Should I Buy a Cricut or a Hotronix Heat Press?
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 the quality and longevity of your products. No one wants to purchase a t-shirt that will lose its 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 essential 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 because the Cricut is a handheld heat-press, so the only pressure that can be applied is the amount of force you can physically apply. It's also hard to ensure the 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 completely 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 completely flat surface to achieve accurate pressure. Hotronix Heat Presses have interchangeable 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 interchangeable 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 not that different from an iron. There is no clamp-down mechanism for the amount of pressure you need to apply prints to shirts that will last as customers expect.
Hotronix Heat Presses are designed specifically to print on t-shirts and other garments and do have that pressure lockdown 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.
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