Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
What are some of the things you can't heat press vinyl or inkjet transfers to? Will I be able to press every type of shirt, jacket, sweater, baseball cap, shoes, alligator purse that I come across?
I would not try to pess anything made of plastic like a rain hat or a rain coat. In most cases you can find a media available to embellish a garment with. .... JB
I would say you can pretty much press anything about apparel (t-shirt, sweater, shorts, pants, bags etc.) just have different settings and vinyl and/or inkjet transfer paper to deal with every different materials use with the substrates. Add also the capabilities of your heat press to put designs on hard materials such as tiles, wood, mugs and so on. With shoes, I would say, it all depends on materials and accessibility on the part of the shoes, if you can get the spot on the shoes to your heat press, then it is doable with the right vinyl or transfer paper to use.
Great answers, thanks! What are some ways of finding out the right temps and pressure times for pressing items that may cost a little more than a 100% tee? I was thinking about pressing bathing suits, baggies, flip flops, and maybe even wet suits. Any ideas?
For my own opinion, the best recommendation to take with regards to settings is with your supplier, most of the time, they had done those testing on a particular materials before they even recommend it to be use for that substrates. Most of the time, you have to let them know what it's made of (cotton, polyester, nylon etc..) to provide you a better recommendation with the settings and type of vinyl or transfer paper to use.
You mean the supplier of the paper/vinyl? For instance, say I wanted to print Thermoflex Vinyl to some board shorts or a bikini, would I contact the makers of Thermoflex and ask them?
You mean the supplier of the paper/vinyl? For instance, say I wanted to print Thermoflex Vinyl to some board shorts or a bikini, would I contact the makers of Thermoflex and ask them?
Yes, you would want to contact them or your supplier (where you bought it from) to provide you with the recommended settings to use with particular substrate that you want to put it on. If they cannot provide it to you or help you out with this, then I would recommend going with other supplier or use different vinyl from different company. This should be standard for every supplier and/or manufacturer to provide you with recommended or proper settings.
Awesome, that sounds great! It'll be a long time before I am at the stage of actually printing what I want, but I'm getting there. At least this gives me an idea to start asking around for the type of vinyl I'll want before I go out and start buying mass quantities
As stated ...check with the vendor of the product...but I find the broadest definition as to what I can press is anything that will take the heat of the particular transfer/vinyl and will fit on a press..
What (Apparel) Can you Heat Press to? 
