[ladyfame]

Hello all, I'm about to take the "t-shirt heat transfer business" leap. I've done a lot of reading on processes, papers, inks, etc.. (information overload). My question is this: which press is best for a beginner who intends to grow and branch out to other things other than Ts?

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

I am guessing you want to press tiles, mouspads, linens etc. Really the determining factor is how much volume are you expecting, what thickness of substrates are you going to use and hot does the machine need to get to get everything done? Then there is your budget and space requirements. I would start with a 15x15 but a 16x20 is a good option. If you answer the questions above and do a bit of research about presses you will find exactly what you need.

 

[badalou]

I would bet that the majority of us use a 15 x 15. There are some shops that have more than one press and I ma sure they have different sizes.

 

[htt117]

The press I just purchased is the Phoenix Phire 16 X 16 inch. The inch doesn't sound like much, but it makes a lot of things easier. I still can't do Hockey jerseys name and number in one pressing, but for most items the added size is nice.

 

[ladyfame]

Thanks for the responses. I should have been clearer in my question. What I was looking for was not so much the size but make (HIX, Knight, etc.). Is one make better than the other? What about certification (UL/ETL)? Known problems with a particular make, and stuff like that.

 

[T-BOT]

you cant go wrong with HIX.

 

[htt117]

The Phoenix Phire so far has pretty fast heat-up time and recovery between pieces. Heat-up time matters to me because I don't do transfers all day. I run a personalization shop that does embroidery, heat transfers and other services. Heat stability (hoe good is the control package) should be a consideration. I also have found the automatic opening feature to be a big benefit if you are likely to get interrupted by customers in a retail environment.

 

[Twinge]

Geo Knights occasionally have electrical issues, so do a little extra research on any specific GK presses you're considering getting. Hix is the standard for a quality press, though I haven't heard much in the way of bad stuff for any brand of commercial press really (even GK - they generally work fine other than the chance for electrical failure).

 

[ladyfame]

Thanks for the help.

 

[badalou]

Naaa get mthe mighty press 15 x 15.. love it

 

[Solmu]

I would bet that the majority of us use a 15 x 15.

I wouldn't take you up on that bet