When youre running a production operation, you cant risk equipment failure. You need the highest-quality, most reliable heat press machinery to maximize your profit and streamline operational efficiency. Check out these five tips for evaluating the quality of industrial heat presses and find the right fit for your business needs.
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The functionality of a heat press is not overly complicated. It is designed to transfer ink from screen-printed or digitally printed paper or film to a substrate such as a garment, plaque, sign, or etc. It does so with the application of heat and pressure.
The options for heat press machines are limitless, from small-format transfer machines that can be used for one off projects to industrial grade heat press equipment designed specifically for an operation like yours. The quality, however, also tends to run the gamut. Quality is something that you cant afford to compromise on when youre producing products by the hundreds or thousands on a daily basis.
Heres our guide to selecting the best-quality, industrial heat press equipment for your needs.
There are few key factors to consider when looking for the machinery that will support your print and production operations. First and foremost is going to be the machines capabilities. You need an industrial heat press manufacturer who can support all of the services you want to offer. Additionally, youll need to consider size, style, temperature range, and, most importantly, quality. Lets discuss how to evaluate all of these different factors to make the right choice in equipment.
Heat presses can be used for a number of different applications, including:
Depending on the types of products you plan to produce, you may need a different type of heat press machine. Flat presses are great for apparel and other flat items that need transfers. A combination press is better suited for specialty items that dont lay flat in a machine. In some cases, youll need additional attachments to adapt the right heat press machine to your business needs. Let Insta Graphic Systems help you make the right choice.
The size of transfer is going to dictate what size of heat press machine you need. Typically, youll find the largest transfers are 8.5 by 11 or 11 by 17. At Insta Graphic Systems, youll find a plethora of different sizes to accommodate your needs, with our smallest being just 6 by 6 and our largest up to 20 by 25. Consider what your smallest and largest transfers might be so you can select the right size industrial machine to support your heat transfers.
The two most common styles of heat press machines are a clamshell and swing away press.
Clamshell heat presses are machines that open and close like a clam. The top plate rises to accommodate your products and will lower to snap close to evenly apply heat and pressure. Clamshell presses are okay for thinner substrates but not always ideal for thicker materials. Youll want to get comfortable operating with a clamshell style press, as the pressure comes down from the rear forward and can cause the transfer to move if the operator is not careful.
The other most common kind of heat press machine is a swing away press. Referred to as swingers by heat press industry pros, a swing away industrial heat press operates with an upper plate that swings to the side as opposed to hinging from the top. This increases the level of precision you can apply to transfers while also improving the energy efficiency of the equipment. It is larger and more complex than other types of industrial heat presses.
Youll find different thermometers implemented based on the type of equipment you have. Bimetallic thermometers are the standard, but not as accurate as an RTD probe. You may see 5-10 degrees of variance in the temperature with the standard thermometer.
Thinner plates dont retain heat as well as the thicker ones, so that will potentially slow the process of heat transfer recovery, especially if you have repeated pressings.
The most important thing to consider when purchasing an industrial heat press is the quality of the equipment. How long is the machinery going to stand up to daily use? Theres a common industry misconception that the heavier the heat press the more durable it will be. While yes, heavy plates can withstand quite a bit of wear and tear, so much more goes into the quality of an industrial heat press. Rather than exclusively looking at weight, consider the frame of the machine itself. Steel is going to be heavier and more durable, but a cast aluminum alloy can also provide high levels of strength at a lighter weight point.
Youll want to review what past customers have said about the products, as well. Theres nothing more insightful than hearing about the hands-on experience of your peers.
Insta Graphic Systems is a proud manufacturer and supplier of industrial-grade heat press equipment. With manual, automatic, and sublimation heat press machines available, our team is ready to help you find the best solution for your operation.
Contact one of our sales representatives today to learn more about our products and get a quote on equipment.
No matter what type of heat transfers being applied, you need a heat press machine to bond the transfer to the apparel. Matching the many heat press variables like size, type, and functionality with your specific needs can feel overwhelming, so weve created this simple guide on how to pick a heat press.
Setting aside the impact picking the right shirt heat press can have on your business, its important to remember one simple thought:
All heat press machines do the same thing. They provide consistent heat and pressure for a specified amount of time.
Heat presses are available in a wide range of configurations with many features, but weve simplified the list down to the three most important. In our experience, considering these features first is the best place to start.
The size of the print area will determine what apparel can be printed. Not only should current projects be considered, but also potential future projects to ensure that your equipment is ready.
There are 5 heat press sizes that should be considered:
Very Small: Often referred to as a label press, this size ranges from 4x 6, 6 x 6 and 6 x 8. This heat press is best for small items like baby clothes and awkward items like tote bags with seams. In addition, a small heat press can be used on shirt sleeves or very large items where heat is only needed in a small area.
Small: With sizes ranging from 9 x 12, 11 x 15 and 12 x 14, 14x 16 small heat presses are inexpensive and marketed mainly to hobbyists. This size is a good choice for applying 8.5 x 11 heat transfers, patches, and other small items.
Medium: Including sizes of 16 x 16 and 15 x 15 , these t-shirt heat presses are large enough to do the work for most decorators and considered a standard size. Not only do they offer greater wattage to easily complete repetitive prints, but theyre also much less expensive than the next size up.
Large: A 16 x 20 heat press is considered large; few apparel decorators have a need for anything larger. This press easily does 11 x 17 transfers as well as standard sizes for t-shirt designs, like full front, and full back. These can also accommodate names and numbers for sports teams.
Note: This size is often the starting point for most salespeople, but its expensive and often too much.
Very Large: Ranging in size from 18 x 20 to a gigantic 40 x 64, these presses are larger than what most need and very expensive. This is not a reasonable heat press for t-shirts in our opinion, so seek professional guidance if youre considering this size.
Understanding the sizes of the products to be customized is crucial to making the right decision for you. Generally, you want your press to be approximately 1 inch bigger than the largest graphic in each dimension. Standard size will be anything larger than 14 x 16, since itll have a heating element large enough to accommodate the majority of projects most professional printing shops will encounter.
Clamshell, Swing-Away, and Draw are the three major types of t-shirt heat press machines. While the Clamshell may be the most popular, each type has strengths and weaknesses. Consider this summary of each type to determine how it may fit your needs.
Clamshell Presses: Clamshell heat presses are available in a range of sizes and are popular due to their simplistic design. Featuring an upper and lower plate, or platen, this shirt press is manually operated by applying downward pressure. While the two platens make this device resembles a clam (hence the name), the upper and lower platen construction can affect the print on specific products.
Benefits of a Clamshell heat press include portability, affordability, and the limited space needed for operation. Drawbacks include issues printing thicker items and an increased chance of garment burns for those configured with rigid platens.
Swing-Away Presses:
Offering greater versatility, these t-shirt heat presses lift away from the garment and then pivot to the right. The mechanism is integrated into the top platen, which is the portion that moves 90° - 100° to provide access to the garment being printed.
Benefits of the Swing-Away heat press include greater versatility for a wider range of garments, less likely to burn garments, and additional functionality, Drawbacks include a larger amount of space required for operation, a heavier weight (making it less portable), and cost.
Draw Presses:
The Draw heat press is unique by combining characteristics of both a clamshell and swing away heat press. It features a manually operated top platen with a lower surface that slides forward. Many suggest that it offers the best of both worlds.
The Draw press' benefits include its limited footprint, faster operation, and greater versatility. The biggest downside is cost.
Each type of t-shirt heat press offers its own set of benefits. Clamshell presses are the most affordable, Swing-Aways are useful to higher-quantity production environments, and Draw presses combine the best of both. To get the most accurate information, we recommend comparing the manufacturers specs of each item.
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Print size and press type dont mean much if your equipment doesnt function, so quality construction is important for any t-shirt heat press. While quality equipment costs more, this can be controlled by focusing on features that best suit your needs. Some indicators of quality construction include:
Metal Construction
- A steel or aluminum construction is the first indication that a heat press is well constructed. A simple web search shows that there are countless presses constructed of plastic, which will fail under regular use.
Cast Aluminum Heating Plate -
High-quality shirt presses produce even, predictable heat across the entire heating surface, and cast aluminum performs well. The highest quality presses embed heating rods into the aluminum plate to distribute heat evenly. A rule of thumb used by many is that higher-quality machines often weigh over 100 lbs (due to the heavy platens).
Manufactured in the United States
- Imported t-shirt heat presses are acceptable for use of up to 30 hours per week, but a commercial, US - manufactured brand tends to be more durable. Some brands to consider include:
Safety Certification
- Lower-quality apparel heat presses do not possess common safety certifications, which constitute a red flag. Look for equipment with a UL or ETL electrical safety certification whenever possible.
Avoid Heating Coils in a Z Pattern
- Many cheap or imported heat presses have heating coils placed in a Z pattern. The result is uneven heat and cold spots that lead to poor results.
Avoid Equipment With No or Limited Warranty
- Many t-shirt heat presses are manufactured by companies unwilling to stand behind their products. While we understand that budgets for equipment may be limited, purchasing equipment with no warranty is no way to save money, in our opinion.
Although heat press size, type, and quality are the most critical features, there are many others that should be considered. Usability features focus on the ease of use in everyday operation, while Needs-Specific relates to the use of a heat press for a specific purpose.
Easy opening and closing:
The amount of effort needed to operate a shirt heat press varies widely and should be considered. From auto-opening manuals to air automatics that run on compressed air, an easy-to-operate press reduces staff fatigue and increases production capacity.
Digital time and temperature:
Digital controls are an improvement over traditional analog dial controls. Not only are they more accurate, but theyre easier to operate. Digital controls arent necessarily an essential item, but they simplify the pressing process and make it more efficient
Wattage:
The amount of power applied to the heating element can delay reheating of the platen between prints. Ensure that any press has adequate wattage, especially smaller presses.
Pressure Setting:
The ability to set the required pressure is helpful when printing tops that have different thicknesses. Many decorators develop a feel, but printing that way can be inconvenient and not repeatable by others. Some presses offer functionality that can automate pressure settings, like Stahls Hotronix press line, Geo Knight swing-away presses, and HIXs SwingMan 20D.
Weight:
For those that ever need mobility, the weight of a t-shirt heat press can be both a benefit or drawback. Because of manufacturing differences, the same-size heat press can vary greatly in weight. These examples are all excellent pieces of equipment, but their weight varies dramatically:
Pneumatic Drive:
High-volume apparel printers often use heat presses with a pneumatic drive to ease the physical work required for printing. Comparable to power steering for a vehicle, compressed air performs most of the work. The 16 x 20 size in clamshell and swing-away configurations are the most common.
Different Sized Platens:
Printing differently sized garments well can require platens sized for the purpose. Therefore a t-shirt heat press should have the flexibility to change platens to fit that need.
Most decorators customize garments of varying thicknesses, so a heat press that can meet that need will be useful. Its important to focus on one that will meet the need. Using the 16 x 20 size as an example, the Hotronix Swinger & Draw accepts up to 2, the HIX Swingman 20D 1½. and the Knight DK20S 1. So understanding a heat press capacity is helpful in picking the right one depending on whether you're pressing
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Most decorators customize garments of varying thicknesses, so a heat press that can meet that need will be useful. Its important to focus on one that will meet the need. Using the 16 x 20 size as an example, the Hotronix Swinger & Draw accepts up to 2, the HIX Swingman 20D 1½. and the Knight DK20S 1. So understanding a heat press capacity is helpful in picking the right one depending on whether you're pressing custom patches or DTF transfers
Attachments for Other Products:
An almost unlimited number of other product types can be customized using a heat press commonly used for shirts, so consider every models expandability. Among the most popular other products are baseball caps and coffee mugs, but there are many others including shoes, notebooks, and promotional products.
Selecting the right heat press for your needs can feel complicated, but applying common sense with our recommendations will simplify the process. First, understand the type of garment youll be customizing. Second, focus on the three most important factors. Finally, adjust to any other features of importance. The result will be the best heat press available based on your needs.
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