Our Story

FabricForge wasn't born in a boardroom or from a carefully written business plan. It started with a shared love for great design and the simple idea that personalised printing should feel personal.

We're Shams Noyon and Rakha Akter, the husband-and-wife team behind FabricForge.

Rakha has always had an incredible eye for colour, composition, and design. She notices the details most people miss — the perfect shade, the right balance, the little touches that make something memorable. I'm the one who became fascinated with turning those ideas into beautifully printed products that people could hold, wear, and keep for years.

Between her creativity and my determination to perfect every print, FabricForge came to life.

How we work day to day

FabricForge is a small husband-and-wife business, which shapes how we do things. There is no shop front and no queue; instead you message us, describe what you want and get a personal reply with a quote. Our base is in Enfield, EN3, and there is a collection point in East London, E14, for anyone who prefers to collect. Printing itself is carried out by production houses in major UK cities, so the garments and items you order are made by specialists who handle this work every day, while the conversation, the proof and the checking stay with us.

We did not start from nothing. FabricForge grew out of an earlier brand called PRINTFAST, which is no longer active. Moving on from it gave us a chance to simplify: fewer promises, clearer explanations and a focus on a single printing method that we understand properly.

One method, explained honestly

We print using DTF only. That means we do not offer embroidery, vinyl, screen printing or DTG, and we will say so if one of those is what you are looking for. Some people would rather be told that plainly than be sold something that does not suit their job. DTF prints a design onto a film that is then transferred to the garment, which works across a wide range of fabrics and colours and copes well with detailed or multi-coloured artwork. If you want to understand it in more depth, our guide to DTF printing explained goes through it step by step.

What we believe about personalised printing

These are the principles we try to work to rather than slogans.

• You should see it before it is printed. Proofs are shown before printing, so you can check names, spellings and layout while changes are still easy.
• Small orders matter. There is no minimum order, so a single gift gets the same attention as a team order. When you order five or more items, a discount applies.
• Quotes are personal. We would rather ask you a few questions and give an accurate quote than guess from a form. Prices are confirmed with you directly, not shown on a shelf.
• Honesty about timing. We ask for your deadline when you request a quote and suggest ordering early, because it is better to discuss dates at the beginning than to be disappointed at the end.
• Plain explanations. If we cannot do something, or if a different approach would suit you better, we will tell you.

The kinds of things people ask us to print

Requests arrive for all sorts of occasions: matching T-shirts for a family gathering, hoodies for a group, uniforms and workwear for a small business, kit for a team, gifts for pets and their owners, and printed paper items such as flyers, cards and booklets. We also help with larger formats like banners, flags and display stands. Some of the most important jobs are the quietest ones, such as printed keepsakes for a memorial, where care over spelling and wording counts for more than anything else. For those, our funeral and memorial printing guide sets out how we like to approach them.

Why a quote-led approach

Custom printing does not suit a fixed menu. Two people can ask for a T-shirt and need completely different things: one has a single colour logo, the other a photograph; one wants ten garments in assorted sizes, the other wants one. A conversation lets us understand what you need, suggest sensible placement and garment choices, and flag any problems with artwork before they become problems on a finished item. It also means that you always know who you are dealing with.

What helps us do a good job for you

You do not need to be a designer. A clear idea, the best image you have and an honest date are enough to begin. Tell us what the item is for, who will wear or receive it and when you need it by. If you are unsure about artwork, our artwork and file preparation guide explains what makes a file print well. When the proof arrives, take your time; we would always prefer you to ask for a correction than to approve something you are unsure about.

Do you have a shop I can visit?

No. We work by message, phone and email, and the printing is done by production houses in UK cities. You can collect from our East London point in E14 if that suits you, arranged in advance with us.

Who will I speak to?

You will be dealing with the two of us, Shams and Rakha, as a husband-and-wife team, and that continuity is deliberate. You should not have to explain your order twice.

Can I start with a rough idea?

Yes. Send what you have, whether that is a sketch, a photograph or a few words, and we will tell you what is possible and what we would need next.