Best Heat Press T-Shirt Printing Machine: Reviews in 2023(Detailed Guide)

9. BestEquip Heat Press Machines Swing Away for T-Shirts - Link

When the best t-shirt printing machine says it out loud, you know that it is built specifically for designing that item. This is the case for BestEquip Heat Press Machine. The manufacturers worked wonders in dedicating this thing solely for tinkering with clothing.

With this, you don't need to worry about assembling the machine. Everything comes in top shape and pre-assembled. Just unpack the product and get to work.

With its 11.5" x 9" heating platen, you can do designs on T-shirts, bags, metal, glass, and other surfaces. It is best suited for "Flat" surfaces. Personally, I'd advise you to use it for T-Shirts.

The reason I am a big fan of this thing is its convenience. You have an LCD display that shows time and temperature counts. Thanks to the controls, you can make precise temperature adjustments. Feel free to play with the temperature settings between 0 to 399-Degree Celsius.

As far as adjusting time is concerned, One can do so with the simple buttons on the panel. Feel free to set the time anywhere between 0 to 999 seconds. Once the machine is done with heating, you'll hear an alarm loud and clear.

Rest assured, this thing won't "Overheat" and spoil the materials you are printing on. You can thank the pressure adjustment feature for that. One can adjust the pressure level with a knob. You'll find it at the rear end of the machine.

The top half opens and closes like a hatch. This allows the heat to travel downwards. This thing can heat up even the thickest of the materials.

At this point, you know what a "Swing Away" design does. BestEquip ensures your safety and gives you an improved product design at work. The swing arm swivels to a full 360 degrees. As a result, users remain safe while printing designs.

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If you need a "Heat Transfer Machine" for domestic purposes, I've got just the product for you. We all have that little creative spark within us which we love bringing to life. ePhotoInc Swing Away Heat Press gives you a golden shot at doing so!

This machine is beginner-friendly with a convenient price tag. With a Heat Platen surface measuring 10"X12" one can deem it too small. But this is perhaps the best heat press machine for home use.

This little thing gives you ample support when printing designs on T-shirts, bags, fabric, glass, and metal surface. ePhotoInc is the perfect tool to get you started on this path. It serves as the perfect device one can use to learn the basics of this trade.

While checking this thing for performance, I found out that it gives you 500-Degree Fahrenheit of maximum temperature while printing. At such a cheap price, it is an awesome feat to achieve.

One can even control the timer as he/she pleases. This feature is the same as other models on my list. You can set the timer up to 999 seconds for this machine.

The fact that this little gem provides Teflon coating on the elements takes the cherry for me. It doesn't eat up power as well. You can make do with 110V power only according to the USA standards.

Rest assured, the "Swing Away" design will work its magic. The pressure comes straight down as one puts the material inside. It allows for quick and even heat distribution. Plus, the arm moves 360 degrees. As a result, you can move the heating element aside when done with it.

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I want to end my "Best Heat Press List" on a high note. That's why I wanted to include this model from Diamond Heat Press Machines. Although it is made for T-shirts, one can use this little beast for printing designs and photos on fabric, bags, glass, and ceramics too.

This little beast is durable! With commercial-grade strength, you can depend on it to stay good for years to come.

This model from Diamond features "Full" Teflon coating. This guards users against burning their hands and the material during the heat transfer process. Not to forget, "Swing Away" design allows for safe operation and swift handling of different materials.

You get a thick Aluminum heat plate. The thickness serves as a guarantee that the materials will heat up nicely. People will have even heat distribution too. The machine supports up to 265-degree Celsius with silicon pads. It allows your designs, photos, and letter blocks to shine to their full potential.

One can control the time for which you need the material to heat up. One can switch timer between 0 to 9999 seconds. If you are a bit experienced with heat press equipment, you can adjust the pressure too!

All the controls are electrically wired and button dependent. This makes sure there are no problems. The makers have also put in dual electric fail-safe in case of accidents. You won't be electrocuted while handling the equipment. You can see all the stats in three-part LED display.

If you ask me, it will give F2C® Pro 5 in 1 Digital Transfer Sublimation Heat Press Machine a run for its money as the best t-shirt printing machine.

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Different Types of Heat Presses We're Dabbling In:

Buying the best t-shirt printing machine seems easier than it actually is. It becomes even difficult if you don't know the different types of this device you'll find on the market.

Well, there are three variants of this little beast of a machine. The "Clamshell" type that opens from the top, the swivel design that moves up to 360 degrees, and the "Magnetic Draw" that brings out a drawer. Let me explore them in greater detail.

The Clamshell Heat Press

The name gives it away in this case. What you have here are two heat plates and a hinge joining them together. This is the perfect type if you are a newbie and finding your feet in design imprinting.

This is perhaps the easiest type to get your head around. Just open it up like a clamshell. The next thing to do is to place the material on the bottom plate. Close the upper lid and wait for the tool to heat up.

This thing is portable and it saves you vital space as it opens from the top. When it comes to the "Automatic" clamshell heat presses, you don't need to open the hatch. It opens up automatically.

However, be wary of the top heat platen, if you are not handling it correctly, you might get burnt. Also, this layout doesn't handle thick materials all too well.

The "Swing Away" Design

You'll see a lot of heat press machine reviews backing the "Swing Away" Models. One big plus of owning the "Swing Away" design is the safety. What this does is it moves the upper half of the heat platen away from the lower half. You'll find the heat platen moving either clockwise or anti-clockwise.

If you've been heating pressing designs long enough, you'd know that "Swing Away" design allows you to imprint design on thick materials too. Let's say, you want to get photos and designs on mugs, glass, and ceramic plates; "Swing Away Heat Press Devices" are your best bets.

These tools allow you to apply pressure evenly on the material in question. Also, when the top heat platen moves away, people will get a better view of the surface they are printing on. This makes way for precision.

There are some drawbacks of this type as well. You'll have to go through complicated steps for printing designs. This is not what I'd call a "Beginner-Friendly" device.

A "Swing Away" device takes longer to get a design printed. You get better designs in exchange for saving time.

"Draw" Heat Press

This is perhaps the safest variety around. According to me, of course. People call these "Draw" heat press because the lower heat platen of these machines can be pulled out when the process is done.

Operating these tools is easy. You don't need to do too much work to reach the platen when designing is done. Simply pull the drawer out. Unlike the earlier two types, it is the lower heat platen that moves in this case.

Benefits of a "Draw" heat press is the fact that you can print in large volumes. Also, these things are safe. You don't need to place your hands near the platen.

The drawer has a "Pull" mechanism that works in your favor. You need to grab the handle and apply minute force. The magnet-based system will travel outward on its own.

Although these babies give you precision printing, you need more space than the "Clamshell" or the "Swing Away" models. Also, printing designs on thick garments might be a problem.

Things You Should Consider Before Buying a Machine:

All of us want to show off our creative side to the world. When it comes to printing our own designs onto objects, that desire goes up several notches.

These tools are affordable and easy to use. For a smart small business owner, heat press devices are "One Time" investments that speed up the production rate while minimizing additional costs.

For a hobbyist, it is a great way learn how he can print his own design onto various T-shirts, mugs, glass, or tiles without spending a single penny as outsourcing cost.

Also, I've discussed the factors that help you choose the suitable one from a number of options. You'll find some tips on maintenance as well!

To ensure we print the designs at the highest quality possible, we need to buy a quality tool for the job. Here are a few factors that determine if your purchase is good enough or not.

Is It a Personal Hobby Thing or for Business?

This is the first thing you'd want to decide. There are hobbyists who like to print their creative designs on material every now and then, involved in any quilting business or so. Then, there are small business owners.

Now, if you belong to the casual designers, you'd want a portable option. It's not likely that you'd have a space designated for the tool. So; a lightweight, space-saving, and easy-to-use device will do.

If you have business in mind, you probably have a space designed to hold the machine. Also, you need better quality prints on T-shirts or mugs. In that case, you need a "Swing Away" or a "Draw" model.

These allow you complete view of your printing area and provide superlative performance when it comes to printing letters and high-resolution pictures, that same thing can be done with an screen printing machine as well if you feel comfortable with it.

What Type of Material will you Heat Print on?

Be sure to select a machine that best suits your material. Depending on thin or thick materials, you will need different levels of pressure and heat adjustment options. The thin materials such as T-shirts or clothing need little pressure compared to mugs, sturdy hats, caps, ceramics, and tiles.

In these cases, you can get by with a normal heat press.

For thicker objects, you will need a tool that distributes pressure evenly. Draw-Type heat press models or their swing away counterparts that give you greater pressure control features should be ideal.

Should You Go for Manual or an Automatic Heat Press?

If you want to print designs as a hobby and do printings on simple T-shirts, I suggest you go for manual heat press. These are great ways to learn all the nooks and crannies if you are a beginner.

Beware, you need to specify the temperature, time, and the pressure settings manually. These score low in the safety department.

You can also go for "Auto-Release" varieties. You are getting the Clamshell design, only upgraded. One needs to set the timer, temperature, and pressure. Then, close the hatch. Once the heat transfer is complete and the time is up, the hatch will open up for you to collect your reward. It is a significant step up in safety. You'll have to spend less time near the heat platen.

If you want the safest option, go for the fully automatic presses. We know them to be digital or hydraulic presses. The digital control panel helps you control temperature, pressure, and time to deliver precise heat all over the material.

All the while, the machine opens and closes automatically keeping you out of direct involvement with heat.

The Heat Platen Quality

This is mighty important when you are printing designs on T-shirts, clothing, bags, and hats. If you want to work with letters or pictures, the heat should set in and transfer the design nicely. The heat distribution should be even. Otherwise, parts of the design may come off.

You need to check on your own whether it is even or not. For that, turn it on for the first time. Then, run your hands gently over the heat platen before it gets too hot to handle. If you see every corner of the platen evenly heating up, you've got yourselves a good deal!

How To Use These Tools Efficiently?

Buying a heat press machine for t-shirt printing won't do you any good if you don't know how to use it. With that in mind, the next segment of my guide will deal in teaching you guys how to handle this device.

• First, you need to select the design, artwork or letter blocks you want to put your work on the material. Edit it if necessary. Once you have edited it, make sure that you flip it horizontally to mirror it.
• The next thing to do is to print the design on a normal paper. Just see if the output matches your satisfaction level or not.
• The third step is to print the same design on a Transfer paper. Use an opaque sheet if you are printing on a colored item.Use transfer sheets that have clear films for gray or white items. Please be sure to position the sheet correctly into the canvas printer.
• At this point, you should cut off any corner of the paper that you don't need. If you there's a part of the design you don't want on the product, it is your chance to filter it out by cutting it off.
• The next step is getting the heat press ready for action. Flip the on/off switch first. Then, move the thermostat knob. You'll see a red light pop up.Then, you will know that the temperature is just right for you to work on products. If you are using a device with a digital timer, set a value and check if the alarm is working perfectly or not.
• Next, open up the hatch of your heat press. For swing-away models, just swing the top half aside. For "Magnetic Draw Press," pull the drawer out.Place the material on the bottom platen. Remember the transfer paper? Place it on the material. The side with the "Film" should face down.
• The ultimate step is to close the hatch, swing it into place or close the drawer depending on what type of machine you are using. Set the time and temperature settings.An alarm will go off as soon as the process is complete. Bring the material out immediately. Don't forget to peel off the transfer paper from your design.