Midcomp has installed an HP Stitch S500 dye-sublimation printer at Chepa Corporate Services. The customer also opted for Midcomp’s Pay Per Use (PPU) programme, which gives Chepa Corporate peace of mind and cost savings.
The S500 is an all-in-one dye-sublimation solution. With a single device, users can print on both transfer paper and direct to fabric with great results. The printer also features reliable image quality with 2 x CMYK user-replaceable printheads and automatic compensation of up to 30% nozzles out. Without increasing production space, users can double their unattended printing capacity. Users can also efficiently manage their fleet, and remotely monitor printer status and ink/substrate use with HP PrintOS.
Chepa Corporate Services’ founder and managing director, Dumi Mahlangu, said, ‘I started manufacturing custom African print apparel for the retail industry seven years ago. We grew from there and now we also offer B2B services.’
‘We’ve just introduced customisation options for our clients. Now we’re also doing golf shirts and jackets, which we sublimate for clients. We use their corporate identity, reinterpreted into our own style, and then produce bespoke items for them.’
Previously, Chepa Corporate Services would outsource this function, which impacted on its timelines, with huge back and forth in terms of quality, and sometimes the colours didn’t come out the way the company wanted. The company were also required to do very in-depth consultations with the service provider until they got it right.
Mahlangu said that the printer has helped the company to ensure that they get their colours correct. They also enjoy improved lead times, and have the ability to experiment with materials from different fabric bases as well as offer clients new products.
‘We’re able to customise products better now because instead of doing an all-over print, we can sublimate in panels and then join the garment together. So it makes things much easier. It’s faster than I thought – we’re able to print and get a lot more product out.’
New Markets
The S500 is expanding the B2B offering that the company has just started, and they are going to expand their women’s range, because now they will be using a lot of sensitive and soft fabrics for women, like satin, silk and polyester-based fabrics, which are very soft, feminine, flowy, and nice to touch and feel against the skin.
Athleisure wear and sports apparel is another market the company is exploring, using custom prints. ‘Our prints are very unique in the market because no one designs prints like we can. So they appeal to a wide segment of the market,’ said Mahlangu.
The company has also been looking at creating custom bags, as well as other accessories like scarves, which is something that previously couldn’t be achieved with a very hard cotton base. With the machine, the company is able to print and get a nicer, softer touch and feel on the products that they release to their retail and B2B clients.
Tapping Into Trends
According to Mahlangu, many fashion designers are doing a lot of custom prints instead of buying prints at suppliers because they want to differentiate themselves from other brands.
He added that top designers are now looking at purchasing textile printers so that they can design prints from scratch that speak to their identity, fashion, customer base and brand. He added that this is a very unique offering to the market because people want exclusivity.
‘We’re able to offer clients exclusivity by being able to customise prints for them. More designers are also going local and having their supply chain in-house rather than outsourcing. In-house is slightly more expensive, but it adds value to the customer journey.
‘Once my customers see what we’re doing in our factory, they find more value. They’re happy that the fabric they’re wearing is printed right here. It’s sewn here, packaged, quality controlled, washed, cleaned and it’s delivered to them. They see the journey that this garment takes through our factory tours. Eventually, we’ll be able to cut down on our costs to make things much more affordable for clients, through scaling and assistance from stakeholders.’
Mahlangu said that the biggest benefit of digital printing for designers and creators is customisation: ‘It’s you owning your own intellectual property, your own creative, and being able to produce what you thought of. That is very unique to the market. If you’re able to use it to your advantage, you can leverage from it, grow your business, and you can stand out.’
Service
Mahlangu described the service from Midcomp as ‘fabulous’. ‘I’ve known Navin Jeewanlall (one of the directors at Midcomp) for two years and engaged with him when I first learnt about sublimation and customisation. I went to their offices and he explained the whole process to me. I bought the Stitch a year later. Midcomp’s process is seamless, with great support and great technical knowledge. They are also very helpful with complementary machines that can help my business.’
PPU
The PPU comprehensive and customised programme, created by Midcomp, helps accurately calculate a company’s costs per square metre. This ensures peace of mind that if something goes wrong with a machine, it can be fixed without having a huge bill to deal with.
‘It’s very expensive to maintain or always take money out of pocket due to cash flow. So I’d rather know that I’d have my consumables readily available once ordered. If I have a big order and for example I’m out of ink, I don’t have to be in a situation where I have to run around looking for cash,’ said Mahlangu.
‘I’m able to order and then after delivery settle my statements with Midcomp. I like the fact that my service is covered, as well as the labour, travel, parts and printheads. I think that is a genius kind of proposition to the market, because then you have certainty that whatever issues you have, Midcomp is there to assist you. You don’t have to always be out of pocket.’
Navin Jeewanlall, Director at Midcomp, said, ‘It has been an absolute pleasure partnering with Mahlangu and the staff at Chepa Corporate Services. I love his creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. We look forward to supporting Chepa and helping Mahlangu grow his business to the next level in the not too distant future.’
‘Midcomp has had great success with the HP Stitch technology over the last five years, from the 3.2m wide HP Stitch S1000 to the HP Stitch S500. This is a mature product and will add value to any business looking to start up or expand into the apparel or soft signage business with one of the lowest cost per square metre in the market. These printers are workhorses and continue to collectively and effortlessly print tens of thousands of square metres per month at various customer sites. Partnered up with our PPU Programme, the end user has total peace of mind.’
MIDCOMP
+27 11 789 1222
sales@midcomp.co.za
http://www.midcomp.co.za
CHEPA
+27 11 568 3789
info@chepa.co.za
https://www.chepa.co.za/
