes — a niche competitor with very similar product mix and customer profile to Jacquard.
• Createx Colors: Createx manufactures professional airbrush paints, textile inks, and pigment dispersions used by artists and makers — overlapping with Jacquard's Airbrush Color, Piñata inks, and Pearl Ex pigment lines for similar surface-design customers.

Broad incumbents

• Blick Art Materials: Blick is one of the largest US art supplies retailers offering dyes, paints, and surface design products across multiple brands — it competes as a broad incumbent that both stocks and competes with Jacquard's specialty textile chemistries at retail.
• Rit Dye: Rit is a mass-market incumbent in household fabric dye, sold widely through big-box and craft retailers — it competes on commoditized dye SKUs where Jacquard also participates but at a more premium artist-tier positioning.
• Golden Artist Colors: Golden is a professional-grade artist paint manufacturer (heavy body acrylics, QoR watercolors) with broader scope but overlapping artist customer base and DTC premium positioning in the same studio/educator market as Jacquard.
• Plaid Crafts: Plaid is a large craft manufacturer behind brands like Martha Stewart Crafts and Mod Podge, with significant fabric paint and dye products competing for the same hobbyist dollar at mass-market retailers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rupert-gibbon-&-spider-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RUPERT, GIBBON & SPIDER, INC.