Heat presses

► 1. General questions
► 2. Technical problems

1. General questions

What is a heat press?

It is a tool required for transferring print on the surface of the product by sublimation printing, transfer paper printing or DTF printing as well as ironing cuttable heat transfer films on textiles. The most popular ones are flat heat presses, which can be used to iron T-shirts and flat objects. There are also special heat presses for other unique shaped products, such as baseball cap heat presses, mug heat presses for mugs or plates, and plate heat presses for other smaller flat products. For the industrial segment, we also offer large-format heat presses – which are also flatbed heat presses only in larger sizes – and roll heat treatment machines, so-called calenders, for the production of fashion clothing, sportswear, flags and textile banners.

What's the difference between our SD Basic and SD Pro heat presses?

SD Basic is suitable for sublimation and cuttable heat transfer films, while the SD Pro and Galaxy brands are recommended not only for production of higher volume, but also for DTF printing, toner transfer printing and ironing more expensive transfer papers, which require even more precise pressure and heat distribution.

What kind of heat press do I need for producing sport jerseys?

You will need a large format heat press. If you are printing pre-cut, pre-assembled sports jersey pieces, you will need a large-format flatbed heat press. If you want to print on a full roll of textile without cutting beforehand, you will need a roll heat treatment calender.

2. Technical problems

The heat press doesn't switch on.

If possible, replace the power cable. If this does not solve the problem, there could be a number of reasons, so please contact our service.

The flat print is lighter in some places, darker in others.

Check the temperature of the preheated heating plate with an infrared thermometer at 5 points (5-10cm from the corners and the center). If it differs by more than 5°C from the value set on the control panel, then either the device needs to be calibrated (this is possible with the Galaxy brand), or the heating plate is faulty and needs to be replaced by our service. An alternative solution is to modify the set temperature compared to the measured value. For example, if 180°C was set and 165°C was measured, the temperature needs to be adjusted to approx. 195°C so that the actual value would be approximately the required 180°C.

The lever is hard to move.

It is possible that the shaft is too tight or too dry. Occasionally you should spray with thin film of oil and then wipe the visible moving parts of the shafts.

There are faint spots on the print on the mug.

The pressure is too weak or the heating pad needs to be replaced. If there's no problem with the heating pad and the pressure is adequate, increase the temperature by 10°C or increase the transfer time by 30 seconds and try again.

Bad quality print: ghosting or smearing on mug.

The sublimation paper has shifted or the pressure is too weak.

The heat-resistant tape left a mark on the mug.

Use the heat-resistant tape offered by Signdepot because there are many low-quality ones available on the market.

The transfer paper is dark brown, burnt.

Too high temperature or too long transfer time. Reduce it.