About Us
I started Toilet Face when I was 21, in my third year of uni. I wanted to stick a mate's face on a bog roll for his birthday. Couldn't buy one anywhere. So I built a printer, made one myself, threw up a website, and waited. That was nearly ten years ago. I'm almost 30 now and somehow this is still what I do.
Whenever I meet someone new, the introduction is always the same. "This is Joe, he runs a toilet roll business." Then come the questions. So I thought I'd just answer them here.
How did you start this?
I'd been setting up online shops since I was 16. I was always fascinated by ecommerce, which is a bit weird for a teenager, but that was me. None of them lasted. Toilet Face was the first one that stuck. I think it's because I never took it too seriously.
How do you print on a toilet roll?
With great difficulty. It took me a year to build the first printer. It sounded like a dying washing machine and I rebuilt it over seven times before it worked. You need a solid understanding of engineering, microcontrollers, and CAD software like Fusion to design parts, get them fabricated, test them, watch them fail, and start again. Then you need to project manage the whole thing. Break problems down, know when to bring someone else in, and know enough about what you're asking for to hold them to it. The workshop now has three custom print lines, all designed and maintained by me. I'm the only one who touches them.
Is this your full time job?
I wouldn't call it a job. If it were a job, I'd probably resign. It's more of a lifestyle. For the most part, I've always worked full time alongside it, usually in ecommerce. Agency, consultancy, project management. I like solving problems and working with people on bigger projects. There have been periods between jobs where I've taken a break and let the business provide for a while, though. Gone travelling, worked on Toilet Face at my own pace. Having something ticking away in the background that gives you that freedom is a nice thing to have built.
Do you run it all yourself?
These days, most of it runs itself. I've spent years building systems and automating as much as possible, so the day to day ticks over without me needing to be hands on all the time. I've got casual staff who handle fulfilment, and a few extra hands come in for Christmas and Valentine's. My role is more keeping an eye on things, fixing what breaks, and making sure everything runs smoothly. Saying that, if someone orders next day delivery with one minute to the cut off, I'll be the mug who has to go in at silly hours in the evening to get it done. So please don't do that.
Do you still find the pictures funny?
I used to. I reckon I share a pretty similar sense of humour to most of the people ordering, so in the early days I'd be laughing at nearly every one. Now? Not in the slightest. I've printed so many that the images don't even register anymore. Someone's nan, someone's boss, someone's ex. They're all just toilet rolls to me at this point.
Who's been printed on your toilet rolls?
If I named everyone, we'd be here all day. We've done Ant and Dec Saturday Night takeaway, Piers Morgan, half the Geordie Shore cast, James May. Your ex's face on a toilet roll. The list is genuinely endless. One of my favourites was actually one of the first big orders we ever got which was from Fat Boy Slim music agent BMG. We made them a special roll that said "Wipe Here Right Now". I just thought that was brilliant. He ended up taking them to Glastonbury!
Is the paper actually good?
Sustainably sourced, fully recyclable, and packed by hand right here in Sheffield. It's proper toilet paper. It's actually my very onw white label roll that I have manufactured to our specification
