Ampro Expands Heat Applied Graphics Division After Six-Month Quality Infrastructure Build

A Returned Shirt Sparked a Wash Testing Transformation

PRIMOS, PA, UNITED STATES, January 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ampro has officially launched an enterprise-scale Heat Applied Graphics division, but only after spending six months building what is uncommon among independent decorators: an in-house professional wash lab.

The catalyst? A shirt in the wild.

"A friend was wearing a company shirt we'd decorated for him years ago, something I'd seen dozens of times," says Stephanie Shea, CEO of Ampro. "But one day the logo was puckering and distorted. It didn't represent him well. I asked him to send it back."

What followed was a deep dive into decoration durability. Ampro's team re-ran the same artwork with different digitizing approaches, backing, and construction methods, then tested heat-applied alternatives side-by-side.

"In this case, a heat-applied solution outperformed embroidery because of the design geometry: dense stitching, fine text, and a big floating area of negative space," Shea explains. "That's when we decided we needed wash testing that reflects real life. Life is not a lab."

From One Shirt to Systematic Testing

Rather than scaling heat applied graphics immediately, Ampro invested in a DynaWash system, the same lab-grade equipment used by independent textile testing labs.

"We built our wash testing around the person who wears the garment, not the person who approves the sample," Shea says. "Real life is big loads, mixed colors, hot cycles, and places to be. If it can't survive that, it's not ready."

Every heat applied graphic now undergoes aggressive testing for adhesion, stretching, crocking, dye migration, fibrillation, and dimensional stability before approval.

Heat Applied Graphics Isn't a Side Hustle Here. It's Built to Run.

With testing infrastructure proven, Ampro then quadrupled production capacity, retooling the heat seal equipment:

-Quatro 6-head DTF system running production volumes with extended color gamut
-Silicone patch line now operating at what Shea calls "dizzying volumes" for enterprise uniform and promotional programs
-Specialized heat press stations with top-heat, bottom-heat, and novelty pallets for difficult placements
-Full capabilities including woven labels, sublimated patches, embroidered badges, and hybrid constructions that combine multiple decoration methods on a single garment

"We took our time getting here," Shea says. "We waited for direct-to-film technology and adhesives to prove their durability before bringing heat-applied graphics to the same production scale as screen printing and embroidery. Our job isn't to push a decoration method. It's to choose the one that will last. Testing lets us evaluate logo geometry, wear conditions, and wash behavior, then prove the solution survives real life before it ships."

About Ampro

American Process Lettering Inc. (dba Ampro) is a family-owned decorator specializing in bespoke screen printing, embroidery, and heat applied graphics programs at scale. Founded 50+ years ago in Delaware County, PA, Ampro serves enterprise clients who demand manufacturing-grade quality with boutique agility.

Stephanie Shea
Ampro Screenprinting & Embroidery
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