Desktop heat presses
A heat press transfers the ink from your sublimation paper into the blank Unisub or ChromaLuxe item. A good heat press is key to have optimal quality onto our sublimation products.
To understand what heat press you need to buy, answer the questions below:
- Size: How big will you sublimate ?
- Style: Should you get a clamshell or swing-away heat press ?
- Materials: What are you planning to produce (rigid, mugs, caps, ...) ?
- Function: How advanced does it need to be (Manual, Auto Open, Air, ... ) ?
- Volume: How many items are you planning to produce in a month ?
What is the largest size item that you want to produce? Size does matter. Your press need to be slightly bigger than the largest item you want to produce. If you want to sublimate items bigger than 40x50cm (16x20inch), visit our large format heat press section.
What is the largest size transfer paper my printer can print? Printers are limited to a certain paper size. Desktop printers can only print A4 to A3, large format printers can print up to 64 inches (162cm).
Are you doing mass production or looking to do quick jobs one at a time? Smaller presses heat up quicker and are quick solution for a couple of items at a time. If you are looking to do mass production (ex: coasters, photo panels, ...) at a time, then the bigger the heat press the better. With bigger presses the more items you can press in one go.
What size heat press do I need five or ten years from now? Heat presses last a very long time, so it is important to consider what you might need down the line.
What is my budget? The bigger the heat press size the more expensive the press. If you are still trying to figure it out after all the questions, the general rule is buy the largest size for your budget.
For craft-sublimation, the company Cricut created 3 small, portable heat presses with a maximum heat size of 12" x 10" (30 x 25cm). This heat press is ideal for T-shirts, banners, blankets and all small items from Unisub and ChromaLuxe. It has a precise temperature control up to 400℉ (205 C) and is easy to learn, simple to use and affordable for everyone.
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