Forty shirts, forty different backs
A club order often starts with one crest on 40 shirts. The screen handles that well, because every shirt carries the same design. Then the team list arrives: a different number on every back, and surnames on half of them. A screen per number makes no sense, so that part of the job used to go out of the building.
Caps were the same story, and so were 10-piece samples for clients deciding on a 300-shirt order. A full-size screen tied up for a sample holds up the rest of the print room.
Three pieces of kit beside the press
- Self-tensioning framesMeshMaster 400 x 500 mm frames clamp the mesh on all four rails and tension it with bolts, so one person can re-mesh a frame without glue. Smaller 300 x 400 mm frames cover left-chest logos and sleeves.
- Clamshell heat pressThe Heatware 400 x 500 mm clamshell press has a sliding base, so the shirt is loaded away from the hot platen. Vinyl names and numbers go on after the screen print has cured.
- Cap pressThe cap press with four curved pads holds youth, adult and structured caps firmly while the transfer goes on.
Sibusiso Ndlovu, our production supervisor, now burns a sample screen on the same day the artwork is signed off, instead of waiting for a big frame to come free.
Choosing who to buy from
“We wanted someone who would tell us plainly what each machine does well and where it falls short. They did. For what we paid, the machines are solidly made, everything arrived ready to use, and when we had a setup question there was a real support team to phone.”
Lerato van Wyk, Sales Manager
Spares, mesh and pads come from AM.CO.ZA’s Johannesburg branch by courier, and their heat press range leaves room to add a second press later.
What changes on your order
- Crest, names and numbers are all done in Hamilton, on one invoice and one delivery date.
- You can see a printed sample before committing to a small run or a new design.
- Willem Jacobs checks every pressed number for placement and adhesion, as he does on our custom screen printing.
The bench suits netball shirts, soccer kits, event caps and the rest of our sportswear printing. See how a full kit came together on the Bethlehem sports kit job, or read how many colours a design really needs. When you are ready, request a quote or contact us, and Asanda Mabandla will go through your artwork and team list before anything is pressed.
