Most people that own a DTG machine usually have a heat press machine to cure the ink and prevent it from fading but do you really need it?
Today we will discuss about it and learn how it works and if you need one.
Heat press vs Home type Iron
| HEAT PRESS | HOME TYPE IRON | |
| Max Temperature | Approximately: 699f / 370c | Approximately: 464f / 240c |
| Weight | ~22kg (50 pounds) | ~ 1kg (2 pounds) |
| Temperature display | YES | NO |
| Equal Pressure Distribution | EXCELLENT | POOR |
| Plate Size | 15×15 ” 38x38cm | ~4×10″ 10x17cm” |
| Pressure Control | YES | NO |
| Wattage | ~1400 | ~1200 |
| Cold to Hot Start | About 90 Seconds | About 30 Seconds |
| Size | Huge & Heavy | Small, compact and light |
We can see that both has some pros and cons, but we must not forget that if you want to get the job done you need a real big heat press, or you might end up with parts of the t-shirt not cured and will fade and wash away.
PRICE
There’s a huge difference between price. A compact home iron is costing about $16 and a heat press usually starts at $160+. Recently heat press machine prices have been dropping quite a lot, now it might be a good time to invest in one of those and get the job done perfectly.
Checkout this awesome heat press machine for less than $200
Power heat press