Frequently Asked Questions

There is no minimum order quantity but setup charges associated with each branding process still apply. When the setup charge is amortised over smaller quantities, the cost per unit is higher ie. branding 50 units versus 10 units always works out cheaper per unit. Should you need a pre-production sample, we offer sample branding at reduced rates
Once an order is invoiced, a picking slip automatically prints in the warehouse and work starts on the order, regardless of whether we have received payment or not. The order is pulled, checked, packed and shelved. Stock is allocated to your order and thus unavailable for other clients to order. Once an order is canceled, there is a significant amount of work involved in returning these canceled goods to our shelves in order to make them available to other clients. Therefore we encourage our clients to only place orders with African Brand Architects once they have received a firm, written order from their clients.

When an order is collected and taken off African Brand Architects premises, we no longer have control over the stock and therefore cannot confidently put the stock back for resale without carefully inspecting it first. This is a very time consuming process and involves a lot of labour as the order needs to be unpacked, thoroughly checked and then put back into stock. The return of goods, once collected from African Brand Architects, is only permitted at Management’s discretion.

For full information, please see our terms and conditions on our website.

Clients are able to place back orders for incoming stock just as they place orders for stock we have on hand. An ETA is an estimated time of arrival. When we order new stock from our suppliers we cannot guarantee a date that the stock will be available for sale. Possible reasons for this include manufacturing, shipping and stock clearing customs delays which could postpone the entire shipment. We also have an internal quality control team that has to check the shipment once it arrives. If the stock does not meet the African Brand Architects Quality Standard it will not be released for sale.
No, African Brand Architects only brands stock that we hold. The reason for this is due to the fact that every item we have in our range has been extensively tested in each branding department to determine the best branding method and size for the item as well as the item’s tolerance for heat. We offer our clients a one-stop-shop where they can purchase products and get the best possible branding done for that item, all under one roof.
When stock goes missing or is damaged we take it very seriously as we strive to provide a world-class service offering. We ask for the tape colour and weights to ascertain where the error originated: if it was from our suppliers, the warehouse or branding. If the stock is misprinted we need pictures so that we can investigate if the order can be fixed or if we need to replace the stock. This way we can give you an answer and start with the replacement process swiftly. We need all of this information so that we can constantly improve our service and look for ways to avoid such mishaps in the future. For full information, please see our terms and conditions on our website
We have a production planner based in each branding department. The planner’s responsibility is to schedule all branding jobs for that particular department. They look at the queue of jobs and determine which order they need to be run in for us to meet the given lead-times. As the day’s schedule has to be created in advance, we need to give the planner time to work out the schedule. When a job is approved, it is added to the production queue but because the jobs for that particular day have already been planned and ordered, it cannot be included in the same day’s schedule as it will affect the jobs already in the production queue.
Even though we may have the artwork on file, all of our machines need to be setup for individual orders. The machine settings are different for each item and must be adjusted with each order. The greater part of the setup fee is charged for the amount of time and the labour involved in setting up a machine. A setup takes approximately 45-60 minutes in all branding departments, except for screen and pad printing where it can take 45-60 minutes for each colour being branded. In embroidery, because the artwork has already been digitised from the first order, we do not charge a full set up fee. We only charge for the labour involved in setting up the machine.
This may seem tedious but our layouts are not only for artwork purposes; they also ensure that the correct stock codes and quantities are being branded. Any warnings also remain on the layout so that your client is aware of potential problems which may arise by branding in the manner shown on the layout.
African Brand Architects does not use quick traced artwork because it is not a true reflection of the original artwork. Quick traced artwork often has uneven edges and detail from the original logo is lost. This leads to the print quality being compromised. See our Artwork FAQ’s available on our website which explains this process in detail.

The majority of print processes require vector artwork so it is likely that the printer redrew the artwork. African Brand Architects does offer redraws and has designers dedicated to recreating artwork but we have a huge number of requests for them. We offer free redraws if it can be done in 10 minutes or less. Unfortunately, anything over 10 minutes has to be charged for. In some instances artwork cannot be redrawn for example hotographs and low resolution images where the details are not distinct..

We offer personalisation in:
• Embroidery
• Laser Engraving
• Digital processes (sublimation, heat press, domed and vinyl stickers, digital transfer)
The reason for this is every other department needs a screen, plate or die to be made. This means that we will haveto setup for each individual personalisation, which is not cost effective and very labour intensive.

Each item is tested before a guideline is created to determine the best possible option for branding. We have to brand on the flattest part of the item that is free of any obstruction so if an item has a seam or border, it limits the available space for branding. Similarly, we can’t brand on a curved as it causes the branding to distort. These factors, as well as productivity and the quality of the branded item, are taken into account so as not to compromise on our high standard of branding.

With screen printing, we have to apply a light glue spray to the board on the machine so that the item sticks to the board. This prevents movement during printing so that the branding position is consistent and, in addition, when branding more than one colour, that the registration of the artwork is correct. In cases where an item has a lining, only the bottom layer of the lining sticks to the board leaving the top layer loose and as a result, we cannot ensure that all the colours in the artwork register correctly. Another reason why colours may be restricted is due to the nature of the material we are branding on. When we branding a multi-colour logo we need to dry the print after each individual colour is added. Some items cannot withstand long periods of heat therefore we cannot dry each individual colour and we restrict the amount of colours that we can brand on that item.

When artwork contains wording in a certain font and the font is not converted to curves, it remains in a text format.
This means that when the artwork is imported into a design programme, the programme will read it as text that can be edited. If we do not have the font that the wording was created in, the design programme will automatically convert it to a different font that we do have. This will compromise the artwork and the font will not be exactly the same as what was used in the original artwork.

Converting to curves means that the design programme reads the font as a drawing instead of text and, as such, the programme will not require a font. To do this, the artwork needs to be opened on a computer that has the required font installed and converted to curves. Alternatively, can send us the required font file so we can install it and open
the file.

Normal branding prices plus an additional personalisation fee per item apply. The additional charge is necessary because extra time needs to be taken when personalising items to ensure that all the items have the correct names and that there are no duplicates. If you are doing personalisation in embroidery, each name needs to be digitised. The fee covers the extra labour.

If a logo is the same colour but going on different colour items, then only one setup is charged. When we change print colour we have to set up the machine again. For instance, when screen printing, once we print the logo in the first colour, we have to take the screen off the machine, clean off all the ink and then set the machine up again before we print the logo in another colour.

There are a couple reasons for this. Each item has its own jig: a place holder for the item that is mounted onto the machine. Every time we change the item, we have to change the jig and reset the machine so that the logo is printed in the correct position.

Another reason is that not all the items have the same branding space so on some items we can brand a larger logo than on others which means that the artwork will be different. For instance, if we are screen printing two items with the same logo but the logo is a different size on each item, we need two different screens