FREQUENTLY asked questions

We need to know what service you want – embroidery, print, relabelling etc.

We then need to know

• how many units we are to print, embroider, etc
• whether you or we are supplying the garments, bags etc.
• and we need to see the design for print or embroidery or to know the type of labels you have.

And finally it would help to know how urgent it is!

For straightforward work – the vast majority – we compete within 10 working days of receiving the order (and the stock, designs, approvals...); if you need a faster turnaround please ask, and we will see if our schedule at the time has any "give" in it.

Yes, for most work there is a minimum order value.

Screen Printing. Our minimum order value is twelve prints (can be a mixture of garments) per colour/design. For new and repeat work there is a lengthy set up process, and on higher volumes the unit charge comes down. If you only want a few prints for each design, other methods may be more cost-effective for you.

Vinyl and Transfer Printing. Normally yes, unless the design is particularly simple and artwork straightforward.

Embroidery. Yes, and it usually works out as the equivalent of about 20 items, or fewer on a high stitch count.

Relabelling. Depending on the actual work you require, it is not usually cost-effective to give us fewer than 50 items at a time.

For colour print and embroidery, we need a PDF or JPEG or PNG of the design.

For monochrome work, a PDF in black on white please.

We do not need vectored artwork such as EPS or AI formats: our conversion processes all work from "flat" files.

Yes, we will sample your embroidery and send you a photo; and we can mock up your print work and send an image for approval.

We also keep photographs of your work so we can do it again!

Screen prints are applied one colour at a time, and our charges therefore reflect the number of colours.

Likewise, with vinyl prints each colour has to be cut and printed separately.

Transfers are created in colour and pressed on in one hit.

For embroidery, the number of colours does impact on our set up time, but the machines run pretty much the same speed with only slight pauses for colour changes; so embroidery charges are based on the numbers of stitches in the design (which governs the machine time) not the colours in the design.

Yes, we have accounts with several major wholesalers and access to over 100 brands: click here to see our ANYWEAR clothing offer. We can also embroider, print and relabel clothing and accessories you have already sourced.

On top, we source specialist sportswear direct from the brands.

We can arrange Same Day, Next Day, Pallet and International deliveries.

Unless you have a trade account with us, you will pay before we despatch your work or when you collect; if we are ordering garments for you, we may ask for a payment up front to secure the order.

Yes, click here for our Terms & Conditions page.

Yes, we can work from business cards, or your own artwork but we will have to charge for our time converting into a format we can use for embroidery or print.

Your logo or design has to be converted – “digitised” - into a specific format that creates the stitch paths for the embroidery machine, and we charge for that set-up process.

There is no charge if you can supply your design in the file format for embroidery – typically the file extension will be DST or EMB - and it runs smoothly on our machines.

We may also have to charge for artwork. We can use most designs or images, but if your design requires more than just tidying up by our team before we digitise, then additional artwork charges may apply. We won’t charge without alerting you first!

Generally, we don’t have to charge set up again for repeat work.

If we are embroidering plain text, and not artwork or a specific font, we can usually reduce the set-up charge.

Yes, this is called monogramming, and we may be able to do this without a set up charge, if you are happy with a standard font.

Yes, we can embroider pretty much anything that will take a needle and will fit onto our machines – just ask!

Caps require specific frames to allow us to embroider on the curve – and we have those.

With embroidery we are of course making a lot of very small holes, so although most fabrics will close tightly around the stitches, we can on request finish off with a waterproof spray or tape. Vinyl and transfer printing do not penetrate the garment, and so don’t compromise waterproof fabrics.

Embroidered items will wash and iron perfectly well if you follow the particular care instructions for each item.

Yes, we can at additional cost. Be aware though that not all designs are suitable so please call us.

We can handle up to 15 colours but most embroidery is single colour or fewer than four. But yes we can also handle traditional multi-colour school and regimental crests and shields .

Depends ... if it is the same shape to multiple garments then let’s discuss what you have in mind. Our machines are not set up for individual fabric shapes to individual garments...

Traditional screen print (or silk screen print) is where ink is forced one colour at a time onto your garment, through a mesh frame that holds your design. It is ideal for volume work on cotton fabrics and some polyester fabrics such as Hi-Viz vests and jackets.

For performance fabrics and waterproof garments, it is better to use either vinyl, where your design is cut into a coloured film, or transfers, where a multi-coloured design like a complex school crest is printed onto special paper or film. This can also be more cost-effective than screen print on low volumes of prints for each design. Vinyl is most often used for names and numbers e.g. for sports clothing.

The vinyl or transfer is then pressed at high temperature onto the garment.

Yes. You can mix and match. With screen print, if we need to change the ink colours during the print run, additional fees will apply.

We have to transfer your designs to a film and a screen to screen print, or convert the artwork to make transfers or cut vinyl.

We may also have to charge for artwork. We can use most designs or images, but if your design requires more than just tidying up by our team to make it usable, then additional artwork charges may apply. We won’t charge without alerting you first!

Generally, we don’t have to charge set up again on repeat work.

Each colour is printed separately and we need a screen for each one.

If you are printing a light colour on a dark garment, we strongly recommend printing an under base to keep the colours vibrant. It is in effect a second print, hence the additional charge to make the result look perfect.

Screen print may eventually fade after many dozens of washes, particularly if washed at high temperature.

Vinyl and transfers will last well if washed at medium and low temperature. But NOT if you tumble dry on hot, or iron.

You can iron over screen print.

Vinyl and transfer printing do not penetrate the garment and so these processes don’t compromise the waterproof fabrics.

These are the most common clothing label formats:

Rowheath sew labels into garments but we do NOT manufacture the labels themselves. We can recommend these manufacturers, and if you ask them, they will send your labels directly to us to save time and money.

British Tags (Wrightsons) – 01483 569 237 www.britishtags.co.uk
Elite Labels – 0116 251 2634 www.elitelabelsgroup.com
GB Labels – 01646 600 664 www.gblabels.co.uk

Once you have ordered your labels, please contact us for a quote to sew them in. Remember there are laws and rules about labelling garments, so if you want us to remove labels that carry, for example, the fibre content, country of origin or care instructions, this information needs to be included on the labels you order for us to sew in. The manufacturers can advise you.

If we cut out neck labels and sew new ones over the top, you may be able to spot traces of the old label if you look hard enough!

Where we unpick the seam, remove the old label and slide in the new one and remake the seam, the result looks like the garment was manufactured with your label, but this takes us longer and so we charge a bit more.

Our advice would be: pay the extra for unpicking if you are selling garments with your brand; don’t bother with unpicking if we are relabelling uniform or workwear and cost is a factor for you.

No we don’t – we can vouch for three specialist manufacturers.

British Tags (Wrightsons) – 01483 569 237 www.britishtags.co.uk
Elite Labels – 0116 251 2634 www.elitelabelsgroup.com
GB Labels – 01646 600 664 www.gblabels.co.uk

And then please come back when you have them so we can sew them in for you.

Yes, provided we can get a needle through...

Yes, we have Kimball tag guns and plastic pins, and we can also attach tags by hand if you want them pinned or tied on.

Yes, we can fold and insert into your bags or packaging or our bags. We can also apply stickers and bar codes.