A heat press machine is most commonly used to stick our company label, a quote that inspires us, or something else that we like onto our apparel.
It comes as a no brainer as to why there is so much traction around heat press machines. Why they are so popular these days? Most companies (even small ones) are in need of one as they offer a fast and easy way to boost their influence around them, without investing a lot of money in advertising!
So, what is a heat press machine exactly?
It’s a small machine that is very handy and uncomplicated to use on your shirts or other common household items. Some are even designed to go further beyond, offering to imprint your logo on your favorite mug or plate!
How do heat press machines work?
The way a heat press machine is supposed to work is quite simple:
1) Locate The Power Button And Turn It On
This one is a no-brainer really, don’t forget to plug the heat press into a socket while you are at it!
2) Find The Temperature Layout And Turn It On
You can’t just expect your heat press machine to produce high amounts of heat without any prep time, even professional football players need some warming up!
3) Once An Outlined Amount Of Time Passes, Turn The Temperature Knob Off
You will have to refer to the manual for this one, as different models have different timers. Just make sure to turn it off once its heated or you will be wasting electricity for nothing!
4) Once You Are Ready To Put In The Work, Start The Timer!
It’s very important to keep track of the time so if your model doesn’t feature an automatic timer, be sure to use your phone or any other appliance that lets you record the flow of time.
5) Lift Up The Handle
This is mostly done to open the press up and get things going. Now, depending on the model of course, you will either have to be very close to the heat press machine (clamshell model) or you will be a bit further on the backline (swing-away model)
6) Ensure That All Extras Are Placed Where Needed
You can’t just put a T-shirt on there and start pressing, you have to put in the necessary appliances that make the plater stable, such as the plater sheets!
7) Put The Desired Apparel On The Machine
Not much I can add to that, so far so good!
8) Press The Handle Onto The Shirt
Nice and easy, don’t be afraid to press a bit harder, nothing bad will happen
9) Lift The Handle
Don’t jump right into it, slow and steady for the win!
10) Allow For At Least A Day To Pass Before Exposing Your Apparel To Water!
This one is important to consider as your logo could get washed up if you decide to ignore this instruction. As we can observe, operating a heat pressure machine is child’s play! Even though it is easy to do, there are some safety measures to consider and you should never let children be in the nearby vicinity while the machine is operating.
Refer the step by step guide to use heat press machine in the picture given below.
In fifth step you need a transfer paper. You might need help regarding the use of transfer paper. You can visit the post on uses of transfer paper.
Best Temperature and Pressure for HeatPress
The best temperatures that give the most satisfying results hover around 400°. The pressing force being between 50-70 psi. For reference, the amount of ground pressure we humans have to endure at all times is 2 psi. The average human male can let out pressure at 55 psi!
This means that a heat press machine can produce as much pressure as a healthy human male. Showing us that size isn’t everything, not when it comes to heat press machines, to say the least!
Buying a Heat Press Machine?
An important factor to consider when purchasing a heat press machine would have to be the amount of space you have at your disposal.
If you are opting for a lower-end model, you can rest assured that space won’t be an issue. But as the size of your logo grows, the heat pressure machine follows suit! Also, as a point of reference, if you are planning on producing massive amounts of imprints, it would be much better to keep it out of the house. As such machines can make unwanted noise.
Additionally, the amount of waste would also increase so you would have to take care of that problem too.
If needed, a rented place would solve this problem almost immediately. Because they are quite cheap (especially if you rent a garage), the price subjected to fluctuations depending on your location, understandably.
Different sorts of heat press machines are available depending on your desires in terms of font, definition, quality, and the cost of imprinting.
Cheap vs. Expensive Heat Press Model
It is safe to say that a lower-end model would be appropriate for smaller companies and individuals. If they are looking to imprint their logo or design on only a few occasions.
On the other hand, if you own a bigger company, it is recommended that you don’t try and be stingy on your wallet as your heat press machine is supposed to print hundreds if not thousands of logos!
