Who has a heat press?

[royster13]

It always surprises me when I get an order for names and numbers on shirts printed somewhere else.....As this seems to happen often, I wonder how many screen printers here do not have heat presses?.....Seems to be a necessity for folks in this line of work....Am I wrong?

PS....I am not talking about shirts shipped in from "Mothercorp" and personalized locally...I am talking about shirts printed at local shops that do not do names and numbers....

[alan802]

We have one that we use primarily for sublimation but names and numbers via screen printed transfers are done as well on it.  Geo Night DK20S I think is the model, 16x20.  It's a decent unit but I think there are better options out there for sure.

[Frog]

Some just don't want to deal with "personalization" and the inherent small runs and/or handling of single pieces associated with them.

Then again, the reverse is true as well.  There are heat pressers who don't screen print.

oh and btw, I have six, with at least three in use regularly, the most handy and uncommon, a 6x8 "label" press from George Knight.

[prozyan]

I've always felt a vinyl cutter and a heat press go hand-in-hand with the screen business.  I wouldn't be caught without one, personally.

[ZooCity]

Yeah we send all that to the guy who likes the team work.  That's the mentality Frog- we don't offer numbers.  We do offer names though, side clamp presses make that easy and good money and they get to pick any font they want. 

I could do a lot of good stuff for our retail line with a vinyl cutter though aside from just plotting out names/numbers for Ts though. 

[ebscreen]

4 here. Probably a necessity but personally I hate anything we do with them.
It's hard to go from 700/hr to like 120 or so. You almost can't charge enough.


We have a vinyl plotter too and a bunch of Thermoflex or whatever but I really
really have to be coddled to break that out. Used to do a bunch, but now I tell them
to call Andy.

[Homer]

we do foil almost weekly so we have to have one. as much as I dislike the model we have, one of those 2 platen swing type jams would be kinda cool.

[stitches4815]

We got one and a vinyl cutter.  We use it a lot for names and numbers along with doing one or two shirts with a logo or some goofy saying done in vinyl for customers. 

[Socalfmf]

we have two and now three plotters to cut names or numbers

sam

[Orion]

We have one for hats with two sizes of platens, one for t's and other things with four sizes of platens and then we have the huge Geo Knight Maxi Press 40X60 twin shuttle for our AOP sublimation. For the past two and a half decades, every shop I have worked with had at least one heat press. My first job as a rookie screen printer was 300, 3 color, hat transfers. I printed and pressed them all.

[ebscreen]

If yer serious about it, air powered shuttle type are the best, preferably with two platens.

[sweetts]

We have two now.

[Gilligan]

3.

Hotronix Auto 16x16 (first thing we got w/ a Graphtec).
Then a buddy told me about a small 9x12 swing away hix at a pawn shop I picked up for $100 bucks.

Then I picked up a hat press on t-shirtforums for a couple.

There is another 15x15 clam style at the pawn shop for fairly cheap (practically new).  I know the owners of the pawn shop.  Soon as I get same extra cash hanging around if it's still there (I'm sure it will be), I'll go see what they will let me have it for.  Might trade an old PS2 that is collecting dust to them and some cash thrown in.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I have a dk20 swing away. I think when I get more room I will get the shuttle attachment and stand.

[Inkworks]

I've always felt a vinyl cutter and a heat press go hand-in-hand with the screen business.  I wouldn't be caught without one, personally.

Ditto