In the world of Amazon 2-day delivery, customers increasingly want their products decorated and delivered fast. In order to keep up with this demand, efficiency and automation are the keys to success—especially when it comes to print-on-demand production. For USColorworks, keeping up with demand while maintaining speed and accuracy is no small feat. With nearly a third of their business dedicated to print-on-demand, they needed a solution that could handle thousands of individual orders without creating bottlenecks or adding unnecessary labor.
Enter STAHLS’ Fulfill Engine—the all-in-one production management software that has revolutionized their workflow, allowing them to scale on-demand printing with ease. Here’s how Fulfill Engine powers every step of the process at USColorworks, from receiving orders to shipping completed products.
Who is USColorworks?
Located outside Charlotte, NC, USColorworks is a contract decorator specializing in the promotional products industry. Since its founding in 2002, the company has grown to produce 25,000–30,000 garments daily, employing 160 team members. Their services include screen printing, embroidery, direct-to-garment (DTG), and direct-to-film (DTF) apparel decoration.
Print On Demand at USColorworks
While bulk screen printing remains a core part of their operation, approximately 30% of USColorworks’ business comes from print-on-demand (POD), totaling around 3,000 pieces per day. Despite their POD volume doubling in the last year, they maintain an impressive turnaround time—ranging from same-day fulfillment to a maximum of 72 hours.
So how do they efficiently manage thousands of individual orders daily? The answer is Fulfill Engine.
What is Fulfill Engine?
Built by apparel decorators for apparel decorators, Fulfill Engine is a powerful all-in-one print shop software designed to streamline operations, boost productivity, and drive business growth. Whether you’re a small business or a large-scale decorator, Fulfill Engine provides the tools to simplify order management and fulfillment.
From order capture to shipping, Fulfill Engine automates every step of the production process—eliminating inefficiencies, reducing manual tasks, and enabling efficient print-on-demand workflows.
“The industry is going towards print on demand. If you have a shop in this industry right now, you either are already doing print on demand or you’re quickly getting into where you can do it. And I think Fulfill Engine offers you the best opportunity to get into that part of the market with the least amount of pain.”
Rodney McDonald, Co-Owner USColorworks
Scaling On-Demand Printing with Fulfill Engine
Since implementing Fulfill Engine, USColorworks has transformed its on-demand production, enabling them to efficiently process thousands of individual orders daily while minimizing manual tasks and maximizing speed.
Let’s walk through how an order moves from receiving to shipping with Fulfill Engine.
Receiving Orders
The moment garments arrive, the process begins with automation. Instead of manually checking packing slips and sorting inventory, employees simply enter or scan the purchase order (PO) into Fulfill Engine.
The system instantly generates stickers of QR-codes for each unit, streamlining identification and tracking. These QR codes become the backbone of the process, providing critical order details, guiding decoration workflows, and accelerating fulfillment.
Staging & Production
Once garments are labeled, they move into staging and production. The QR stickers contain all necessary order details, including batch and item numbers, garment specifications, decoration station assignments, print placement locations, due dates, and priority levels.
Operators can quickly match transfers to garments, verify placement accuracy, and proceed with decoration. With a simple scan, the system displays a mockup of the finished product, ensuring every item meets customer expectations. Once decorated, the operator marks the item as complete, and it’s ready for the next step.
Value of Fulfill Engine:
- Eliminates manual garment tallying, consolidation, and ordering.
- No need to track paperwork or spreadsheets—everything is digital.
- Provides clear visual indicators for turnaround times, special handling, and decoration types.
Shipping with Fulfill Engine
In the final stage, Fulfill Engine removes the guesswork from shipping. Employees scan the QR code to instantly pull up order details, ensuring accuracy before packaging. If all items in an order are ready, a shipping label is generated, and the package is sent out.
For multi-item orders awaiting additional pieces, the system intelligently stages them in designated bins until all components arrive. This method eliminates shipping errors, optimizes carrier selection, and minimizes costs through automated group shipping.
Pain Points Fulfill Engine Solves:
- Eliminates manual address entry, reducing typos.
- Generates shipping labels with one click.
- Optimizes carrier selection for cost-effective shipping.
- Provides real-time order tracking and packing requirements.
- Automates shipping groupings to lower costs and improve efficiency.
By integrating Fulfill Engine, USColorworks has scaled its on-demand production without sacrificing speed or accuracy, allowing them to meet growing customer demands while maintaining profitability.
See USColorworks in Action
Want to see Fulfill Engine in action at USColorworks? Watch the latest episode of Heat Press Transformation with Dave Conner from STAHLS’ Transfer Express and industry expert Marshall Atkinson. This episode takes you behind the scenes to explore how USColorworks efficiently produces 25,000–30,000 garments daily—including 3,000 print-on-demand pieces—using a highly automated workflow powered by STAHLS’ Fulfill Engine.
For more details, check out our press release.
