Export Week

By Lineo Tshivhase, MD

A practical note on export week, focused on proofs, packaging checks and document flow for work leaving South Africa.

Busy dispatch periods need tighter packing lists, clearer labelling and firmer sample control. Export Week is our note on preparing Epson hardware, literature and graphic-arts material for longer outbound movements.

Export consignments put more strain on print, packing and paperwork than a local drop-off. For Export Week, our Epson graphic-arts team records the checks that matter for jobs moving out through Gauteng and Cape Town, from label accuracy to carton contents. Export orders are matched to your dispatch note number, so add it when you use the contact form.

Checks before outbound dispatch

• Destination and collection date logged
• Proof sample kept with print spec and packing record
• Carton code or file reference matched to documents
• Consignee name written exactly as shipping papers show

Read this note with the related hardware and workflow pages. Export packing decisions depend on the Epson model, the substrate used and whether the job is travelling as samples, literature or finished print.

How Export Week supports export print work

Export Week focuses on the checks that matter when printed work is leaving South Africa. Proofs, packaging and document flow all need to line up properly so Epson graphic-arts output arrives as expected and with the right paperwork.

Begin with the media grade, page size and route out of South Africa. Coated sheets, mounted samples and hardware cartons behave differently once they move through depots, airport handling and longer storage intervals. Our export notes stay close to conditions seen around Gauteng dispatch points and Cape Town outbound shipments.

Photograph the packed set before it leaves the print room. Add a short sheet listing quantity, orientation marks and any special handling note for the Epson output or hardware in the box. That record helps when a sample set must be checked against what was sent.

Dispatch conditions across South Africa

Export handling often starts with timing around OR Tambo collections, city traffic and warehouse cut-offs. A job leaving from Gauteng may need different packing detail from one moving out through Cape Town, especially where proof sets and hardware literature travel together. Separate the shipping record from the wider production notes so the consignment file stays clean.

Coastal moisture can affect outer cartons and stored print packs before handover. Inland dust shows up on wrapped hardware, sample sleeves and exposed media if prep tables are not cleared properly. During load-shedding periods, teams usually tighten sign-off steps so labels, counts and photos are completed before power changes interrupt the sequence.

Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.