You’ve just invested in a heat press—one of the most important steps in your apparel decorating business. You’ve either ripped open the box in anticipation of pressing your first garment, or you’re anxiously staring at it wondering what you’ve gotten yourself into.
Before you jump into decorating, it’s crucial you take a bit of time getting to know your press. Even though it may seem easy, you can’t just plug it in and heat apply. If you follow these simple tips, you’ll become a printing pro in no time.
- Read the instruction manual
- Optimize your workspace
- Fire up your new printing partner
- Adjust time, temp, pressure
- Grab your heat press accessories
Read the Instruction Manual
This is your lifeline for setting up your press and troubleshooting if you run into any challenges. Each heat press has unique features and functionality and in order to get the most out of your purchase, you need to know the ins and outs.
Optimize Your Workspace
I’m sure you’ve envisioned this step before you even made your purchase. This will ensure you maximize productivity — so position your press in a flow that makes sense for you. We recommend an easy three-step workflow: staging, application, and completion.
Fire Up Your New Printing Partner
Once your space is tidied up, you can jump to the most exciting part: turning on your heat press! Make sure you plug the machine into a properly rated outlet (pull out the manual). The platen heats up fast, so be careful not to touch.
Adjust the Temp, Time, & Pressure
Every HTV and transfer has a recommended application setting from the manufacturer. Adjust your settings based off the material you’re using. If you’re not using the recommend settings, your designs won’t stay on the fabric and you can risk ruining your garment.
Grab Your Heat Press Accessories
There are a variety of heat press accessories to enhance your heat printing experience.
- Cover sheets not only protect your designs and garments, but also your top platen.
- Grab a few heat press platens to decorate a variety of apparel and accessories.
- Heat press pillows and pads to help you print over seams and zippers.
- Use heat-resistant tape to keep your designs in place while applying.
While this may seem like a lot of info to take in, you need to make sure you can work the heat press so your heat press can work for you and your business. This downloadable PDF highlights more heat press success tips and ways to tackle common challenges.