Our Cricut EasyPress vs Stahls Heat Press UK guide is worth reading to gain a better understanding of the differences if you’re unsure. Generally speaking the longest warranty is usually on the platen and element, the digital controls and the mechanics of the press will usually be a shorter warranty. If you run a business that's centred around bringing your creativity to life, a heat press will help you transfer prints directly onto a range of surfaces including t shirts, cushion covers and bags. Heat presses are also great for applying logos and cool designs to a range of products such as mugs and keyrings.

A heat press is a versatile machine primarily used to apply graphics, designs, or text onto fabrics and other materials. Among crafters and hobbyists, it's commonly used for the following purposes: presses work by pumping out the air and creating a vacuum, so that the silicone membrane creates the pressure, and the air within the 3D press is heated. The desktop 3D presses are basically like small desktop ovens with a vacuum platen inside them. Draw Heat Transfer Press: This press has similar functions to the clam press but the lower platen is able to slide (or “draw” out) from the machine whilst the upper platen is fixed horizontally. This means that the lower platen can be moved away from the heat of the upper platen for easier threading of the garment over the lower platen.

A heat press is a piece of equipment that's used to permanently apply a heat transfer to a surface.

In addition to the flat-bed Hotronix lower platens, we also offer a wide selection of different sized platens designed for the Hotronix® MAXX and Hotronix Auto Open cap presses. This allows the person operating the cap press to apply onto a wider range of caps and headwear with far greater ease. For this reason, it would seem even more important to choose a well-known and trusted brand if you’re deciding on a combination press. Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) Projects: Crafters and hobbyists use heat presses to adhere HTV to fabrics, creating custom designs on clothing, bags, and other textile items. Take a look at our vinyl crafts article to see the process in action.Heat transfer presses are produced in several different sizes to ensure that there is a press to meet every business requirement. Based on the presses we supply, the difference between the sizes is as follows: The most common flatbed heat transfer presses sizes are around 15×15 inch (38x38cm) which is a common size for Tshirt presses, and 15″ x 20″ (38x50cm), give or take an Inch or so. The size of press you need depends on the size of the images you wish to press. The capability of your printer should play a part in the decision-making process to (if you’re creating your own transfers), there’s no point investing in a 16×20 inch heat press machine for instance if you only have an A4 printer.

A lot of retail customers tend to turn their heat press on at the beginning of the day to ensure that it’s ready to use when required, as it would usually take 10-15 minutes to reach the normal operating temperature. The heat press will not use the full power to maintain temperature, but this should be factored in to your operating costs. As an additional point, a heat press would usually take 30-40 minutes to cool down. Can I cover up the rubber mat on the lower platen to prevent it wearing? Clam presses are often favoured amongst garment printers as they require less operator effort, and they make for slightly faster production speeds with slightly less physical user effort required as with swing away presses. If you have stand alone dedicated machines for each product type, your potential volume is unhindered, but if you have one press your overall production volume or more popular items is potentially hindered by less popular products. Stahls and Stahls' Hotronix heat presses include beginner, commercial and industrial heat press machines which are suitable for new start-ups, small businesses and large scale operations. The uncompromising quality and features allow for every budget and business requirement whilst offering reliability and longevity. Based on this, we offer a comprehensive range of heat presses that cater for all types of businesses and budget:

Size and Workspace: Consider the size of your projects and available workspace when choosing the heat press size. The heat presses that we supply come with a standard domestic/commercial UK plug (Type G) and are suitable for use on a standard UK mains supply (i.e. 220 volts), but as they consume between 8.5 and 14.5 amps we would recommend ensuring that you have a 15-20 amp circuit to power the heat press, and ideally a dedicated circuit is advised to ensure that there aren’t issues with the power supply. You can also use heat presses with generators, but we recommend ensuring that you have protection about power surges which can affect the operation of the press, and that the generator has at least 1.8kw of power to make certain that it can operate properly. When I’m not using my heat press should I leave it opened or closed? Heat Platen Size: The platen size should match the size of your typical projects. Larger platens are better for bigger designs.

That brings us to the end of the heat press guide. I know, just as you were getting into it! We’re planning releasing a sequel – but then again they said that about Avatar so don’t hold your breath! The heating element is often not fixed in place properly which results in an uneven temperature across the platen, which can greatly affect the quality of the bond between the heat transfer and the garment. In addition, the silicon rubber mat is often not bonded properly to the steel which results in a loss of pressure which also affects the bond to the fabric. Hotronix Auto Open Heat Presses: Similar to the MAXX heat press machine, but have the additional features of a pressure sensor, a dual timer and an auto release magnet which raises the upper platen once the time has elapsed.The threadable platen design also allows you to avoid seams, zippers and buttons when heat pressing, providing smooth, even pressure with less need for additional accessories, such as pillows or pads. The free-standing Heat Press Caddie™ stand version frees up counter space, leaving more room for layout and necessary heat printing accessories. As an alternative, you could also choose the Heat Press CounterCaddie™ stand for a more compact version which can be easily placed onto a counter space. Anyway, enough waffling – on with the guide: UK Heat Press Guide, Choosing the best heat press for your business.