What makes the opportunity for heat applied graphics such a winner? Consider the importance of branding in our society. Everyone from burger vendors to corporate players wears clothing with a company logo – and they probably also need items ranging from mouse mats and coffee mugs to caps, and awards plaques – all with the company logo!

Of course, these opportunities are multiplied if you are already in business as an embroiderer, screen printer, sign writer or other type of embellisher. You already have the customers: adding heat-applied graphics means that you can sell them even more products – everything from coasters to caps. If it fits on a platen, you can heat apply an image to it.

Additions or alternatives

It is known in marketing that it’s easier to sell more to one person than it is to sell goods to more people, so why not sell your existing customers more? It also means you can offer multi-media graphics with a high perceived value. Combine embroidery with a heat applied digital transfer image, for example. Another plus: you can easily offer just one or two items which can be cost prohibitive with other decoration processes. With screen printing it doesn’t make financial sense to do jobs of less than say 40 pieces or so, but it makes perfect sense to do them using a heat press. Add to that the service advantage of being able to complete the transaction “right now” – to be able to take the order and almost immediately deliver the goods, without the time and labour intensity of either printing or embroidery.

And if you don’t offer screen printing in-house, a heat press gives you an affordable option to add to that service. You can order screen printed stock or custom transfers and heat apply them on an as-needed basis. Screen printed transfers can be applied to cotton, polyester and even nylon substrates.

Numerous other options

Here’s a rundown of some of the many other embellishment options available to you with heat applied graphics.

Die-cut numbers and letters: By ordering stock numbers and letters from suppliers, or using a cutter to make up your own, you can tap into the sports market by doing team shirts and similar items. Material options are extensive and include adhesive vinyl and film, allowing you to affix the material to a variety of substrates.

Digital transfers: Using an inkjet, laser or thermal-output device, you can output digital transfers and heat apply them to an enormous number of substrates. This option provides terrific flexibility and lets you quickly and easily apply photo-realistic images onto apparel, metal, wood, leather, ceramics and coated materials.

Inkjet printers that use water-based inks are a less expensive option to get started with this arena. Dye sublimation, on the other hand, is renowned for its colour accuracy and vibrancy. However, it does require that the substrate have a polyester content or coating, and it works best on white garments. Sublimation transfers are produced on two types of printers – sublimation laser or inkjet.

CAD-Cutting: There is a wide range of materials for use with digital cutters, which makes them a very versatile option. Choose from vinyls and films in solid colours, glitters, metallic, holographic, reflective and even glow-in-the-dark!  You can cut out anything, from letters and numbers to any logo or other shape. Furthermore, you can even do signs with CAD cutting, using self adhesive vinyls.

One limitation here is colour. A CAD cutter can only cut one colour at a time; generally, stacking two layers adds weight to the wearable making it heavier and affecting comfort. Another option would be to cut each colour area separately and piece the design together (by butt-registering). This will keep the handle lighter, but it is considerably more work. Still, this option is a great one for medium-volume markets that demand quick turnaround such as sports teams and restaurants.

Essentially, there are two types of cutter for this process: a traditional cutter and a printer/cutter, the latter combining printing and cutting into a single unit. Either way, you should look for a unit that’s at least 60cms wide so that you can tackle a wider array of jobs. Some relatively newer units come equipped with an optical “eye” that lets you contour cut around an image’s registration marks – very useful.

Embossing: This process – which involves putting a die under a garment and imprinting a design into the fabric using extreme pressure – actually requires a special type of heat press. It can be somewhat expensive, as the dies can cost several hundred pounds to produce: however for high-volume orders, it can be profitable and offers a unique option.

Heat Presses

Heat presses generally start at about £500 for a reputable light-weight, small sized model, and can go up to £2500 for a pneumatic-powered high production machine. Mid range presses are generally in the £600-1000 range, which is what a typical heat applied graphics business would need. Inevitably, you do get what you pay for. The better machines, though marginally more expensive, usually last longer and are manufactured to much higher standards to provide years of trouble free use.

While presses are available with a range of features including digital versus analogue controls, auto pop-up, presets and removable power cords, there are really three key heat press functions to keep in mind: it must accurately provide time, temperature and pressure.

Accurate temperature is an absolute must. If you machine is out by only 10 degrees plus or minus, it can ruin an application. As you might guess, lower end units have less accurate, less reliable temperature mechanisms, while higher end machines have correspondingly better control. Smooth, even pressure is also critical. If pressure isn’t applied evenly, the design isn’t applied evenly, resulting in less than optimal results.

Some substrates offer built-in obstacles to even pressure: the zipper on a hoodie sweatshirt for example. Thankfully, suppliers offer tools to deal with such challenges. For instance, you can put a Teflon® covered pillow on top of an item, in-between the layers, to help even things out, while print pads may be used to help build up low-lying areas. Other considerations while shopping for a heat press include the following:

Configuration: A swing away press gives you free range of movement, when loading and unloading the substrate, and keeps the heated platen away from fingers making it safer to use; whereas a clamshell unit takes up far less space. Swingaways also tend to be heavy making them less portable.

Speciality presses: Suppliers offer heat presses made specifically for unusual shape items – such as coffee mugs or caps – as well as multi-purpose presses. Suppliers also make custom platens for unusual substrates such as umbrellas and shoes.

Manual and semi-automatic: Semi-automatic presses pop up automatically following the application, thanks to either magnetic/electronic technology or an air compressor, while manual presses have to be physically opened when a timer signals complete application. For higher production, it pays to consider a semi-automatic press from the stand point of sheer physical exhaustion.

Dual-platen presses: If you want to crank out as many units as possible in the least time, you may want to consider a dual-platen press which lets you work on two items simultaneously, setting up the next item on one platen, while the item on the other platen is being pressed.

Prices: Cap presses start at or around £500, while heat presses for shirts and other flat items start at about £600. These prices obviously depend upon the size and facilities of the press. The most popular press size is either 40 x 40cms or 40 x 50cms and typically sells for about £800-1000 and upwards.

A model like no other

What makes heat applied graphics so attractive is that you can get into business with nothing but a heat press, a computer and Internet access (in order to order and download designs and substrates). Few business models are so affordable, exciting, creative, easy………….. and profitable!