Heat press
Encyclopedia
A heat press is a machine
engineered to imprint a design or graphic on a substrate, such as a t-shirt
, with the application of heat
and pressure
for a preset period of time. While heat presses are often used to apply designs to fabric
s, they can also be used to imprint designs on mugs, plates, jigsaw puzzles, and other products.
Both manual and automatic heat presses are widely available. A new style of press that is semi-automatic has entered the market as well, allowing for a manual closing process with an automatic opening. Digital technology in newer machines enables precise control of heat and pressure levels and timing. The most common types of heat press employ a flat platen
to apply heat and pressure to the substrate. In the "clamshell" design, the upper heat element in the press opens like a clamshell, while in the "swing-away" design, the heat platen swings away from the lower platen. Another design type a "draw style press" allows for the bottom platen to be pulled out like a drawer away from the heat for preparation of the graphic. Vacuum presses utilise air pressure to provide the necessary force and can achieve high psi ratings.
Most heat presses currently on the market use an aluminum upper-heating element with a heat rod cast into the aluminum or a heating wire attached to the element. For high-volume operations involving the continuous imprinting of items, automatic shuttle transfer presses are used. The substrates to be imprinted are continuously loaded onto the lower platen and shuttled under the heat platen, which then applies the necessary heat and pressure.
The pattern is printed in sublimating ink on sublimating paper which allows the pattern to transfer. You can get some highly effective patterns and great effects using this technique.
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
engineered to imprint a design or graphic on a substrate, such as a t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
, with the application of heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
and pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...
for a preset period of time. While heat presses are often used to apply designs to fabric
Fabric
A fabric is a textile material, short for "textile fabric".Fabric may also refer to:*Fabric , the spatial and geometric configuration of elements within a rock*Fabric , a nightclub in London, England...
s, they can also be used to imprint designs on mugs, plates, jigsaw puzzles, and other products.
Both manual and automatic heat presses are widely available. A new style of press that is semi-automatic has entered the market as well, allowing for a manual closing process with an automatic opening. Digital technology in newer machines enables precise control of heat and pressure levels and timing. The most common types of heat press employ a flat platen
Platen
A platen is typically a flat metal plate pressed against a medium to cause an impression in letterpress printing...
to apply heat and pressure to the substrate. In the "clamshell" design, the upper heat element in the press opens like a clamshell, while in the "swing-away" design, the heat platen swings away from the lower platen. Another design type a "draw style press" allows for the bottom platen to be pulled out like a drawer away from the heat for preparation of the graphic. Vacuum presses utilise air pressure to provide the necessary force and can achieve high psi ratings.
Most heat presses currently on the market use an aluminum upper-heating element with a heat rod cast into the aluminum or a heating wire attached to the element. For high-volume operations involving the continuous imprinting of items, automatic shuttle transfer presses are used. The substrates to be imprinted are continuously loaded onto the lower platen and shuttled under the heat platen, which then applies the necessary heat and pressure.
The pattern is printed in sublimating ink on sublimating paper which allows the pattern to transfer. You can get some highly effective patterns and great effects using this technique.