What do you use when heat pressing?

There’s a near infinite variety of t-shirt designs these days, to say nothing of hats and coffee mugs. Ever wonder why?

It’s because you only have to buy a heat press machine to start churning out your own designs. It’s an awesome gig for those who are always full of ideas, or anyone who wants to start a new business or indulge in a new hobby.

But first, let’s find out how to use a heat press in 8 steps. The first two are background information. Like a good movie, it gets better from there.

1. Choose Your Press

The first step you need to take in your journey is finding the right press for you. If you’re starting a t-shirt business, it’s best to do a thorough investigation into your options. For example, a press that is too small may only be great for some designs, but a larger one gives you the option to cover an entire t-shirt. Similarly, you might want to make prints on a wider range of products, and in this case a multifunctional machine may prove invaluable.

The most important distinction, however, is between home presses and professional ones. The former is mostly made with private use in mind, but you can certainly use it for a business in its budding stages. If you are already handling bulk orders or plan to get to mass production, then a professional press is a better choice. It offers more settings for pressure and temperature and comes with larger platens.

2. Choose Your Material

Unfortunately, you can’t use just any fabric for the pressing. Some of them are sensitive to heat and high temperatures would melt them. Steer clear of thin materials and synthetics. Instead, print on cotton, lycra, nylon, polyester, and spandex. These materials are robust enough to withstand heat pressing, while you should consult the label for others.

It’s a good idea to pre-wash your garment, especially if it’s new. Some wrinkles might appear after that first wash and they can affect the design. If you do this before pressing, you will be able to avoid such issues.

3. Choose Your Design

This is the fun part of the process! Essentially any image that can be printed can also be pressed onto a garment. If you really want your business to take off, though, you need something original that will wake people’s interest. You should work on your skills in software like Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw. That way, you’ll be able to combine a good idea with a nice visual representation.

4. Print Your Design

An essential part of the heat pressing process is the transfer paper. This is a sheet with added wax and pigment that your design is initially printed on. It is placed over your garment in the press. There are different kinds of transfers, depending on the type of your printer and the color of your material. Here are some of the most common ones.

• Inkjet transfers: If you have an inkjet printer, make sure to get the appropriate paper. An important thing to note is that inkjet printers don’t print white. Whatever part of your design is white will be shown as the color of the garment when heat pressed. You can work around this by choosing an off-white color (which can be printed) or using a white garment for pressing.
• Laser printer transfers: As mentioned, there are different types of paper for different printers and they don’t work interchangeably, so be sure to pick the right one. Laser printer paper is considered to yield somewhat worse results than inkjet paper.
• Sublimation transfers: This paper works with sublimation printers and special ink, so it is a more expensive option. The ink here turns into a gaseous state that penetrates the fabric, dying it permanently. It only works with polyester materials, however.
• Ready-made transfers: There is also the option of getting pre-printed images that you put in the heat press without doing any printing yourself. You can even use your heat press to attach embroidered designs that have heat-sensitive adhesives on the back.

When working with transfer paper, you have to be mindful of several things. A basic one is that you should print on the correct side. This seems obvious, but it’s easy to get wrong.

Also, make sure to print a mirror version of the image you get on your computer screen. This will be reversed again in the press, so you will end up with exactly the design you wanted. It’s generally a good idea to test-print your design on an ordinary sheet of paper, just to spot if there are any mistakes – you don’t want to waste transfer paper for this.

Designs printed on transfer paper, particularly with inkjet printers, are held in place with a coating film. It covers the whole sheet, not just the design, and has a whitish hue. When you heat press the design, this film is also transferred to the material, which can leave fine traces around your image. Before pressing, you should trim the paper around the design as closely as possible if you want to avoid this.

5. Prepare the Heat Press

Whichever heat press machine you’re using, it’s easy to learn how to use it. With any heat press machine, you can set your desired temperature and pressure and there’s also a timer. The press should be open when it’s being prepared.

Once you’ve turned your heat press on, set your temperature. You do this by turning the thermostat knob clockwise (or using the arrow buttons on some presses) until you’ve reached your desired heat setting. This will activate the heating light. Once the light is off, you’ll know that it has reached the temperature you want. You can turn the knob back at this point, but the light will keep going on and off to maintain the heat.

There isn’t one fixed temperature that you use for all pressing. The packaging of your transfer paper will tell you how to set it. This will usually be around 350-375°F, so don’t worry if it seems high – it should be for the design to stick properly. You can always find an old shirt to test the press on.

Next, set the pressure. Turn the pressure knob until you’ve reached the setting you want. Thicker materials usually require more pressure, while thinner ones don’t need it.

You should aim for medium to high pressure in all cases. It’s best to experiment a bit, however, until you’ve found the level that you think gives the best results. On some presses, a lower pressure setting makes it more difficult to lock down the handle.

6. Place Your Garment in the Press

It’s essential that the material is straightened when placed inside the press. Any folds will lead to a bad print. You can use the press to preheat the garment for 5 to 10 seconds to remove creases.

It’s also a good idea to stretch the shirt when you place it in the press. This way, the print will contract slightly when you’re finished, making it less likely to crack later.

Take care that the side of the garment where you want to be printed is facing up. The t-shirt tag should be aligned to the back of the press. This will help place the print correctly. There are presses that also project a laser grid onto your garment, making it much easier to align your design.

Your printed transfer should be placed face-down on the garment, while embroidered designs should be placed adhesive side-down. You can place a towel or a piece of thin cotton fabric on top of your transfer as protection, although you don’t need to do this if your press has a protective silicone pad.

7. Transfer the Design

Once you’ve correctly placed the garment and the print into the press, you can bring the handle down. It should lock so that you don’t have to physically press the top. Set the timer based on your transfer paper instructions, usually between 10 seconds and 1 minute.

Once the time has passed, open the press and take out the shirt. Peel off the transfer paper while it’s still hot. Hopefully, you’ll now see your design successfully transferred onto your garment.

You can repeat the process now for new shirts if you’re making more of them. If you want to add a print to the other side of the shirt you’ve already printed on, make sure to put a cardboard inside it first. Use less pressure this time around to avoid reheating the first design.

8. Care for Your Print

You should leave your shirt to rest for at least 24 hours before washing it. This helps the print to set in. When you do wash it, turn it inside out so that there isn’t any friction. Don’t use detergents that are too strong, as they can affect the print. Avoid tumble dryers in favor of air-drying.

Heat Pressing Hats

Now that you know how to heat press a shirt, you’ll see that the same principles largely apply to hats. You can treat them by using a flat press or a special hat press, which makes it much easier.

You can also use transfer paper here, but it’s easiest to add designs to caps with heat transfer vinyl. This material is available in many colors and patterns, so you can find the ones you like the most and cut out the shapes you want.

Once you have a design you like, use heat tape to attach it to the cap. If you’re using a flat press, you need to hold the cap from the inside with an oven mitt and press it against the heated platen. Since the front of the cap is curved, it’s best to press the middle first and then the sides. You will have to make sure that the entire surface of the design has been treated with heat so that you don’t end up with only part of the design.

Hat presses come with several interchangeable curved platens. They can cover the entire surface of your design at once, so there is no need for manual maneuvering. This works for both hard and soft caps, with or without seams. Tighten the cap around the appropriate platen, pull the press down and wait for the required amount of time.

Once you’re done with heat pressing, take off the heat tape and the vinyl sheet and your new design should be in place!

Heat Pressing Mugs

If you want to take your printing business even further, you might want to consider adding designs to mugs. Always a popular gift, especially when you add a personal touch, mugs are most often treated with sublimation transfers and heat transfer vinyl.

If you’ve got a multipurpose heat press with attachments for mugs, or you have a separate mug press, you’re all set! Cut or print out the image you want and attach it to the mug using heat tape. From there, you only need to put the mug into the press and wait for a few minutes. The exact time and heat settings vary, so make sure to read the instructions on your transfer packaging.

Conclusion

If you were on the fence about developing your printing business idea further, we hope you’re convinced now. It’s really simple to press a design onto any surface and it allows you to express your creativity and make some money doing it.

All heat presses have similar mechanisms, despite the differences in shape, size, and functionality. You’ve seen how to heat press a cap, shirt, and mug, but there are many other options. You could focus on tote bags, pillow cases, ceramic plates, or even jigsaw puzzles.

Of course, there are always innovations in any field, so you would be well-advised to look further into this topic. There are many options for getting the right transfer paper and particular rules for decorating each type of surface. But take the time to learn how to use a heat press and you will be thankful that you did.

This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Got a new heat press? I’m breaking down everything you need to know about using it, including all of the parts of a heat press, finding your time, temperature, and pressure settings, and making your first project.

My craft room recently got an upgrade! My old Amazon 5-in-1 heat press bit the dust (it literally wouldn’t turn on), so I replaced it with a WALApress from Heat Transfer Warehouse. This 15″ x 15″ clamshell press is a great upgrade to my first heat press.

I’ll be using this new press to teach you how to use a heat press! Of course all heat presses are different, but they function very similarly, so even if you have a different brand, you should be able to start on the right foot after reading this post. The instructions that come with many heat presses can feel a bit…basic, but I’ve got you covered!

I’ll also share a full review of this particular heat press later in this post, just in case you want to put a WALApress on your wishlist.

Not sure which heat press is for you? Check out our e-course Heat Press Roadmap! This extensive course is designed to guide you on your journey to deciding on the best heat press for your needs, space, and budget. Check out all the details about Heat Press Roadmap here!

How to Use a Heat Press Video

Watch this video as I go through everything in this post!

What is a Heat Press?

Check out my favorite heat presses you can get on Amazon!

A heat press is a machine that uses high heat to apply different materials to a variety of surfaces (fabric, wood, metal, etc.) for a wide range of results. For example, a heat press can be used to adhere heat transfer vinyl (HTV) cut on a cutting machine like a Cricut or Silhouette to a cotton t-shirt, or to put a sublimation transfer on a poly-coated substrate or polyester garment.

Heat presses come in all shapes and sizes depending on the project. In this post, we’re talking about flat heat presses used for items such as clothing, tote bags, coasters, photo panels, and more. There is also the Cricut AutoPress, which is Cricut’s flat heat press. You can read my full AutoPress review here.

There are also additional attachments or standalone heat presses you can purchase for mugs, tumblers, hats, and other oddly shaped items. You can check out a few of my other posts here:

Additionally, Cricut makes a handheld heat press called the Cricut EasyPress. You can read my comparison between the EasyPress and a traditional heat press to learn more about the differences between those two types of flat press.

Yes, there are a LOT of types of heat presses! And I have a lot of them.

Setting Up Your Space

First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of space set aside for your heat press machine. Depending on the style of your heat press (see the next section), you may need space on either side of your press for swinging it open, or space above for opening that top platen. Heat presses are HEAVY, so be sure you have a solid table or work surface. The last thing you want is a 400° 50+lb press to come crashing to the floor.

I have mine sitting on an IKEA desk I made using two Alex drawer units and a table top.

Most heat presses come fully or near-fully assembled. Because a heat press is so heavy, it might be a good idea to have a second set of hands to get it out of the box.

Heat Press Features

Clamshell vs. Swing Away

There are two main types of heat press design: clamshell and swing-away. My old Amazon 5-in-1 press was a swing-away. On a swing-away press, the top platen stays flat and is swung to the right or left so you can put your project down on the bottom plate. It can actually swing all the way around so the hot platen is totally away from your project. This is great, but you do need significantly more room to swing that platen all the way around, so it’s less than ideal for small spaces. Additionally, you can press thicker projects (like heat-transfer vinyl on a wood sign) with a swing away because the top plate comes down flat on top of your project.

My new WALApress is a clamshell. This means it opens and closes, well, like a clamshell. The top platen opens at an angle and you place your project on the bottom plate. This takes up much less room than a swing-away, but you do need to be more cautious of the hot plate being near your project. My WALApress has a slide-out bottom plate, which makes it a lot easier to avoid that hot plate. Doing thicker projects can be a bit tricky because of the angle of the top platen when it presses down. This may or may not matter to you depending on what types of projects you do.

The Cricut AutoPress is sort of a hybrid of these two types of presses. It opens more like a clamshell but the hinge is designed so the top platen comes down flat like a swing-away press. It’s pretty nifty (but, of course, nifty comes with a much heftier price tag).

The Parts of a Heat Press

Most flat heat presses have all the same features. There is a top platen (sometimes called a plate) that is heated, and a bottom platen that is not heated. Depending on your press, that bottom platen may slide out for easy access. The bottom platen usually has a foam or rubber pad on it.

There is also a handle for closing the press, as well as a knob for adjusting the pressure (the AutoPress does not have this knob because it applies pressure automatically). There is control box for setting time and temperature, and a sturdy base that all of this sits on. And a power button for turning the whole thing on and off.

Most presses will have a safety auto-off feature that will turn the press off if you haven’t interacted with it in a while.

Use Caution

Note that parts of the heat press will get very hot, including the outside casing around that top platen, and the bottom platen after you’ve pressed something. Most heat press projects start around 315° and go up to 400° and you do NOT want to be on the receiving end of that heat. This also includes children! Using a heat press can be dangerous for anyone who is not careful. A heat press also takes a long time to cool down, so be aware of that as well.

How to Use a Heat Press Step by Step

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with your heat press, you’re probably ready to create a project!

Finding Recommended Time, Temperature, and Pressure Settings

To start your project, determine the heat time, temperature, and pressure recommendations.

If you are using a type of heat-transfer vinyl (HTV, DTV, printable iron on, etc.), your time, temperature, and pressure settings are based on your material. So keep your packaging! If you don’t have packaging, you can usually look up the manufacturer of the material online and they should have recommended settings.

If you are using sublimation, your time, temperature, and pressure settings are based on the blank. So pressing a polyester shirt will be different than a sublimation photo panel which is different than a sequined pillow case. The manufacturer of these blanks should give you the recommended settings.

If you’re using another process, like DTF or EcoSolvent, I’ll have you refer to someone else for instructions since I am not very familiar with these other types of projects.

Setting Your Pressure

Before you press your blank, you will want to ensure the pressure is correct. Generally the pressure should be listed with the other recommended settings. On most presses, you just have to go by feel (the Cricut AutoPress, however, adjusts the pressure automatically). To add more pressure, turn your pressure knob to the right. To remove pressure, turn it to the left. You may need to adjust it a few times to get it just right.

If your blank calls for heavy pressure, you’ll want the handle to be a little tough to clamp down fully. If it calls for light pressure, it should be pretty easy to close. Medium pressure? Well, somewhere between the two. I like to open and close my heat press a few times to double check pressure before adding a blank.

Setting Your Time and Temperature

Now let’s see how to actually adjust the settings. Turn on your heat press. Control boxes for each press will be a bit different, but there are usually three main settings:

• Time
• Temperature
• Fahrenheit vs. Celsius

Generally there is a SET or MODE button to get you to the first setting. On my press, the first setting is labeled P-1 and it’s the temperature. Use the arrow keys to set the temperature.

Then hit the SET or MODE button again to get to the next setting. Mine is labeled P-2 and it’s the time. Use the arrow keys to set the time in seconds.

If that’s all you need to set, you can hit the SET or MODE button until you get back to the main screen. On mine, there’s also P-3 for changing between Fahrenheit and Celsius, and P-4, which helps you calibrate temperature difference by increasing or decreasing the readout. You would test this by putting aiming a thermometer gun at the hot platen in several places to see if the readout is what your temperature says it is. If not, you can add or subtract degrees to the temperature readout so it’s more accurate.

Other heat presses may have a different process for changing the settings, so when in doubt, refer to the user manual.

Testing Your Settings

Note that recommended settings are just that—recommended. You may need to adjust the settings a bit to get a better press. This is where testing comes in. If possible, test your materials or prints before doing your final press on your blank. Start with the recommended settings and go from there. For example, if your HTV isn’t sticking all the way, press for a bit longer. If your sublimation prints are coming out faded, try increasing your temperature. You can use a temperature gun to make sure the temperature shown in the controls is the same.

There are a lot of variables that go into your projects, including your material, your blank, the temperature and humidity in your space, and whether or not Mercury is in retrograde (okay, not really, but sometimes it feels that way!). Knowing that recommendations are just a starting place can help you find the best time, temperature, and pressure settings even faster.

Creating Your Project!

Now that your time, temperature, and pressure settings are all set, you can create a project! These photos are of a simple HTV baby bodysuit using my WALApress, but like I’ve mentioned, there are lots of things you can do! You can grab the free narwhal SVG we’re using here:

Download the Free Narwhal File under SVGs C466

This file can be found in my Free Craft Resource Library. The file number is: C466.

Want access to this free file? Join my FREE resource library! All you need is the password to get in, which you can get by filling out the form below!

Open your heat press and lay your bodysuit flat on the lower platen.

Use a lint roller to remove any dust, pet hair, or other debris from your garment.

Pre-press your blank for 10 to 15 seconds to release moisture and/or wrinkles before adding your image decal on top.

Once ready, place your material (heat transfer vinyl, sublimation transfer paper, inkjet transfer, etc.) on top of the blank. In many cases, you may also want to use a teflon sheet or piece of butcher paper between the top heat plate and your blank.

Then, using your handle, carefully close the upper platen and press the start button on your machine. Depending on your machine, the countdown will start automatically, or you may need to press a button to start it. Once the machine is closed, avoid re-opening your project until it’s done.

Once the timer beeps, use the handle to open your heat press. It will be hot, so be careful!

Depending on your material, you may need to wait for your project to cool a bit before peeling away the backing or carrier sheet. Read my post HTV: Hot Peel vs Cold Peel for more information.

Depending on the recommended instructions for your project, you may also want to press from the back to make sure your material is really adhered to your blank properly.

Your project is done!

WALApress Review

Now let’s talk about my specific WALApress heat press and whether or not I’d recommend it! Like I said at the beginning of this post, I upgraded to this press after my 5-in-1 heat press from Amazon died. My main reasons for upgrading were a larger pressing surface (15″ x 15″ vs. 12″ x 15″), a smaller footprint (clamshell vs. swing-away), and the customer service provided by Heat Transfer Warehouse just in case my press died at some point like my Amazon press did.

The price difference was significant, though, with the Amazon press being around $200 and the WALApress around $575.

I’ve been using the WALApress for more than a month now and I really love it. Yes, it’s more expensive than my Amazon press but I do think the upgrade was worth it for me. I like how much more sturdy this press feels than than the 5-in-1 press. I really love the pull-out drawer for getting my projects set up, though I will be honest and say that twice now I’ve tried to close the press before sliding the drawer back in since I am not used to that part of the process. It made the press feel a bit off balance, which was a bit scary. But that’s just my own user error—just be sure to push the drawer back in.

With the increased size for Cricut Print then Cut, I am looking forward to doing larger sublimation projects and the larger platen will allow me to do that. And even with that increased size, the amount of space I need to use my press is actually smaller than it was with my swing-away Amazon press.

Frequently Asked Questions about Heat Presses

What does a heat press do?

A heat press is used to adhere a heat-transfer material to a blank. For instance, heat-transfer vinyl to a t-shirt or a sublimation print to a tote bag.

What supplies do I need for a heat press?

In addition to the press itself, some other handy supplies include butcher paper or teflon sheets, heat-resistant gloves, heat-resistant tape, a temperature gun, t-shirt guides, and pressing pillows.

Why would you use a heat press instead of an iron?

While you can use an iron for some heat-transfer projects, the high, even heating of a heat press is a much better option. Irons can have hot and cold spots, leading to uneven transfers. And most irons don’t get hot enough for sublimation projects.

What time and temperature should I use?

Time and temperature (and pressure!) are based on manufacturer’s recommendation. Google the type of material or blank you are using to see the recommended pressing time, temperature, and pressure.

Is a heat press a good investment?

If you make a significant number of garments and other projects, a heat press is a great investment over an EasyPress or iron. Just know that you’ll need a decent amount of space because heat presses are large and are not easy to store.

What is the difference between a regular heat press and a sublimation heat press?

Nothing! You can use the same heat press for both types of projects, provided that the heat press goes up to 400° for sublimation.

Can I use a heat press with adhesive vinyl?

No, adhesive vinyl is like a sticker and does not need heat to be activated. A heat press will more than likely melt adhesive vinyl. See my post How to Use Adhesive Vinyl for more information.