Branding Styles Frequently used in Kenya

Branding of clothes and garments in Nairobi, Kenya is mostly done by heat press or embroidery. Most clothing items that are personalized in Kenya are hats, caps, T-shirts and shirts. The many big questions would therefore be; should I choose embroidery or heat press? What is the difference? What is entailed in each? While both use special machines, the look and effect are totally different.

Embroidery is created using a type of sewing machine. There are needles and thread involved. Color options are many and can change with each design and garment.

Embroidered designs use needle and thread on the garment. It is the best choice for hats and business branded clothing. With the right care, embroidered items last a long time.

Heat press designs are typically one or two colors. The more colors a design has, the more costly it becomes. Heat press designs come on a sheet and are transferred to garments via a giant, custom-made iron. Because of the transfer process, they have a flat look. Heat press designs are a good option for events or sports teams.

How to care for embroidered customized clothes

Use the following care instructions that eusiblack.com recommends for embroidered clothes.

• Hand-washing and air-drying are your gentlest options.
• Wash the fabric as gently as possible to avoid shrinking and air-dry if you can while following the fabric’s care instructions.
• When machine washing embroidered clothing, turn the garments inside out to protect the embroidery from abrasion. When possible, avoid washing embroidered items with items that have metal hardware such as zippers.
• If you are concerned about the thread color bleeding onto the fabric wash gently in cold water. If you notice any bleeding when washing the fabric, rinse the item in cool water until the color is removed.
• When ironing the embroidered item, either use a pressing cloth over the embroidery, or iron it inside out. Don’t let the iron touch the embroidery directly. Use dry heat and avoid the steam feature on your iron — steam can cause the stabilizer to shrink up, creating a puckered look.

Kindly understand that all clothes wear out as they are washed and used.

How to care for heat pressed customized clothes

Regardless of the heat transfer vinyl brand or style, it is recommended that all decorated garments be washed inside out while monitoring water temperature and drying recommendations.

Use the following care instructions recommended for heat pressed customized clothes.

• Turn garment inside out
• Machine wash COLD with mild detergent
• Do NOT use bleach
• Do not dry clean.
• Dry at a normal dryer setting on household machines

Note that these instructions apply to the vinyl material only not necessarily the entire garment