Q & A: Buying a Hotronix® or MAXX® Heat Press
It can be confusing being a first time heat press buyer with the wide range of heat presses and options to consider. Here are some common questions and answers to help you when shopping for a heat press.
Q: Should I buy a clam or a swing-away heat press?
A: Clam style heat presses are compact and save counter space since the heat element opens up like a clamshell. Clam heat presses are also portable and ideal for shops with restricted space requirements. For garment decorators heat printing stock or custom heat transfers, a clam press is the perfect choice!
Hotronix clam style heat presses feature auto open and digital readouts.
Swing away presses feature a heat platen that swings away from the base allowing full access to the garment when placing team names and numbers on uniforms. Swing away presses are popular with team uniform decorators. Note: This style press needs double the counter space to allow for the room needed when the heat element swings to the out position.
Swing-away heat presses can make aligning transfers easier if you have the space.
Q: What size heat element do I need?
A: The two most popular heat element sizes in our industry are 15” x 15” and 16” x 20” and the Hotronix and MAXX heat presses offer both of these sizes. The 15” x 15” heat press is a great choice since over 90% of stock and custom heat transfers fit within a 15” x 15” area.
Athletic team decorators prefer a 16” x 20” heat element to allow for oversized graphics and team numbering with names printed above the digits. Note: If you’re in doubt to what size heat press you need, be on the safe side and go with the larger 16” x 20” press.
Q: Should I purchase a manual press or a Hotronix Air FUSION®?
A: Most garment decorators start out with a manual press and as their business grows will upgrade to an air automatic. However, if you have the funds now to purchase the Hotronix Air FUSION®, you won’t be sorry since air automatic presses reduce operator fatigue and yield a higher daily production output.
Automatic heat presses powered by air can reduce operator fatigue and increase production.
Q: Do I need a Hotronix Heat Press Caddie™ Stand?
A: Although the Hotronix and MAXX heat presses are made as counter top models, it’s highly recommended to mount these presses on the Hotronix Heat Press Caddie stand for machine portability and height adjustment.
Another feature with the Caddie is Threadability™, the latest innovation from Stahls’ Hotronix that allows you to load your garment on to the press and decorate the front, back or side without having to remove the garment from the platen. This patented timesaving feature increases productivity up to 40 percent!
The Heat Press Caddie Stand creates the ability to thread your heat press, which can increase productivity by 40%
Q: What are the main differences between the Hotronix heat press and the MAXX heat press?
A: Both machines are rugged heat presses for the professional garment decorator but the Hotronix heat press has two added features: auto open, and digital pressure readout.
Whether you’re just getting started or have a warehouse full of blank goods to be printed, Hotronix and MAXX heat presses have the perfect machine to meet your needs. View Hotronix training videos for more information on all the products mentioned above.