This article explains how to set up your production workflows in GelatoConnect using the Workflow Builder. It guides apparel producers through creating digital versions of their physical processes — printing, quality control, packaging — so every order follows a consistent, automated path from intake to dispatch. You'll define steps, assign machines, configure outputs, connect hot folders, and test everything end-to-end.

Build your apparel production workflow
Define each step of the production flow
Configure machine output and job settings
Configure hot folders in Work Settings
Add job tickets and impositions
Assign workstations to each step
Run tests before going live
Best practices

1. Build your apparel production workflow

A workflow in GelatoConnect is a digital blueprint that mirrors your real-life production process. It ensures every apparel order follows a clear and optimized route through your facility — based on print method, machine type, and order specifics.

Workflows can vary depending on:

Print technique — DTG, DTF, sublimation, embroidery
Machine model — e.g. Brother GTX, Kornit Atlas, Melco
Product attributes — garment color, size, or material
Order complexity — single item vs. bundles

🔗 GelatoConnect Workflow — Onboarding Guide (Video Seri

2. Define each step of the production flow

Typical steps for apparel:

Step	Description
Pre-treatment	For DTG or dark garments; operator applies treatment manually
Print	Print using DTG, DTF, or sublimation machines
Drying / Curing	Cure the print via heat press
Stitching	Embroidery via Melco or similar
Quality Control	Product is scanned and checked for errors (configured automatically)
Packaging	Item is bagged and labeled for shipping (configured automatically)

You define each step in the Workflow Builder and link it to the machines and stations in your facility.

3. Configure machine output and job settings

Each printer or machine model may need specific formats or settings. In Workflow Builder, you can:

Assign which machine processes the job
Set naming conventions and formats (e.g. PNG, XML, KSF, EMB)
Choose resolution, color mode, platen size, etc.

Examples

Kornit printers use .ksf files sent to hot folders.
Brother GTX may require XML files with specific layer tags.
Melco embroidery machines read native embroidery files from a watched folder.

Need a deeper machine-by-machine reference? See: [GC Apparel] Machine Configuration for Apparel Production | GelatoConnect | Help Center

4. Configure hot folders in Work Settings

The Work Settings page in the Desktop App is where you connect GelatoConnect's workflow output to your physical printer or embroidery machine. Most setup questions come down to two fields: Files source hot folder and Files output hot folder. This section explains what each one means, how they connect to your workflow, and how to verify the configuration end-to-end.

4.1 How files flow between GelatoConnect and your machines

Summary of the flow:

Files source hot folder = where files come from. Your workflow's Send-to-FTP activity drops files into Gelato's SFTP. You mount that SFTP as a local drive on the PC running the Desktop App, and the path you enter here points at that mapped location (plus any subfolder your workflow writes to).
Files output hot folder = where files need to land so your machine can pick them up. This is a local folder your printer's RIP software or your embroidery machine watches for new files.

4.2 Step 1 — Map the Gelato SFTP as a drive on your PC

You only do this once per PC. The Desktop App needs to see the workflow output as if it were a local folder.

Get your SFTP credentials from your machine park configuration. See: [GC Apparel] Machine Configuration for Apparel Production | GelatoConnect | Help Center
Mount the SFTP as a Windows drive. If your storage is a Synology NAS, follow Synology — Store files from a Windows PC within the local network. For other providers, use the equivalent "map network drive" steps in Windows File Explorer.
Open the mapped drive in File Explorer and confirm you can see the subfolders your workflow writes to (/EMB, /DTG, /DTF, etc.).

4.3 Step 2 — Match the subfolder to your workflow's Send-to-FTP activity

💡 The subfolder you enter in Files source hot folder must match the path set in your workflow's Send-to-FTP activity.

If your activity writes to /EMB, your source hot folder is <mapped drive>\\EMB (e.g. Z:\\EMB).
If your activity writes to /DTG, your source hot folder is <mapped drive>\\DTG.
If no subfolder is configured in the activity, point at the mapped drive root (e.g. Z:\\).

If you change the path in the workflow activity later, update Work Settings to match — otherwise the Desktop App will read from a folder that's no longer receiving files.

4.4 Step 3 — Fill in the Work Settings fields

The table below mirrors the Work Settings page exactly. Skip the rows for print methods you don't use.

UI section	Field	What to enter	Example
DTG textile printer	Select default printer	The printer profile to use by default	Kornit Atlas Max
	Select machine park configuration	The machine park entry that represents this printer	`KornitAtlas-01`
	DTG files folder	Path the Desktop App reads DTG files from (mapped SFTP drive + DTG subfolder)	`Z:\\DTG`
	Files output hot folder	Local path your DTG printer watches; leave blank if the printer has no hot folder	`C:\\Gelato\\Print\\DTG`
Embroidery textile machine	Select machine park configuration	The machine park entry for your embroidery machine	`Melco-01`
	Files source hot folder	Path the Desktop App reads embroidery files from (mapped SFTP drive + EMB subfolder)	`Z:\\EMB`
	Files output hot folder	Local path your embroidery machine watches	`C:\\Gelato\\Print\\Melco`

4.5 If your machine has no hot folder

Leave the Files output hot folder field blank. The Desktop App keeps the file in the source location, and you pick it up manually. The Files source hot folder field is still required so the Desktop App knows where to read.

4.6 Worked examples per print method

DTG (Kornit Atlas)

Workflow Send-to-FTP path: /DTG
Files source hot folder: Z:\\DTG
Files output hot folder: C:\\Gelato\\Print\\KornitAtlas

DTF (generic RIP)

Workflow Send-to-FTP path: /DTF
Files source hot folder: Z:\\DTF
Files output hot folder: C:\\Gelato\\Print\\DTF-RIP

Sublimation (Mimaki)

Workflow Send-to-FTP path: /SUB
Files source hot folder: Z:\\SUB
Files output hot folder: C:\\Gelato\\Print\\Mimaki

Embroidery (Melco)

Workflow Send-to-FTP path: /EMB
Files source hot folder: Z:\\EMB
Files output hot folder: C:\\Gelato\\Print\\Melco

4.7 Quick verify

Source check. Drop a test file manually into the source path (e.g. copy a file into Z:\\EMB). Within a few seconds, the Desktop App should pick it up.
End-to-end check. Run a test order through the workflow and confirm files appear in your source folder, then in your output folder.
Machine check. Open the output file in your machine's RIP / embroidery software and confirm it loads without errors.

A fuller end-to-end test plan is in section 7 below.

5. Add job tickets and impositions

To support packaging and sorting, embed documents into your workflows:

Job Tickets — SKU info, order ID, artwork preview, print settings
Impositions — combine items / artwork for efficient bulk printing

Upload and link these templates directly into each step that requires them.

🔗 [GC Apparel] Imposition & Job Ticket Setup | GelatoConnect | Help Center

6. Assign workstations to each step

Map each step to its physical location in your facility to track progress and efficiency.

Step	Workstation
Pre-treatment	Pre-treatment table
Printing	DTG machine
Drying	Heat tunnel
Stitching	Embroidery machine
Quality Control	QC Station
Packaging	Packing Station

This mapping is what powers per-step timing reports and bottleneck detection.

7. Run tests before going live

Verify your setup with test orders before processing real jobs.

Test by:

Creating sample orders manually or via a connector
Scanning job tickets through each station
Confirming files route through your source hot folder → Desktop App → output hot folder (see section 4.7)
Checking that the machine's RIP / embroidery software opens the output files without errors

Common issues

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
No files arrive in source folder	Workflow Send-to-FTP activity path doesn't match the subfolder in Work Settings	Align the activity path with `Files source hot folder` (section 4.3)
Files arrive in source but not in output	Output hot folder path is wrong or missing	Re-check the path your machine watches; confirm the Desktop App is running
Machine doesn't recognize the file	Wrong file format	See [GC Apparel] Machine Configuration for Apparel Production for per-machine format requirements
Mapped drive disconnects after reboot	Drive not set to reconnect at sign-in	Re-map with "Reconnect at sign-in" checked

8. Best practices

Create separate workflows by print method (DTG, DTF, sublimation, embroidery).
Start simple — add complexity once basics work smoothly.
Use job-ticket scanning to reduce manual lookups.
Apply color tags or SKU filters for garment types (e.g. darks vs. lights).
Keep one mapped drive letter per PC dedicated to the Gelato SFTP — don't reuse it for other shares.
Document the mapping (drive letter ↔ SFTP path) in a place your operators can find; it's the most common cause of "files stopped arriving" tickets.

Next step: 🔗 [GC Apparel] Machine Configuration for Apparel Production | GelatoConnect | Help Center

Related articles:

[GC Apparel] Workflow Configuration for Apparel Production

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