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18 line items in process order, each with its tag, specification, quantity, power and an indicative unit price.
Colour-calibrated 27-inch display · vector suite · RIP software for film, DTG & DTF
Turns customer logos into print-ready vectors, colour separations and RIP'd print files.
A3+ inkjet · dense black ink set · waterproof film · halftone RIP
Prints the opaque film positives used to expose each colour screen.
60 cm cutting width · optical contour registration · 500 g force
Cuts heat-transfer vinyl for names, numbers and short-run sports kits.
UV-LED array · vacuum blanket · up to 58 × 76 cm frames · digital timer
Hardens photo-emulsion through the film positive to form the stencil on each screen.
Back-lit PE booth · 100 bar pressure washer · 20-screen drying cabinet
Washes out unexposed emulsion, reclaims used screens and dries them dust-free.
6 colours · 6 stations · micro-registration · manual (semi-auto upgrade)
Prints plastisol and water-based designs of up to six spot colours on garments and totes.
45 × 45 cm quartz IR panel · swing-away stand · timer
Gels the white underbase between colours so the next layer prints cleanly.
1.2 m tunnel · 60 cm Teflon belt · variable speed · up to 200 °C
Fully cures screen-printed ink so prints survive 50+ washes without cracking.
Automatic spray · programmable g/shirt · front & back in one pass
Applies an even pretreatment coat so DTG white ink bonds to dark cotton.
CMYK + white · 40 × 50 cm platen · ≈ 30 s light / 90 s dark shirt
Prints full-colour photographic designs straight onto cotton garments with no setup cost.
60 cm roll · twin heads CMYK + white · inline powder shaker & curing oven
Prints and powders gang sheets of transfers for any fabric, bags and caps.
40 × 60 cm twin-station · pneumatic · digital time/temp/pressure
Applies DTF, vinyl and sublimation transfers and cures DTG pretreatment.
Curved 8 × 15 cm platen · interchangeable cap forms · digital control
Presses DTF and vinyl logos onto curved cap fronts.
A3+ to 24-inch · sublimation ink set · ICC profiles per substrate
Prints mirrored dye-sublimation transfers for mugs, polyester kits and giftware.
11–15 oz wraps · digital timer · 25-tumbler convection oven optional
Transfers sublimation prints onto polymer-coated mugs and tumblers.
15 needles · 1,000 spm · 360 × 500 mm field · cap frame kit
Stitches logos on caps, polos and corporate shirts.
D65 daylight lamp · lint roller & thread trimmers · size/count sheets
Every piece is checked against the approved proof, trimmed and de-linted.
Folding boards · poly-bag sealer · mug boxes · carton scale & label printer
Items are folded, bagged by size, boxed and labelled for pickup or courier.
Indicative ex-works prices (US$, 2026) for budgeting a sample project, not quotations. Photos are illustrative of each machine class.
11 unit operations in order, with the equipment that performs each and its control point.
| Step | Operation | Equipment | Control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Order intake & artworkQuantities, sizes, blank colours and placement are confirmed and a digital proof is issued. | DS-101 Design & RIP Workstations |
Signed proof · Pantone refs · size/qty breakdown |
| 02 | Pre-press: RIP & separationsArtwork is vectorised, separated into spot colours, RIP'd for DTG/DTF and cut for vinyl. | DS-101 Design & RIP WorkstationsFP-102 Film Positive PrinterVC-103 Vinyl Cutter / Plotter |
Film density check · halftone LPI matched to mesh |
| 03 | Screen makingScreens are degreased, coated with emulsion, dried, exposed through the film and washed out.Emulsion → licensed | EX-201 LED Screen Exposure UnitWB-202 Washout Booth & Screen Dryer |
Step-wedge exposure test · pinhole check |
| 04 | Garment pretreatment (DTG)Dark cotton garments are sprayed with pretreatment and heat-pressed dry before DTG printing. | PT-401 DTG Pretreatment MachineHP-501 Pneumatic Flat Heat Press |
Pretreat g/shirt weighed · fully dry before print |
| 05 | Screen printingRuns of 30+ pieces are printed colour by colour on the carousel, flashing the underbase.Waste ink → licensed | CP-301 6-Colour 6-Station Carousel PressFD-302 Flash Cure Unit |
First-off vs proof · registration ±0.5 mm |
| 06 | DTG & DTF printingFull-colour short runs print direct to garment or onto powdered DTF transfer film. | DG-402 Direct-to-Garment (DTG) PrinterDF-403 DTF Printer & Powder Shaker |
Nozzle check each shift · swatch vs proof |
| 07 | Sublimation printingMirrored designs for mugs and polyester items are printed on sublimation paper. | SB-503 Sublimation Printer |
Correct ICC profile · mirror image confirmed |
| 08 | Curing & heat transferScreen prints cure in the tunnel; transfers are pressed onto garments, caps and mugs. | CD-303 Infrared Conveyor DryerHP-501 Pneumatic Flat Heat PressCH-502 Cap Heat PressMP-504 Mug Press (+ optional Tumbler Oven) |
Plastisol cure 160 °C · stretch test · press log |
| 09 | EmbroideryCaps and corporate shirts are hooped and stitched from the digitised logo file. | EM-505 Single-Head 15-Needle Embroidery |
Approved sew-out · thread tension · backing trim |
| 10 | QC & trimmingEach item is inspected under daylight, trimmed and de-linted; defects go to rework.Misprints → rework | QC-601 QC & Trimming Tables |
100 % visual · AQL 2.5 audit on bulk orders |
| 11 | Folding, packing & dispatchItems are folded, bagged by size, counted against the order and handed to courier. | PK-602 Folding & Packing Stations |
Count per size vs order · labelled cartons |
6 zones arranged for one-way material flow, with every item of equipment placed by tag.
Each job goes to the cheapest method for its run length, from a single DTG shirt to 2,000 screen prints.
DTG and DTF take one-off online orders with no screen setup, so small orders still make money.
Calibrated displays, ICC profiles and Pantone-referenced proofs keep brand colours consistent.
A tunnel dryer and logged heat presses give prints that pass 40–60 °C wash tests.
Waste ink and emulsion go to a NEMA-licensed handler; misprints are reworked or donated.
Blanks go in at one end and packed orders leave at the other, with no back-tracking.
The core routines operators follow, from start-up to batch release.
7 sections: open any one to read it, or download the whole document.
ChapaWorks Merchandise Ltd is a print-on-demand and branded-merchandise studio in Nairobi's Industrial Area. It prints T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, caps and tote bags for corporates, schools, event organisers and online shoppers. Five decoration methods in one 300 m² studio (screen printing, direct-to-garment, direct-to-film, sublimation and embroidery) let ChapaWorks take anything from a single personalised mug to a 2,000-shirt marathon order. The studio makes 800–1,200 mixed items per day on one shift with 24 staff.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Studio Size | ≈ 300 m² (incl. blanks store & office) |
| Daily Capacity | 800–1,200 mixed items (1 shift) |
| Initial Investment | KES 19.5M (~$150,000) |
| Year 1 Revenue | KES 72M (~$554,000) |
| Year 3 Revenue | KES 156M (~$1.2M) |
| Employees | 24 (Year 1), 34 (Year 3) |
| Payback Period | ≈ 22 months |
Each method is cheapest at a different run length, so every job goes to the method with the lowest cost for its quantity, fabric and design. Screen printing handles bulk corporate and event orders, while DTG and DTF make one-off and online orders profitable with no setup charge.
| Method | Best For | Min Order | Cost per Print (KES) | Durability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen printing | Bulk T-shirts, totes, event and campaign runs in 1–6 spot colours | 30–50 pcs | 40–120 + KES 1,500 setup per colour | 50+ washes |
| DTG | Photographic, full-colour designs on cotton; online one-offs | 1 pc | 250–600 (dark garments incl. pretreat) | 30–50 washes |
| DTF | Any fabric incl. polyester, nylon bags and caps; small to medium runs | 1 pc (gang sheets) | 120–350 per transfer | 40–50 washes |
| Sublimation | Mugs, tumblers, polyester sportswear, keyrings | 1 pc | 30–80 | Permanent (dye inside coating) |
| Embroidery | Caps, polos and corporate shirts; premium logos | 12 pcs | 150–400 per 5,000–8,000-stitch logo | Life of the garment |
| Heat-transfer vinyl | Names and numbers on sports kits | 1 pc | 80–200 | 30–50 washes |
| Product | % of Units | Typical Price (KES, incl. blank) |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirts (screen / DTG / DTF) | 55% | 550–900 |
| Hoodies & sweatshirts | 8% | 1,600–2,400 |
| Mugs & tumblers | 17% | 400–1,200 |
| Caps (embroidered / pressed) | 10% | 500–850 |
| Tote bags & other items | 10% | 250–600 |
Work moves one way through six zones: design and pre-press, screen room, screen-print hall, digital print room, heat-press and embroidery bay, then QC and packing. A job ticket carrying the signed proof goes with every order, so each station checks against the same approved artwork.
| Stage | Equipment | Throughput | Control Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order intake & artwork | Design workstations | 40–60 proofs/day | Signed proof with Pantone refs and size breakdown |
| Pre-press | RIP software, film printer, vinyl cutter | All jobs | Film density; halftone matched to mesh |
| Screen making | Exposure unit, washout booth | 12–15 screens/day | Step-wedge exposure test; pinhole check |
| Screen printing | 6/6 carousel press, 2 flash units | 450–550 garments/day | First-off approval; registration ±0.5 mm |
| DTG / DTF printing | Pretreater, DTG printer, DTF printer | 120–150 DTG + 200–250 DTF | Daily nozzle check; colour swatch vs proof |
| Sublimation & mugs | Sublimation printer, 3 mug presses | 150–200 mugs/day | ICC profile; press time/temperature log |
| Curing & heat transfer | Conveyor dryer, heat presses, cap press | Matches print output | 160 °C plastisol cure; stretch test |
| Embroidery | 15-needle single-head machine | 50–60 caps/day | Approved sew-out; thread tension |
| QC, packing & dispatch | QC tables, packing stations | All items | 100% visual; AQL 2.5 on bulk orders |
Corporate buyers expect logos in exact brand colours that survive repeated washing. ChapaWorks tests its print quality to international textile standards and keeps its operating licences, including hazardous-waste compliance, current.
| Requirement | Authority / Standard | How We Comply | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wash-fastness | ISO 105-C06 (domestic laundering) | Sample from each bulk run washed 5× at 40 °C; grey-scale rating ≥ 4 | Every bulk order |
| Colour matching | Pantone / client brand guide | Calibrated displays, ICC profiles, D65 light at QC; ΔE ≤ 3 target on key colours | Every job |
| Imported blanks & mugs | KEBS PVoC (Certificate of Conformity) | Buy only from suppliers who supply a CoC; mugs meet lead/cadmium-release limits | Every consignment |
| Hazardous waste (ink, emulsion, solvents) | NEMA Waste Management Regulations | Contract with a NEMA-licensed handler; waste tracking documents kept on file | Monthly collection |
| Effluent discharge | County water & sewerage company | Settling tank and filter on washout drain; effluent discharge licence | Annual renewal |
| Business & fire permits | Nairobi City County | Unified Business Permit, fire safety certificate, public health licence | Annual |
| Workplace safety | OSHA 2007 / DOSHS | Workplace registration, extraction over dryer and DTF oven, PPE, first-aid trained staff | Annual audit |
| Artwork rights | Copyright Act / KECOBO | Written client confirmation that they own or license every logo printed | Every order |
| Item | KES | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Production equipment (ex-works) | 12,200,000 | 94,000 |
| Freight, duty, installation & vendor training | 2,000,000 | 15,000 |
| Premises fit-out (3-phase power, screen room, extraction, settling tank) | 1,800,000 | 14,000 |
| Opening stock of blanks, inks & consumables | 1,600,000 | 12,000 |
| Licences, e-commerce site & launch marketing | 600,000 | 5,000 |
| Working capital (3 months) | 1,300,000 | 10,000 |
| Total | 19,500,000 | 150,000 |
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Items Produced | 120,000 | 190,000 | 260,000 |
| Average Price (KES, incl. blank) | 600 | 600 | 600 |
| Revenue | KES 72.0M (~$554k) | KES 114.0M (~$877k) | KES 156.0M (~$1.2M) |
| COGS (blanks, inks, consumables) | KES 39.6M (55%) | KES 61.6M (54%) | KES 82.7M (53%) |
| Gross Profit | KES 32.4M | KES 52.4M | KES 73.3M |
| Operating Expenses (staff, rent, power, marketing) | KES 19.0M | KES 26.5M | KES 34.0M |
| EBITDA | KES 13.4M | KES 25.9M | KES 39.3M |
| Depreciation | KES 2.9M | KES 2.9M | KES 3.2M |
| Tax (30%) | KES 3.2M | KES 6.9M | KES 10.8M |
| Net Profit | KES 7.3M (~$56k) | KES 16.1M (~$124k) | KES 25.3M (~$195k) |
| Cost Component | 2-Colour Screen-Printed T-shirt, 200 pcs (KES) | Sublimation Mug, 11 oz (KES) |
|---|---|---|
| Blank (180 gsm cotton tee / coated mug) | 330 | 110 |
| Ink / sublimation paper | 12 | 10 |
| Screens & emulsion (amortised) | 8 | -- |
| Direct labour (print, cure, QC, fold) | 25 | 12 |
| Power (dryer / press) | 6 | 3 |
| Packaging (poly bag / mug box) | 9 | 20 |
| Overheads allocation | 45 | 25 |
| Total Cost | 435 | 180 |
| Selling Price | 650 | 450 |
| Margin per Unit | 215 (33%) | 270 (60%) |
Payback: cumulative cash from operations (net profit plus depreciation) reaches the KES 19.5M investment in about 22 months.
Branded merchandise is part of the yearly budget for most Kenyan organisations. Banks, telcos, SACCOs and NGOs buy staff uniforms and giveaways, schools order sports-day, trip and graduation T-shirts, churches and event organisers need crusade, marathon and conference merchandise, and online creators sell their own designs through Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp. Election cycles add sharp demand peaks: Kenya's 2027 general-election campaign will drive large T-shirt and cap orders in the first half of 2027.
| Tier | Definition | Value |
|---|---|---|
| TAM | Kenya branded apparel & promotional merchandise | KES 25B (~$190M) |
| SAM | Nairobi metro corporate, school, event & online orders | KES 8B (~$62M) |
| SOM (Year 3) | ChapaWorks target share | KES 156M (~$1.2M, ≈ 2% of SAM) |
| Competitor Type | Strength | Weakness | Gap We Exploit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown / River Road print shops | Lowest price, walk-in speed | Undercured prints, poor colour matching, no digital print | Wash-tested quality and brand-accurate colour |
| Large promotional houses | Corporate relationships, big catalogues | High minimums, 3–4 week lead times, much outsourced | Everything in-house; 5–7 day standard turnaround |
| Imported merchandise (China) | Low unit cost at volume | 6–10 week lead time, 1,000+ minimums | Local speed for urgent and small runs |
| Home-based heat-press sellers | Low overhead, strong social media | Vinyl/DTF only, cannot handle 500+ pieces | Wholesale DTF transfers for them, plus bulk capacity |
| Phase | Months | Milestones |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | M1–M2 | Lease signed (Industrial Area) · county permits · NEMA waste-handler contract · equipment ordered |
| Fit-out | M3 | 3-phase power, screen room, extraction, washout drain and settling tank installed |
| Install & train | M4 | Equipment landed via Mombasa, installed and commissioned · vendor training · 24 staff hired |
| Soft launch | M5 | Online store live · 10 pilot corporate accounts · school packages launched |
| Ramp-up | M6–M12 | 500 items/day average · campaign-season orders · 60 active B2B accounts |
| Scale | M13–M24 | 900+ items/day · semi-auto press upgrade · partial second shift · trade DTF service |
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank garment price and KES/US$ swings | High | High | Quotes valid 14 days · two local and one import supplier · 50% deposit buys blanks |
| Power outages during curing | Medium | Medium | 30 kVA standby genset · UPS on DTG/DTF printers · dryer restart procedure |
| DTG/DTF printhead clogging | Medium | High | Humidity control · daily maintenance log · spare heads and dampers in stock |
| Seasonal demand (Q4 and school terms peak) | High | Medium | Online store and trade DTF fill quiet months · temporary staff for peaks |
| Corporate late payment (60–90 day terms) | Medium | High | Credit checks · 50% deposits · invoice discounting line |
| Political order default or reputational risk | Medium | Medium | 100% payment before printing · campaign work capped at 25% of capacity |
| Customer artwork infringes trademarks | Low | High | Signed artwork-rights declaration on every order · refuse counterfeit brand requests |
Equipment specifications, process flow diagrams, recipes and the business plan, bundled as one download.
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