Cricut Heat Press vs Hotronix Heat Press

To get started printing custom apparel, you need a Heat Press. Getting the right Heat Press is vital for not only application but also quality and longevity of your products. No one wants to purchase a t-shirt that will loose it's design after a few washes!

So which Heat Press is best?

To help explain which heat press you need and why, we’re going to compare the Cricut Hand Held Presses with a Hotronix Heat Press Machine.

Whether you're fusing Heat Transfer Vinyl or a Custom Heat Transfer, ensuring an accurate application is essetial for high quality, long lasting products. The three most important elements to consider when fusing are TIME, TEMPERATURE & PRESSURE.

Achieving an Accurate Fuse

If you do not have accurate pressure throughout your fuse, the adhesive on the transfer will not apply to the garment properly causing it to peel off.

It's very difficult to know how much pressure you're applying with the Cricut, let alone knowing if the entire fuse has accurate pressure. This is becuase the Cricut is a hand held heat press, so the only pressure that can be applied is the amount of force you can physcailly apply. It's also hard to ensure pressure is even across the whole surface and that one area is not getting more pressure than another.

With Hotronix Heat Presses, pressure is controlled compltley by the heat press. The digital readout tells you exactly what pressure is being applied and the dial on the top can be adjusted if needed. All of Hotronix Heat Presses feature Over the Centre Pressure Adjustment which allows the pressure to be distributed evenly throughout the platen (edge-to-edge). Giving you the most consistent press available.

You also need a completley flat surface to achieve accurate pressure. Hotronix Heat Presses have interchangable lower platens so no matter the garment or location you're fusing to, you can apply perfectly every time.

Efficiency

Hotronix Heat Presses come in a range of sizes varying from 15x15cm to 40x50 with interchangable platens, allowing you to fuse any size transfer to any location on any garment in one quick fuse.

The maximum size of a Cricut Heat Press is just 30.5 x 25.4cm, meaning if you were applying a full front print it would have to be applied with multiple fuses. This increases production time and decreases your profit with every second extra you're having to apply. 

Temperature

Hotronix Heat Presses have been proven to have the most reliable and consistent heating element across all heat presses. In this video Josh from Stahls' explains the difference between a Hotronix Heat Press and an imported press.

In Conclusion...

The Cricut, no matter what press or size you use, is really just an iron. There is no clamp down mechanism for the amount of pressure you need to apply prints to shirts that will last like customers expect.

Hotronix Heat Presses are designed specifically to print on t-shirts and other garments and do have that pressure lock down feature to ensure that the transfers are getting adequate pressure to adhere to the apparel. With the correct time, temperature, and pressure, you’ll be printing t-shirts that customers will be happy with.

It's time to take your business to the next level... Click Here to Browse the Full Hotronix Heat Press Range.