The range of transfer presses is large. So what should you pay attention to when purchasing a good quality heat press? Make sure you start your search well prepared. Here are some tips that can help.
Goal
Have a clear picture of what you are going to use a transfer press for. What material will you be working with? How big should the work surface be? If your goal is clear, it is especially important to look at the qualities of the press.
Temperature and pressure
One of the most important elements of a good transfer press is that the press provides a constant temperature and pressure over the entire plate. Even heat across the plate is usually achieved by a single heating element in the top plate. Multiple heating elements can cause incorrect applications, or cold spots.
European safety standards
The heat transfer press must be CE certified. There are many, especially Asian, heat presses on the market that do not meet these quality requirements. Pay attention to the country of origin and the reputation of the manufacturer.
Models
There are three models of transfer presses. With the Swing Away you can swing the top plate away from the bottom plate, giving you full access to the worktop. With a pulling press you pull the bottom plate forward and you therefore get more space to your worktop. A Clam transfer press is opened vertically and therefore has limited access to the worktop. The advantage is that this press takes up little space and is perfect for those who only need to position the garment and the media once or twice.
Manual or automatic
The circulation of the work is also important. Anyone who applies ten, twenty or thirty applications per day will soon opt for a manual transfer press. A semi-automatic press where the press opens automatically by means of a magnetic closure is suitable for medium-sized orders. Large orders or mass production can be done with pneumatic press system. These transfer presses are connected to a compressor for the pressure. For those who want more power, a hydraulic transfer press 30,000 kg pressing pressure offers the solution. With these presses you can also embellish thick materials, such as plastic, wood or aluminum.
To measure is to know
Presses with an LCD screen accurately display all parameters. The temperature, pressure and time can be read digitally. This provides reliable results. You can also set pre-programmed settings for the most common assignments.
Interchangeable bottom plates
There are interchangeable bottom plates for, for example, pockets, trouser legs, sleeves, caps and shoes for presses that are suitable for this.
Avoid obstacles
Buttons and zippers can be easily avoided by placing a ‘Printing Pad’ (piece of rubber mat) in the garment, so that the area to be printed is higher than the buttons, zippers and seams.
Increased production
Time savings can be achieved with double bottom plates with a movable heating element. While the transfer is being applied to one plate, a garment can be placed on the other plate. A Teflon base cover speeds up the positioning of the garment.
Cool spaces
After it has reached the preset temperature, close the transfer press for a full minute without any garment. This gives the cold base plate enough time to warm up and prevent possible transfer errors. Note: this is only necessary when the press is ‘cold’ or between long press pauses, so that the press temperature is constant.
