Are you a craft lover? Or an artist? Or like me, artist by heart and business in my mind. Or you are a person who wants to start printing. Yeah! While roaming in the world of printing you will obviously note that the heat press plays a very crucial role. Right!
So today in this blog we’re going on a trip to the heat press machine where you will definitely find the answers to the questions related to the heat press. Like what a heat press is, how it works, what its advantages are and many more. So with this all in mind. Let’s go!
What is a Heat Press Machine? – Definition
It is nothing but the machine which is used to apply the heat while printing. Actually it consists of two plates, the upper plate, and the lower plate, the pressure adjustment knob and time and the temperature control.
- The upper plate: is responsible for generating heat.
- The lower plate: Normally it doesn’t heat. It normally provides you with a supporting working platform for the material you are using for the printing process. But there are some specialised heat presses available in the market in which the lower plate is also heated up. It provides you with the heat & pressure settings for the optimal results.
- The heat adjustment knob: Generally you will find it in the manual presses on the upper plate. It is used to manually control the pressure during the printing process.
What are the types of heat press machines?
There are 3 main types of the heat press machine are as follows:
- Clamshell Heat Press Machine
- Swing Away Heat Press Machine
- Draw Heat Press Machine
Each provides you with different features but does the same fundamental tasks.
The feature distinctions between the three are as follows:
| ClamShell Heat Press Machine | Swing Away Heat Press Machine | Draw Heat Press Machine | |
| It opens like a clamshell,It is secured from the back, the lower plate remains fixed & the upper plate opens in such a way that it makes the angle 700 | While opening it does not make any angle between the 2 plates. It opens the upper plate straight away from the lower plate. And a lower plate swings away like the name suggests.It is safer to use. | Also known as the Slide Out Drawers Heat Press Machine. It gives you the mixed features of both types of heat press.It provides you with a moving lower plate. It has a drawer-like function.So you can easily pull away the lower plate and load your material.Very easy to handle. |
How does it work?
Now we are going to look at the working of the heat presses. How exactly does the heat press work? You know that a heat press consists of 2 plates. The upper plates provide the heating element. Now you have to just put your setup (Substrate+design) into the heat press. The upper heated plate and the lower plate give it the pressure. And the heat provides the melting feature to transfer the design smoothly onto the substrate.
What are the Uses of a heat press machine?
Heat press provides you with versatile uses. Which makes it the worth and best investment. Some uses of the heat press machine are as follows:
- Customising Apparels
- Sublimation Printing
- Screen Printed Transfer
- Printing
You may also check – What Is Sublimation Ink
What are the tips for using a heat press machine?
Using a heat press is not a tricky task. It is such an easy and straightforward process. But there are some tips that you should keep in mind while working with the heat press.
Always ensure a surface will be flat, smooth and free from wrinkles, dust & debris before going to start.
- Don’t hurry. Take your time. Adjust your substrate finely. And grab the desired result.
- Preheat your apparel before you start the printing process. It will help to smoothen out any wrinkles or moisture. It allows the design to adhere better.
- Always Follow application instructions. These instructions contain very important information, including temperature and time settings.
- Spend some extra time cleaning your lower plate between designs by using a heat press cover sheet. These help to keep the lower platen clean and ready to go for different designs.
- You are playing with the heat. So always use heat-resistant gloves. It protects you from the burn.
You may also check – What Is Sublimation Printer
What are the factors taken into mind while selecting the heat press for your business?
There are certain factors which are necessary to look for while selecting the best heat press for your business. The selection factors are:
- Your Budget: First of all decide your budget. And accordingly, search for the best heat press in your budget.
- Quality of the heat press: Please please go with the best quality and the best brand heat press. I know it costs some high but trust me it pays you back.
- The volume of your business: What is the use of a commercial-level heat press if you just have a small artwork? So please choose the heat press according to your business volume. Because it is an investment.
- Service & Support: While purchasing the heat press, just look for the service and the support provided by the provider. Please take the review first about the service they are providing and their support after the delivery of the equipment. Because time and money both matter in the business.
You may also check – Sublimation Heat Press Settings
What are the best heat presses in the market?
Some of the best heat presses available in the market and i have personally used are:
- Cricut Easy press
- HTVRont Heat Press
- Siser Craft Heat Press
You may also check – What Is Sublimation Paper
Conclusion:
With that, I hope you got all the information about what is heat press machine?. How it works, its features and all the relevant and related information about the heat press. Go through the whole guide rigorously and choose your heat press wisely. Till then happy art!