A heat press machine is used to transfer designs onto a variety of substrates by applying heat and pressure. The 5 in 1 heat press machine has the ability to press onto T-shirts, caps, ceramic plates, ceramic tiles, mugs, coasters, jigsaw puzzles, lettering, and other miscellaneous fabrics and materials.

Risks

• Burns: The heat plate can become extremely hot and cause burns if touched without proper protective gear.
• Fire: The heat plate and other components of the machine can become a fire hazard if left unattended.

Glossary

• Heat Press: A machine that uses heat and pressure to transfer designs, images or graphics onto various materials, such as t-shirts, caps, ceramic plates, ceramic tiles, mugs, coasters, jigsaw puzzles, lettering and other misc. fabrics & materials.
• Sublimation Transfer: The process of transferring a printed design onto a material using heat and pressure, with the help of sublimation ink.
• Sublimation Ink: A type of ink that transforms into a gas when exposed to heat, allowing it to penetrate and bond with the fibers of a material, resulting in a long-lasting, vibrant image.
• Teflon Sheet: A heat-resistant sheet that is used to protect the heat press platen and the material being printed on, from any damage or residue caused by the sublimation transfer process.
• HTV (Heat Transfer Vinyl): Thin, adhesive vinyl used for creating designs and transferring them onto various surfaces using heat.

Materials

• Fabrics: T-shirts, caps, and other textiles
• Ceramics & Glass (mugs, plates, tiles)

Where possible, use the material's manufacturer recommendation for time and temperature. Below are reference temperatures and time recommendations for select materials. Try a small sample to get the right temperature and time needed.

Procedures

Sublimation Transfer to Polyester Fabric

1. Print the sublimation design using sublimation ink and transfer paper. Remember to mirror the design so that it will be correctly positioned on the plate when transferred.
2. Heat up the heat press to the required temperature for the sublimation transfer process (usually around 375°-400°F)
3. Place the garment onto the lower platen of the heat press, making sure it is centered and smooth
4. Cut out the design, making sure to leave a small margin around the edges
5. Preheat the garment for 15-20 seconds using the heat press to remove any moisture and wrinkles
6. Place the cut-out design onto the garment, with the printed side facing the garment
7. Place a Teflon sheet under the fabric layer being transferred to and on top of the design prevent smudging and color bleeding
8. Close the heat press and apply pressure and heat for the recommended time (usually around 40-75 seconds)
9. Open the heat press and carefully remove the transfer paper, revealing the transferred design on the garment
10. Allow the garment to cool for a few minutes before handling.

DTF Transfer to any fabric

1. Print the sublimation design using sublimation ink and DTF film. Remember to mirror the design so that it will be correctly positioned on the plate when transferred.
2. Immediately after printing, coat the material in DTF powder. Shake off excess powder that doesn't stick to film.
3. Heat up the heat press to 400°F
4. Place DTF powder coated film under onto the lower platen of the heat press, but do NOT press down the heat press. You are effectively baking under the heat.
5. Monitor the film and powder. It should take approximately 90-120s for the powder to crystalize. Remove film once curing is complete. The cured film may be used immediately or stored.
6. To use a cured DTF adhesive, heat up the heat press to 325°F.
7. Use heat-resistant tape to place the DTF adhesive onto the garment, with the printed side facing the garment
8. Place a Teflon sheet under the fabric layer being transferred to and on top of the design prevent smudging and color bleeding
9. Close the heat press and apply pressure and heat for the recommended time (usually around 10-20 seconds)
10. Open the heat press and carefully remove the fabric WITHOUT removing the DTF adhesive.
11. Wait for the fabric to cool (e.g. 5 minutes), then carefully peel the DTF adhesive revealing the transferred design.

References

• Heat Press Machine User Manual
• Sublimation Time/Temp Reference
• HTV Time/Temp Reference