Top 6 Tips to Consider when Using a Heat Press Machine heatpresswizard.com
Top 6 Tips to Consider when Using a Heat Press Machine
If you have just purchased a new heat press machine and are using it for the first time, you
definitely don’t want to ruin it.
Although the machine comes with handy instructions from the manufacturer, here are some tips
to consider when using this machine brought you by https://heatpresswizard.com/ :
Prepare your artwork for heat pressing – The recommended way of preparing your
artwork is printing the design on a transfer paper with an inkjet printer. Usually, designs
are done with design software like Adobe Illustrator or Corel.
The challenge with using inkjet printers though is that they do bot print white colour.
Thus, if you are printing something that has white, the result will be having the colour of
the fabric in the place of white.
Choose the right fabric – You must keep in mind that heat press machines cannot print
on all types of fabric. Fabrics that are particularly prone to melting when subject to high
temperatures cannot be used with a heat press.
If your printing on fabric that requires washing afterwards then wash it prior to printing.
Failing to pre‐wash would leave them appearing wrinkly. The most common types of
fabric that is recommended for T‐shirt printing include polyester, cotton, spandex, nylon
and Lycra.
Choose the right transfer paper – Before you start printing your T‐shirts, you need to
ensure the transfer paper is the right match for the design and the printer. Transfer
papers come in different brands and types. This means that you must invest in research.
Remember, the search for the paper is more complicated than matching the paper. You
must take into account factors such as the colour of T‐shirts.
Ensure you load the shirt straight on the heat press machine – You definitely do not want
a crooked print. Even worse, you can’t wear or sell a T‐shirt with a crooked print. The good
thing is that you can avoid the crooked print in the first place. One way of ensuring this is
ensuring the tag is properly aligned to the backbone of your heat press. You can also
ensure proper positioning of the T‐shirt by adopting a system that project a laser on your
garment. Lastly, stretch the shirts before putting them on the machine. This is a sure way
of ensuring the print doesn’t crack.
Run a test print – Before you print your design on the transfer paper, be sure to run a rest
on regular paper. This is because transfer papers are expensive and you don’t want to
waste money. Printing a test lets you preview and confirm that the design falls within the
desired margins. It’s also a chance to check that the colours also print correctly. By
running a test print, you get an opportunity to correct anything that is not in line with
your desired outcome.
Don’t be scared of applying heat – The fear of applying too much heat is common in first
time users of a heat press. However, there is no harm in too much heat. If anything, it
takes a lot of heat to transfer the artwork evenly and properly.