Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

General questions about The Cabinet Face we get asked a lot. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Please feel free to contact us – our team is always happy to help!

Are you associated with IKEA? Do you match their colors and styles?

While all of The Cabinet Face parts are specifically manufactured to work with IKEA cabinets, we are in no way affiliated with IKEA. All material colors and styles are our own. That said, we pre-drill for IKEA hinges and our fronts will fit on just as theirs would.

How do I clean and maintain my fronts?

Our low-maintenance materials are best cleaned microfiber cloth.

It is important not use any cleaning agents or solvents for at least 10-14 days from ship date on any parts to allow for any finishing materials that may have been applied to cure completely.

After this period we recommend using only micro-fiber cloths for cleaning and wiping our surfaces. A mild non-abrasive cleaner may be used on our high-gloss acrylics, matte acrylic and textured melamine products only.

How do I order samples*?

Click here to view our material categories. When you have selected your material, click on “Learn More” to see each offering within your material choice. Click “Add to Cart” when you’ve made your selection, some materials have 2 size options available. There is no minimum quantity required on sample orders. We also offer sample sets, which can be viewed here.

Once you are ready to proceed with your order you can click “View Cart” to begin the checkout process. Shipping is handled by USPS and all orders are shipped via Priority Mail. Overnight shipping is not available.

Designers, Contractors and Trade Users can sign up for unlimited free 4″ x 5″ samples here.

*We are unable to process sample orders over the phone or through email for security purposes.

Do you have a showroom that I can visit?

Do you have a showroom that I can visit to see your products?

No, we do not have a showroom.

We offer a wide range of samples you can try out in your home.

Products

Do you make shaker style fronts & panels?

Fronts: We offer both slab and shaker style fronts.

Our solid wood shaker fronts have 2.25″ wide rails and stiles, and 3/8″ solid panels in the middle. Drawers 5″ or less are made using a solid wood slab, as the rails make an internal panel too small to match bigger shaker parts.

Panels: All cover panels, toe-kicks, and deco strips will also be made as a slab style, made of out of real wood veneer with coordinating edge banding. If you would like to purchase Shaker-style panels, you will need to provide us with the exact dimensions for all Shaker-style panels. Panels over 45” will have a center rail, and panels wider than 45” will have a center stile.

For Acrylic and Textured Melamine shaker materials, the rails and stiles are 3″ wide. Parts 9 7/8″ or less are made using as a slab style as the rails make an internal panel too small to match bigger shaker parts.

Do you grain match?

We offer grain matching for our Natural Wood Slab materials only in both vertical and horizontal configurations.

Horizontal Grain Matching
Available up to 40″ high, due to the maximum size of sheet goods. However, we are able to do parts over 40″ tall for an additional cost of $99 per part.

Doors & Drawers
We offer grain-matched doors and drawer faces on runs up to 95″ (the standard length of our veneer panels).

Trim & Filler Parts
It is industry standard for toe-kicks to be manufactured using horizontal grain regardless of the overall project’s grain direction (i.e. vertical or horizontal). Trim and filler parts are offered in sequence with doors and drawer faces wherever possible, but are not guaranteed.

Panels & Toe-Kicks
Panels and toe-kicks are not sequenced, but do come from the same batch as the doors, drawer faces, trim and filler. Cover panels will only be vertically grain matched. On any run of cabinetry longer than 95″, we do our absolute best to continue grain continuity for the additional length, but do not guarantee it. On especially large jobs, more than one batch of veneers may be used.

Do you manufacture Akurum parts?

Our manufacturing process is set up to produce parts only for IKEA’s Sektion, PAX, and Godmorgon systems at this time.

If you are local to the Denver area, have an IKEA Akurum kitchen system, and you are considering replacement fronts, please send an email request to great-service@thecabinetface.com with some photos of your kitchen. Unfortunately, if you are not local we are unable to manufacture fronts for your Akurum kitchen.

PAX Door sizes & Installation

Our doors are sized to sit 5/8″-3/4″ off the floor when the closet is installed to the floor, and cover the IKEA toe kick. For the 93.125″ tall PAX, our doors are 92.375″ tall and for the 79.25 PAX, our doors are 78.5″ tall.

Installing PAX against a wall – We advise leaving a +/- 1/2″ from the wall. If the cabinet sits any closer than that the door won’t swing past 90º so any interior drawers may be hindered during operation.

If you would like a different size for your PAX doors, you can use our online estimator to input dimensions for a custom part, and we’ll calculate the price for you.

Do you offer glass doors?

We offer glass doors for IKEA cabinets, however, due to the delicate nature of glass, and because of the many opacity options available we do not include the actual pane of glass with our doors. It is safer and more practical to obtain the glass for the doors locally.

Solid Wood Shaker Glass Doors
Available with 1, 4 and 6 mullions (bars creating separation in the glass)

DIY Paint Grade Shaker Glass Doors
Available with 1, 4 and 6 mullions (bars creating separation in the glass). These doors will be constructed with a solid Maple Shaker frame, not paint grade MDF, as this particular door style is manufactured without a rigid center panel. This allows us to maintain consistent quality with the rest of a DIY Paint Grade Shaker order.

Arylic (High-gloss and Matte) and Melamine Glass Doors
Available to accommodate 1 pane of glass

Please note: all glass doors are manufactured in the shaker style – an assembled frame with the center section removed. If you’re instead interested in a flat panel with a cutout instead, please contact us. Some parts may be manufactured in a flat panel with a cutout for an additional charge (due to the complexity of creating a custom cutout and the necessity of using more material).

Our glass doors come with rubberized molding for easy install of your glass panes. We recommend ordering your glass after you’ve already received your door fronts, so that your local glass manufacturer can verify any measurements.

If you’d like to order the glass ahead of time, you can calculate the size you will need.

All of our shaker style doors have rails on the inner side, which take up 1.75″ on all sides. So for example, our 18″ x 40″ door would take a glass pane measuring 14.25″ x 36.25″.

  • For Acrylic and Textured Melamine glass doors, subtract 4.75″ (this is 1/8″ over exact dim) from the outside dimensions to calculate the glass dimension
  • For Wood glass doors, subtract 3.625″ (this is 1/8″ over exact dim) from the outside dimensions to calculate the glass dimension

This size is a quarter inch smaller than you’d think, because of two factors:

  • Our doors come 1/8″ of an inch smaller than their stated measurements. We call a door 18″x40″ to make it easy, but just like IKEA doors, the true measurements are 17 7/8″ x 39 7/8″.
  • You want to also include another 1/8″ of clearance for the glass, since sometimes glass panes can have up to a 1/8″ variation.

Do shaker parts have limitations?

Please note that certain parts aren’t available in Shaker style (5″ drawers, toe kicks, deco strips, and panels are only manufactured in flat panel style). Additionally, shaker doors over 40″ tall will have a center rail to provide added stability and prevent warping.

Are your fronts the same size and thickness as IKEA’s?

Sizing: Like IKEA, we produce our doors and drawers 1/8″ shy of stated dimensions so they can open and close seamlessly.

If you order an 18″x40″ door from IKEA, it’ll arrive measuring 17 7/8″x39 7/8″. Because our doors are designed to fit in perfectly with IKEA cabinet boxes, we also produce fronts with these dimensions in mind. All our doors and drawer fronts are produced 1/8″ smaller than the whole-number measurement given. (We give the whole number measurement to make it easier, since that’s what IKEA does too.)

Why the gap? If you were trying to fit two doors next to each other that measured exactly 18″x40″, they wouldn’t be able to open. They need that tiny space to be able to swing open and shut smoothly without rubbing up against or catching on neighboring fronts.

All parts that are meant to be fixed in place, like panels and toe kicks, are produced to the stated whole-number measurement.

Thickness: We make all of our fronts with the same thickness, regardless of material – 3/4″. When comparing our custom IKEA doors, drawers and cover panels with IKEA’s you will need to look at IKEA’S measurements by collection (they all vary).

Are your panels the same size as IKEA®'s?

No. Our standard dimensions are not the same as IKEA®’s. We purposely oversize our panels to give you the ability to have a truly pro fit with your cabinet faces.

Homes and buildings settle, shift and move over time so it is important to account for those irregularities when putting together your project. If you take a close look, you’ll notice your walls are not perfectly straight. As such, our panels are delivered oversized to allow for a better fit on-site.

Our panels are meant to sit flush to the cabinet’s facing for a built-in look. There is a huge difference between seeing an installed panel that was manufactured to exact size and an oversized panel that was cut down on site, because you can scribe the oversized panel to fit exactly to an uneven wall.

Our base panels, end panels and tall panels are meant to go to the floor instead of the toe-kick return around the cabinet’s side. Please feel free to contact us with more questions about our panels and their sizes.

What edge banding do you use?

We edge band all our products to give them a finished, polished look. Textured melamine, Acrylics, and most wood slab use a nominal 1mm banding, while Eurocore Effect uses .5mm edge banding.

Slab Doors
Slab doors, drawer faces, panels and toekicks are 3/4” thick with 1 mm wood edge-banding.

High-Gloss & Matte Acrylic
We offer two types of edge-banding for high gloss acrylic cabinet faces: Solid color or a Glass Edge effect. Matte acrylic edge banding is only available in solid, not Glass Effect.

By providing a long-term, seam-free bond, laser edge-banding enhances the aesthetic appeal because there are no joints to collect dirt or discolor with age. The Cabinet Face Laser also increases resistance of the finished board to heat and moisture.

Textured Melamine
Perfectly matched laser edge-banding with no glue lines.

Are your doors solid wood?

Yes, our Solid Wood Shaker and our DIY Shaker doors are constructed of five pieces of solid wood, assembled to create the timeless, framed look.

Our Natural Wood Slab and our DIY Stain Grade Slab components are made of real wood veneer on an MDF panel with matching edge banding.

Most parts are available in shaker or slab styles, but panels and larger doors (>60″) are only available in slab style. Our shaker wood doors, being solid wood, can warp, so we don’t produce them for PAX units or any custom parts over 60″ tall.

What is Acrylic made out of?

Our High-Gloss, Matte, and Metallic Acrylics are made up of five layers: ABS natural, ABS, Color Acrylic, Clear Acrylic, and a UV hardcoat, all applied to a premium quality eco-friendly MDF substrate.

Our Acrylic material has been developed to be the most scratch resistant available on the market. It’s UV stabilized for lifetime color depth and will keep its original luster, with no polishing required. Another benefit to Acrylic: it isn’t heat sensitive, and the lamination technique used prevents orange peel. Our Acrylic products are also stain and chemical-resistant.

Acrylic Layers

You can be confident your acrylic fronts are not just durable – they’re manufactured using environmentally sustainable practices using eco-friendly materials. Our acrylics use a sustainable MDF core manufactured from post-industrial recycled wood residuals. ** Matte finish products now use a premium western pine core instead of MDF. **

The core uses 100% NAF (No Added Formaldehyde) resin, is CARB Phase 2 compliant, and has been awarded the Composite Panel Association (CPA) Eco-Certified Composite (ECC) grademark.

We take our commitment to using sustainable materials seriously. Our MDF cores have three LEED environmental credits (MR 4, MR 5, and EQ 4.4) and are compliant with the CPA 4-11 ECC Sustainability Standard, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) 93120 and the EPA TSCA Title VI rule.

What is textured melamine made out of?

Our textured melamine uses the finest-quality melamine paper, fused to a premium western pine industrial core – a dense, eco-friendly core made from wood residuals that would normally end up in a landfill. It’s extremely durable, less expensive than wood, and easy to clean.

The denser the core, the more durable the product – and the more material used. Since we wanted to offer an ultra-durable and dense core, it was really important to us that we source the material from an environmentally responsible source. We decided to use a sustainable particleboard core, manufactured from post-industrial recycled wood residuals. It’s CARB Phase 2 compliant, and uses 100% NAF (No Added Formaldehyde) resin, meeting the most stringent formaldehyde emission standards in the world.

Pricing

Should I get panels, fillers or deco strips?

Panels go on the sides of cabinets, and cover up your exposed IKEA cabinet boxes. Adding panels is a design decision. Most folks opt out of side panels only when they are doing a waterfall countertop, or have a Godmorgon unit (adding panels to a Godmorgon means you’ll need a custom countertop).

Fillers fill in spaces between your cabinet box and the wall. IKEA recommends a minimum of 2″ gap. They’re a great way to close off small spaces that would be dust collectors, and to visually extend your cabinets to the wall.

Deco strips are installed on your upper cabinets. They can be installed on the bottom to hide your under-cabinet lighting system, or on the top to frame your cabinet or visually extend it to the ceiling. Paired with panels, deco strips can essentially frame your cabinets. We offer two deco strip options – a flat deco strip, and a miter fold light valence.

Can you price my project for me?

Of course! First, you’ll need to upload your plans. Be sure to read the instructions carefully. If we do not have the necessary information to complete your estimate, we will reach out to you directly with any questions we may have for you. If interested, we now offer a complete plan configuration service for clients who are having trouble with their plans. Contact us for details.

Make sure to let us know any notes or exceptions in your plan. For example, if you want one material for your lower cabinets and another for your uppers, you should let us know so we can price it out accordingly.

We try our best to complete initial estimate requests within 3 business days.

How much do projects usually cost?

Don’t have an IKEA plan yet, but wondering how much your project will cost? You can look at our some pricing examples on our Kitchen, Bath, or Closet pages. Those examples will show some different material choices, so you can pick the material that best fits your budget.

If you have an IKEA floor plan or other drawings, you can upload your plans to get an estimate.

Custom Parts

Can you make custom parts? What about custom glass doors?

Custom Parts:

While all of our parts are manufactured to fit IKEA cabinets, we understand that occasionally a custom part may be required for a built in cabinet, or some other piece that needs a part to fit in with the rest of your project.

Because it is a custom part, and we do not have access, you are responsible for correct measurements so please measure twice so that we only have to cut once.

Please note we cannot make any parts taller than 95″, or narrower than 4.5″. Our custom parts will come 3/4″ thick, like all our products. Other thicknesses may be able to be specially sourced; please contact us for details.

 

Custom Glass Doors:

We can manufacture glass doors in sizes IKEA does not offer. For example, if you’d like your 36×15 horizontal doors to be glass, we can produce a glass-ready door instead of a solid door for you.

All glass doors are manufactured in the shaker style – an assembled frame with the center section removed. If you’re interested in a flat panel with a cutout, please contact us. Some parts may be manufactured in a flat panel with a cutout for an additional charge (due to the complexity of creating a custom cutout and the necessity of using more material).

Please note we are unable to warranty custom glass doors. The weight of glass places a lot of stress on the door, and we cannot guarantee a door size we haven’t evaluated.

Can I choose a custom material?

Yes, you can choose custom veneers or laminates for your IKEA doors. However there are a few things to take note before doing so:

  • When you select a product we will need the manufacturer, style and or color codes so that we can source the product.
  • We also require a product that has matching edge banding available.
  • We will also need to make sure the material you select can be pressed onto our eco-friendly MDF core.
  • Custom veneer and laminated doors are available in slab styles only.
  • When you order a custom veneer or laminate the material is purchased in full sheets from our vendors. For example, if your project requires 5.25 sheets we will order 6 sheets. For non-custom projects we normally charge only for the material used (i.e. 5.25 sheets in our example), but in a custom laminate order where we are not able to use the unused material (i.e. 0.75 sheets) so you will be charged for the cost of all 6 sheets.
  • We do not offer miter fold parts for custom materials

Do you offer custom appliance panels?

We offer custom panels for those appliance built to accept a custom panel. Please note that some appliances require the purchase of an additional kit in order to accept a custom panel.

Please provide us with the make, model and specifications for your appliance usually found on the manufacturer’s website.

Finish, Painting & Staining

Do you offer painting?

At this time, we do not offer painting services. If you are interested in our DIY paint grade products, we will deliver them unfinished and ready to paint by either you or your preferred local painter.

However, we have DIY samples for sale in both Shaker Paint Grade and Slab Paint Grade so you can do some testing before purchasing your project.

Do you offer staining?

Due to the variability of staining, we do not offer staining services at this time. Additionally, it would not be time and cost effective to work on staining from a distance (i.e. out of state). We suggest working locally with a staining expert who can work with you in person to create many samples from which to choose.

However, we have DIY samples for sale in both Shaker Stain Grade and Slab Stain Grade so you can do some testing before purchasing your project.

What kind of finish do you use?

We finish our Solid Wood Shaker and our Natural Wood Flat Panel doors with Sherwin Williams brand Hydroplus clear finish. This is a self-sealing, waterborne acrylic finish for interior wood products. Hydroplus is low in VOC content and is UL GREENGUARD Gold Certified for low chemical emissions.

Can you send my project unfinished?

We can deliver your project to you unfinished, and reduce the overall cost accordingly, however, there are some very important considerations when doing so.

PROTECTION
Finishes protect a wood’s surface from dirt and most importantly moisture. Unfinished wood exposed to moisture causes it to swell up which is troublesome in many ways. It can cause shaker joints to crack and potentially stop functioning. The amount of moisture required to make wood swell is not much. In fact, ordinary changes in humidity which happens every day can cause wood to swell and contract. The application of a moisture resistant finish slows that moisture exchange.

WARRANTY
Unfinished materials must be finished within 2 (two) weeks of receipt in order to maintain their warranty.

Lead Times & Shipping

Freight shipping is handled by third parties we partner with, and may be delayed at times. This is beyond our control. Please plan accordingly with contractors and staff to accommodate for any potential delay.

Lead Times

The times below are estimates, and not guarantees. Delays do not occur often, but can happen due to inclement weather, delays in manufacturing or material back-orders. We do our best to notify clients as quickly as possible when there may be a delay. The lead times below do not include shipping/delivery time.

Please note major holidays may affect lead times.

Click here to view our current lead times.

When should I order my project?

We suggest ordering your project when your IKEA plan is completely finalized and ideally before purchasing your cabinets from IKEA. This way you’ll know our lead time and can coordinate delivery from IKEA with our parts.

Can I expedite my order? Can I delay more order?

Expediting an order:

Your order may also be eligible for expedited production. All rush orders must be approved on a case by case basis, depending on our production team’s schedule. For a 50% additional project fee, the following materials can be produced as a rush:

DIY Slab
DIY Shaker
Unfinished Wood Slab
Unfinished Wood Shaker
Natural Wood Slab
Solid Wood Shaker

Please contact us to learn more.

 

Delaying an order:

We understand that building and remodeling schedules and logistics change often. As such we are able to store and delay the delivery of your project for a maximum of 1 (one) week from the time we initially contact you to arrange delivery. If you need to make arrangements for your project to be stored for longer than one week, storage fees may apply. Prorated storage fees range from $25 – $100 per week depending on the order.

How much is shipping?

If you live in the Denver metro area, shipping costs are around $150-$225 per order. If you choose to pick up your order from our Denver workshop please plan your transportation accordingly. (Pallets range in size from 48″ x 48″ to 38″ x 102″.)

If you live in the continental US and would like your order shipped, pricing is determined by a number of factors, including order size and location. Two orders of identical weights going to the same location can even have different shipping costs. For example, an order with many small pieces will be less expensive than shipping an order consisting of fewer, bigger panels.

Distance also plays a role – for example, shipping your order in-state will be less expensive than shipping to Canada. It’s important to note some metro areas with high traffic volume have shipping surcharges added, like Chicago or New York City.

No two orders are alike. Once your order is finalized, we’ll be able to give you a quote for shipping your order.

Small orders will be shipped via FedEx starting at $35 dollars, this would be Godmorgon fronts. Larger orders, kitchens and Pax doors, will be shipped on a pallet which starts at $350.

How do you ship your orders?

If you’re ordering just a few pieces, we can parcel it up and ship it directly to you via FedEx. Most orders are more than a few pieces, though, so we package it carefully on a pallet to prevent damage in transit.

Denver/Metro area: For orders being delivered in the Denver metro area, we use a courier service to schedule delivery of the pallet to a ground level location, like your garage or carport.

Continental US: For domestic long-distance orders, we use LTL (less than truckload) shipping. Once the pallet arrives at the transit facility, it’s picked up by a local delivery company, who will contact you to schedule delivery to your ground level location.

Canada: For all Canadian orders, there is the added step of a customs broker and a little extra paperwork, but we still use LTL shipping.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes, we currently ship orders to USA and Canada.

For all orders to Canada, we’ll provide the NAFTA Certificate and the Commercial Invoice, so you don’t have to pay duties. There is a brokerage fee and additional taxes (depending on your province) associated with shipping to Canada.

Can I pick up my order?

** Due to current COVID-19 stay-at-home recommendations in Denver/Denver County, pickups at our Denver facility will no longer be available for the time being. Local shipping/courier arrangements can be arranged, but their cost will not be covered by The Cabinet Face **

Yes, you are welcome to pick up your completed order from our Denver showroom. If you choose an in-person pickup, we’ll package it up for you, and all shipping charges are waived.

Pickups need to be done with a vehicle that can receive a long pallet. Hand loading will not be done by TCF personnel.

Installation

How does installation work?

We do not install your cabinet faces, but we try to make it as easy as possible for you (or your installers) to get the job done. When you receive your order, you’ll notice everything is clearly labeled with part size and cabinet numbers. Some materials, like our acrylics, will have stickers on their removable protective sheets. Other materials will have the labels inserted into the drill holes (for easy removal and clean up).

How do I attach my toe-kicks?

Our toe kicks don’t clip on to IKEA toe kicks by themselves, but there’s an easy, cheap way to attach our toe kicks to IKEA cabinet feet.

IKEA toe kicks are designed to attach to IKEA cabinet feet without separate hardware, so we recommend buying 1-2 toe-kicks from IKEA. Their least expensive is perfectly fine, since the IKEA toe kick will be hidden during installation.

You can then cut the IKEA toe kick into pieces. Attach the smaller pieces to the backs of our toe-kicks using adhesive or short screws, wherever our toe kick needs to attach to a cabinet foot. Once the IKEA toe kicks are attached, our toe kicks can clip onto the IKEA cabinet feet.

What are fillers used for?

Fillers and spacers really elevate your kitchen to give it that custom look you want.

Fillers are 10″ wide. They are intended to fill in spaces, especially between cabinet boxes and walls. IKEA recommends a minimum of 2″ between your cabinet box and the wall, so that the doors can open all the way. For example, if your cabinet is installed 2″ away from the wall, and you want to close off that space, you would use a filler.

Fillers are 10″ wide because of how they need to be installed. Your installer will actually cut the filler into two pieces. One piece of your filler will have then two edges: the finished edge, which goes up against your cabinet, and the unfinished edge from your recent cut. The unfinished side can then be scribed to fit against your wall perfectly. The other piece of your filler is used as a supportive backing. It also makes sure the visible piece sits flush with the cabinet face next to it.

What is a spacer? Can I use a spacer as a filler?

Spacers:

Spacers are 5″ wide (and 3/4″ thick, like all our products). They are meant to slide in between spaces, like a 3/4″ book on a bookshelf. They can be added to your space for functional or aesthetic reasons.

A functional reason to add a spacer would be to create space where it is needed. For example, IKEA recommends adding space around your dishwasher for a moisture/humidity barrier. You can add a spacer on either side, so your IKEA cabinets have an added layer of protection.

A design reason to add spacers would be to match the style of another cabinet. If you’ve got a short wall cabinet flanked by two taller wall cabinets, the tall cabinets will get our 3/4″ thick side panels to cover their exposed sides. Some folks add spacers on the base cabinets below to create the appearance of matching panels below. With the spacers on the base cabinets, the wall and base cabinets line up and are exactly symmetrical, instead of the wall cabinets taking up an extra 1.5″ of space.

Spacers can also be a fun way to break up your kitchen cabinets with a pop of a different color or material. One combination we love is a white high-gloss acrylic cabinet with wood spacers and wood side panels.

Above: These two cabinets have a wood spacer installed in between them, creating an air gap and a fun pop of color visible from the front. Once the countertop is installed, no one will be able to tell the spacer isn’t a full panel.

 

Can I use a spacer as filler?

We get asked if a spacer would work to fill gaps that are only 2 or 3 inches wide. Theoretically, you can, but we don’t recommend substituting in spacers unless your installer is confident they can cut the smaller 5″ width exactly to get the two pieces (visible and backing) you need.

Our fillers come 10″ long in part to give you some wiggle room. Cutting a perfectly straight line parallel to the edge of the filler is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you’re making a cut 95″ long.

Before substituting a spacer for a filler, talk with your installer and see what they’d prefer. Keep in mind that if a spacer is cut incorrectly and you need to reorder it, you’ll need to place a new order, delaying your project.

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