How to check your order status
If your job is already with us, start by having your job reference, company name, or the name used on the enquiry form ready. That makes it easier for our team to find the correct order, especially when we are handling school runs, club kit, signage and bulk clothing work at the same time.
From there, use the enquiry form on the contact page and send a short message with your reference plus the date you placed the order. If you are checking from Durban Central, Berea, Pinetown, Westville, Amanzimtoti, Ballito or Pietermaritzburg, courier or local delivery details can also help us confirm where your parcel is in the chain.
- Include the job name or reference number
- Tell us whether it is for print approval, production, or dispatch
- Add the delivery area if the order has already left Umbilo
What each stage means for your job
We keep the process practical and clear so you know what is happening to your T-shirts, caps, banners or signage. Some jobs move quickly, while others wait on artwork sign-off, colour separation or a screen recheck before printing starts.
Here is how the main stages usually work:
- Approval: artwork checking, vector redrawing and colour separation are being completed, or your final proof is waiting for sign-off
- Pre-production: films are being output, screens are stretched, coated with emulsion and exposed for the image
- Production: the job is on press, with test printing, screen registration and ink checks under way
- Dispatch: the completed order has been packed and moved to courier delivery or local drop-off
If a design has fine lettering, multiple colours or a tricky logo, it can spend a little longer in approval. That is normal, and it helps avoid wasteful reprints later on.
What can slow a print job down
Most delays happen when an artwork file is low quality, colours need adjustment, or the size supplied will not print cleanly on the chosen garment or substrate. In-house checks help us catch these issues early, but we may still need your go-ahead before we move ahead.
Weather can also affect dispatch times, especially in Durban when heavy rain or coastal humidity changes drying time. During load shedding, some production steps may need to be rescheduled so the finished work stays consistent. We would rather hold a job for a short while than rush it and send out something that is not right.
- Artwork missing bleed, outlines or clear colour instructions
- Unclear quantities for school, club or staff orders
- Late approval on proofs or changes after sign-off
- Courier collections delayed by traffic, weather or municipal access issues
Picking up progress updates without calling around
For the quickest update, send your enquiry through the contact page and mention that it is for an active order. If we need to confirm anything with production, our team can check the latest internal notes and come back to you with the current position. This is often faster than trying to guess where a job sits in the line.
Our Umbilo base handles the full chain in-house, from screen making and reclaiming to exposure, washout, touch-up and storage. That means fewer handovers and better control over timing. If your order is going by courier, we can confirm whether it is still in dispatch, already handed over, or due to leave on the next collection run.
- Use one message per order if you have several jobs open
- Keep the reference number in every follow-up note
- Tell us if you need the order before a school event, match day or launch
How to plan for schools, clubs and business deadlines
If you are ordering for a school, sports club or business in KZN, the best way to avoid pressure is to check progress before the final week. Caps and T-shirts for a fundraiser, staff uniforms for a new branch, or banners for a sports day all need a bit of lead time, especially when multiple sizes or artwork versions are involved.
For larger jobs, we often split production into batches so colour remains consistent and nothing gets missed. That is useful when different garment sizes or print positions are needed. It also helps if you are sending work to different sites, such as Durban Central, Westville or Pietermaritzburg. A small typo in your delivery details can hold up a courier drop, so please check those carefully.
After dispatch: what happens next
Once a job leaves our Umbilo workshop, it is either ready for local delivery or handed to a courier for nationwide transit. If you are in nearby areas like Berea, Pinetown, Westville, Amanzimtoti or Ballito, delivery timing may be quicker than longer KZN routes, but collection schedules and traffic can still affect the final handover.
If your parcel has already been dispatched and you have not received it yet, send us the order reference and the delivery area. We can check whether it is still moving, waiting at a depot, or due for the next drop. For bulky signage, make sure someone is available to receive it, because some items need a signature or careful handling on arrival.
