Introducing the Etchr Slate Range!

Hi all!

It's Daz here. We're getting pretty excited about the launch of the Etchr Slate range this Thursday, 21 December and we want to fill you in on all the details so you can get involved in the launch! Before I go further, make sure you're on our Early Bird List to be best placed for early delivery.

In this post we'll cover:

1. The Slate Range
2. Etchr Art Satchel vs Etchr Slate
3. Pics & Functionality
4. Pricing, Launch Time & Why It Pays To Be An 'Early Bird'

THE SLATE RANGE

YES! We are releasing two art bags, the 'Etchr Slate' and the 'Etchr Slate Mini' at the same time. The products are essentially the same as one another except they are built for different sized sketchbooks and drawing tablets. We will be releasing a detailed sizing reference so you can determine which bag is best suited for you and your materials / device of choice ahead of launch day but for now, let's just say the the larger Etchr Slate houses a 12.9" iPad Pro while the Etchr Slate Mini is big enough to fit the 10.5" iPad Pro. Obviously both bags are equally useful for traditional sketching surfaces as well.

The purpose of the Etchr Slate range is simple. We wanted to make a high quality bag that is purpose built for sketching, and we wanted to make sure its price point would make it accessible to as many people in the broader art community as possible. We think we have achieved our goal but we're looking forward to seeing what you think.

ETCHR ART SATCHEL VS ETCHR SLATE

So what's the difference between the Etchr Art Satchel and the Etchr Slate range? It's all about breadth of functionality.

Etchr Art Satchel

The Art Satchel is really purpose built for making art off the beaten track or for carrying a bunch of art materials and general items, around the city. When it comes to art supplies, its functionality, quality and purpose-built carry capability are unmatched and it encapsulates everything we think a roving artist could require. Given the complexity of this bag, the cost of producing it is quite significant and this has put it out of reach for many artists. We simply refused to compromise on quality or functionality when we designed this bag and now we're super proud to see it being used by some phenomenal artists.

Etchr Slate

The Etchr Slate draws on our learnings from the complexity of the Etchr Art Satchel as well as the simplicity of the original Nomad. The bag does not compromise on quality but it is significantly streamlined to be purpose built for sketching. As compared to the Art Satchel, the Slate is a lighter, more minimalist artist bag, designed to carry your essential items for a sketching session (e.g. phone, wallet, digital tablet, notebook, small laptop, drawing utensils, etc.). The Slate won't carry all your art tools, sketch pads and hiking gear but it is great for carrying essentials and for helping you make the most of your sketching experience wherever it may lead you. With the smaller Etchr Slate Mini selling at a price point of ~US$109, we hope the broader art community will now be able to benefit from some of the design capability that we implemented in the Etchr Art Satchel.

PICS & FUNCTIONALITY

So what does it do?

Supported Mode

Similar to the Etchr Art Satchel, the Slate offers sketching enthusiasts a stable drawing platform in both portrait and landscape format. Whether you use a traditional sketchbook or a drawing tablet, the small dimensions of the Slate make it super maneuverable and perfect for Urban Sketch outings or for live reference drawing in nature.

Easel Mode

The Etchr Slate includes our custom made back-plate that will attach to a tripod to create a stable drawing 'easel'. This feature is similar to that incorporated in the Etchr Art Satchel, however the Slate lacks the straps that allow it to stay open at 90 degree angles and as such is more relevant for sketching than say watercoloring. Unlike the Etchr Art Satchel, the Slate does not have the carry capability to house a tripod and hence Easel Mode on the Slate is most useful for short trips or for use in say a studio setting or for presenting work to an audience.

Carry Capability

Whilst the Slate range is minimalist in design, it incorporates some of the specially designed modular components we used in the Art Satchel to carry your art tools.

The Slate also features a quick access front zip pocket and a deeper pocket under the front flap that is built to house notebooks, digital tablets and smaller laptops.

Carry Options

We designed the Slate as a Satchel/Messenger bag given its relatively light weight and minimalist design. It also has a carry handle as an alternative carry option.

There are more pics and videos to come ahead of the launch so make sure you're on our Early Bird List to see the lastest :)

PRICING, LAUNCH TIME & WHY IT PAYS TO BE AN 'EARLY BIRD'

Pricing

Special pre-order pricing is set out below, with the USD price being a rough estimate that may fluctuate with exchange rate movements:

Etchr Slate: A$156 (~US$119)

Etchr Slate Mini: A$143 (~US$109)

Launch Timing

We will be launching the Etchr Slate range on our website on Thursday, 21 December, 2017 at 10:30 AM (ET)

This translates to the following times in some of our major markets:

New York - 10:30am (Thursday, December 21)
Los Angeles - 7:30am (Thursday, December 21)
London - 3:30pm (Thursday, December 21)
Singapore - 11:30pm (Thursday, December 21)
Melbourne - 2:30am (Friday, December 22)

Why It Pays To Be An Early Bird

We are launching pre-orders for the Etchr Slate on our website, not Kickstarter but it still pays to be an Early Bird! The first 500 Etchr Slate and Etchr Slate Minis sold will be shipped early from our first production run. We expect these to be delivered in mid February 2018. After that first 500 of each product is sold it is unlikely we will be able to ship the Slate range on a regular 'in-stock' basis until March/April.

Based on our feedback to date and how quickly the Early Bird Specials ran out in our last Kickstarter campaign, we expect these 1,000 bags to sell out very quickly. Make sure you're on our Early Bird List and we'll be sure to remind you when the Slate launches so you'll be best placed to make an 'Early Bird' order :)

FIN!

Well that about wraps it up from me. As I said, we will be releasing more pics and video over the next few days, prior to the launch of the Slate range. We're super excited to get your feedback and make sure you're on our Early Bird List to stay in the loop and to be best placed to grab one of the first of our new product off the production line ;) 

Take care of yourselves and each other and keep creating  <3

Daz