HOW TO HEAT PRESS A LABEL OR PATCH

George Knight DC8

Heat presses are machines that use heat and pressure to apply graphics, and are a great solution for printing on labels and patches. This page gives some tips to get you started with heat pressing labels and patches for many types of heat presses, including Geo Knight presses.

Labels and patches can be printed with a variety of heat press styles including clamshell (vertically opening) presses and swing-away (sideways opening) presses. George Knight offers great heat presses for printing on labels and patches; the DK8, DC8, and DC8AP are some of the most popular.

A special type of paper called "heat transfer paper" is often used as the medium for transferring an image to your label or patch. To use transfer paper, the first step is to get the image you'd like onto the transfer paper. Typically, you'll need to reverse the image (make it mirror image) using image-editing software. Check to see what kind of printer ink is best for the material you are printing on and your transfer paper. It sometimes helps to trim the paper (a utility knife or scissors should do the trick) so only the artwork you want transferred onto the label or patch remains.

Turn your heat press on, and set it to the proper heat and pressure settings. Ideal settings vary with specific materials and inks, so be sure to check with your heat press and ink manufacturers to determine how hot to set your heat press, and how long to press the label or patch. Once the press has heated up, load your fabric onto the heat press. Take care to smooth out any wrinkles, and lint roll the printing surface of the fabric to ensure it is totally clean. Some manufacturers recommend pre-pressing the fabric by placing a sheet of protective paper on top of the fabric, and closing the press for a few seconds to warm up the fabric. If you do that, be sure to remove the paper afterward. Then, position your artwork as you'd like it to appear on the label or patch. Be sure the side with the ink is in direct contact with the fabric. Often, it is next recommended to place the protective paper on top of the transfer paper.

Now you're ready to go ahead and press to transfer the artwork onto your label or patch! When your fabric has been in the press for the proper amount of time, open the press, remove your fabric, and set aside to cool. Follow any instructions specific to your transfer paper when removing the transfer sheet.

Visit our Learn page for more information on heat pressing, or feel free to Contact Us with any questions or requests for special projects. We would be pleased to provide a solution.

Learn More about the DK8, DC8 and DC8AP from George Knight.

To learn more about or to buy George Knight heat presses, visit HeatPress.com.