You’ve got yourself an industrial heat transfer machine, you’ve got yourself a job, and you’re ready to begin your heat transfers. One problem: you’re not sure exactly how to begin transferring with a large machine like this.
The process of transferring can be a little more complicated than it looks on the surface. You have to decide what temperature to set the press of the calender too, how much pressure to apply, and whether you should peel while it is hot or cold.
All the choices can be a little overwhelming. Whether you’re producing heat transfer products for your own use, or as a business opportunity it can be stressful. The good news is we’ve thrown a quick guide together to help you get it right the first time and every time after that, too.
1. You ought to power your heat transfer machine. Just plug in the machine and turn it on by simply flipping the ON/OFF switch.
2. Next, adjust the thermostat settings by turning the knob to the right until the red heating light appears.
3. When the thermometer indicates the desired temperature for your transfer, turn the knob back to the left until the heating light turns off. The heating light will go on and off to regulate your desired temperature.
4. If your machine comes with a digital timer, start it by pressing its button. When you hear the alarm, press stop to reset the timer.
5. Lift up the handle to open the press.
6. Assuming you want to print a tee and you already have a transfer paper containing the artwork to be printed with you layout the garment on the industrial heat transfer machine. Lay the transfer paper onto the t-shirt while facing down.
NOTE: You can opt to preheat your garment (without placing the transfer paper) for around seconds to remove moisture and creases.
7. Close the machine against your fabric and the transfer and lock it firmly.
8. Set the timer based on the instructions you see on your transfer paper.
9. Lift the handle to open the machine.
10. Peel the transfer paper off the face of your shirt. You should read the instructions to know whether it is a “hot-peel” or “cold peel” paper.
11. Wait for at least 24 hours before washing.
You can always search the Internet for more information about certain materials, as well. Whenever possible, avoid the guess and check method of heat transfer, because more often than not it will lead to wasted time and materials.