Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
Is one brand better than the other? They are the same cost so I just want to get what is best. Also the second one lets you get additional platens which are smaller which say for sleeves or children's clothing. Is that really nessessary or can I do children's stuff on the platen that comes on either of these presses? I plan on doing some babies onesies so it is important that I can do that.
Also for transfers do I need to convert my printer to use sublimation inks or is standard inkjet ink ok?
Two different style of press but both work well. I would go 16x20 if possible but thats just my preferance. I dont know about switching platons but there are inserts for sleeves etc.
I personally have two mighty press but know Hix makes great gear.
Sublimation printing uses sublimation inks so you would need to change inks from what comes in the printer. You should do some research on Sub. printing because its rather different form other transfer methods. Shirt types and what actually happens with the ink when transfered.
Thanks. I am kind of on a budget so I am really in the 15x15 range. By making the leap up to the larger size what advantage would that give me? I am mainly going to do tees, kids stuff like onesies and bibs, canvas bags and mousepads.
The inserts you mentioned, can you edplain that more to me?
Also for the sub info, where would be the best place to do research? Is standard Epson durabright inks not ok for what I described above?
I have a mighty press from imprintables warehouse....it is a 16x20 clam. I would definately go for the big platen....If you dont it will be harder in the long run. I have had it 2 years it has been great
Thanks both. I think I might try to figure out how to go up to the 16x20 but it was not a planned thing in the budget. Is MightyPress better than Hix or vice versa or both are about equal in quality?
Thanks. I have looked through the threads and it seems a mixed bag and a choice thing so I guess I need to make a choice. One thing that could swing me is this.
The timers on the 2 machines. Does the one on the Mighty Press start counting down when the lid is closed? And does the one for the Hix need to be manually set as it says it is seperate I believe. That might be a big deal but not really sure if that is. Is it a big deal?
The minute the mighty max's lid is closed the timer starts counting down. Go Coastal business and get a 16 x 20. It is only two hundred more than the 15 x 15 and you can do more with it.
Also for transfers do I need to convert my printer to use sublimation inks or is standard inkjet ink ok?
I will speak for dye-sub since that is what we are doing. For dye-sub, you will not be able to print your own transfers for anything less than 65% poly blends or greater. We have excellent results with vapor apparel and dye-sub but the blank shirts cost 3 to 4 times a 50/50 or 100% cotton T.
Does that mean you can't do cotton? No, you have alternatives like transfers and subbing out the work if you need to.
For non-dye-sub ink, I think Lou and others can speak to that. We have tried a few papers that work with laser and regular ink and the results are not too bad. There is also a new ink, chromablast, that is supposed to work with cotton. I really didn't like the sample I got but others might have better results.
For the press, you might want to think about more than t-shirts. We sell a ton of coffee mugs and the results with dye-sub are stunning. Yes, you will need a separate press, but you might want to consider that avenue if you do dye-sub work. Also, if you have a swinger press, you can do anything that will fit inside it like tiles, wood, etc. You can do it with a clamshell also but it might be a little tricky.
The nice thing about the 2 presses you have listed is the weight. They are light enough to take with you if you want to do shows and press right there. Our press weighs 220lbs and is a bear to lift. We will probably invest in a 15" to take to shows sometime next year so we can customize work right in front of our customers.
Thanks both. Right now I really think I am going with the 15x15 because of money and for what I will be doing. The Hix swinger interested me due to the ability to put thicker stuff on it and easier to put the stuff on. The one thing I am nervous about is the timer. It says that it is a seperate timer and I wonder how hard it is to set vs. the mighty which starts the countdown when it closes.
I recommend you get a swing arm press. A lot of the clam shells lose their pressure after time because of the design. Insta-graphix and the geo knights are good brands.
Need help with press selection 
