Hey friends, dave here with Transfer Express and today we are talking about some different heat
press and platen sizes! now, we're going to take a look at full size heat presses, some smaller
15 by 15, or, 16 by 16s, our craft press and a few of these different interchangeable platens
that you could equip your arsenal with. Now, of course with heat printing for the best long
lasting application we want to ensure we have a nice smooth and even printing area that we can
achieve consistent heat and pressure across that entire printing surface and the right
platen size makes this super easy and possible now using the correct size for your project
makes printing those certain items super easy like i just mentioned and quick with those long lasting
stellar results so are you ready let's jump in and compare some common sizes and these platens
if you are new to transfer express we are the world's largest supplier of screen printed and
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business if you haven't already subscribe to our youtube channel right here we are kicking
out new videos like this one every single week so let's jump right off the bat into our full-size 16
by 20 heat press so we've got the hotronix auto open clam shell press right here with me
and if you've been with a lot of our videos here at transfer express you'll see how versatile
and how much of a workhorse this thing is it's in every single video we do now the full size
version is the largest of the variations of this model with two additional smaller sizes available
an 11 by 15 and a 16 by 16 which is the size right here so this is a 15 by 15 this is a 16 by 16
you could see the difference now this one allows you to print graphics up to 16 by 20 inches which
if i hold the platen up to me you can see it's pretty much the entire front side of a standard
large t-shirt however the full-sized platens are large enough that you could get a real good idea
of the alignment of your shirt on the press and the placement for your graphic on the shirt
now in this video we're not going to go too in depth into print locations and placements
but if you want to learn more we do have an awesome video linked right here with some
helpful graphic placement guides we'll have that in the description below as well now i will say
the most popular use where we see the benefits of this full-size platen is printing the names
and numbers on the backs of jerseys with the 16 by 20 print area it allows you to press both the name
and the numbers at the same time making quick work of those large team orders now as you can see when
threaded onto the platen or laid over top you've got a good look at the t-shirt shape on these
larger platens helping make correct alignment on the press an absolute breeze now you could trace
the edges of the platen down the side seams and hold the sleeves up on either side to ensure that
your t-shirt is centered on the press now most of these larger full-size presses come equipped
with the capabilities for swappable platens so you could ultimately adjust your platen size quickly
and easily if you need a smaller size now this is super helpful when you're printing big runs
with specialty placements like sleeves or inside tag prints gym bags maybe the leg of a sweatpant
tote bags or left chests on polos and the like now the only real downside to the full-size press
is that of course they do take up more room and they're on the higher end in terms of cost
but if your budget allows you will never be outgrowing a full-size heat press anytime soon
next let's take a peek at a mid size press now this a to z is a 16 by 16 platen size
and it's incredibly popular because the balance of cost and versatility for models in this size range
now with the square platen you do have a slightly smaller printable area than the full size press
but you still have more than enough room for the majority of your graphics you'll be printing
now you'll still have the full width of that full size press just with a shorter length so
you could still get a good view of positioning and placement of the shirts on the press now while
some of the hotronix autoclam and max presses in this mid-range size have the ability for
swappable platens the majority of presses in this size range just like this a to z here do not so
while you're saving a little bit on the smaller size you do lose some functionality without the
ability to swap out your platen just like this a to z here or the stahls clam basic series
now here on the 16 by 16 the smaller print area could help alleviate some of those issues where
seams may have crossed the printing area like say for example the pocket seams on hoodies
these are typically designed for mid level decorators and businesses a step up from the
hobbyists or crafters although these presses are super powerful machines for crafters
who want to make the leap to a small business down the road sometime four our last press we will take
a look at something like this 9 by 12 craft press now this press is awesome for at home hobbyists or
small home based businesses because of its super compact size it's even perfect to take on the road
to do live pressing on site at craft shows vendor events or even sports tournaments
they are incredibly affordable uh really on the lower end with price compared to the other models
we looked at but with that comes restrictions on this printing area the 9 by 12 platen area is
small enough that you won't have any problems with seams collars or obstructions on the print area
you can easily fit those hoodies on the press without worrying about that pocket seam that we
talked about earlier now with the smaller platen you may find yourself in a pickle if you need to
print a larger image go check your closet how many printed tees do you own with a graphic larger than
9 by 12 inches it's probably not a lot you'll be surprised by how much you could fit on this press
if you're planning on printing tote bags or towels or any other small items a 9 by 12 press
is perfectly capable of being a reliable workhorse for you at home we touched on it earlier but the
right platen for the job makes everything so much easier of course you don't necessarily need the
platens but they do speed the job up and after a few runs they might just pay for themselves
in the time saved alone now regardless of the size of your heat press you could always use solutions
like a simple mouse pad to raise the printing area to stay clear of any seams or obstructions all you
have to do is just slide it under the print area readjust your pressure on the press and print away
now that we've seen some of the different sizes of heat presses and our interchangeable platens
before you go purchase your own heat press there are a few things to consider so number one what is
the largest size image that you're realistically going to be printing are you doing bulk runs that
need quick loading positioning and pressing or are you printing just a couple shirts at a time of
course for those bulk runs you'll need something a little bit more efficient like a full-size press
that's fully threadable but if you're just doing a couple shirts at a time something like a craft
press will be perfectly fine for your projects now screen printed transfers from transfer express are
typically maxed out at 11 inches by 14 inches but some of our sheet sizes do go up to 18 inches so
if you're printing full sheets or say wide rolls if you're cutting your own vinyl a larger heat
press is definitely going to be your best bet but i hope this video helps you find a solution that
works the best for you and your business we are pushing out new videos like this one every single
week on the transfer express youtube channel so if you're not already subscribed what are you waiting
for there's a button right there click the button and subscribe as always we're happy to help in any
way we can for anybody in the apparel decorating community if you need to reach us you can always
call us or email info transferexpress.com but until next time i'm dave happy pressing