Calibrated heat, pressure, and timing. Run our settings once and your shop locks in repeatable results.
Below is our standard recipe and the small tweaks that come up by fabric. Use the spec strip above as a quick reference. The step by step works for cotton and most common materials. The fabric guide handles the rest.
If your press is calibrated and the garment is in the standard range, you can start pressing now. If anything looks off, the troubleshooting section breaks it down.
That's the recipe for most cotton. The rest of this page covers the small tweaks that come up by fabric and how to read the press when something's off.
Follow this once and your shop has a repeatable workflow. Skip steps and you'll feel it on press day.
Let it reach temp fully. Wait five minutes after the ready light, not the moment it pops on.
3 seconds with no transfer. This pulls moisture out and flattens the surface.
Printed side down. Use heat resistant tape if alignment matters. Don't trust your eye on chest centers.
Protects the film. Stops shine marks on the garment.
About 40 to 60 psi on most presses. Even contact across the whole transfer.
Lift the carrier film right away, while it's still warm, in one smooth motion.
Cover with parchment again. This locks the bond and seals the surface.
Don't fold or stack until the print is at room temperature.
The single move that decides whether the bond locks or lifts. Right after the first press, while the carrier is still warm, peel in one smooth pull. Don't stop mid pull. Don't let it cool.
If the carrier tears, you waited too long. If the print stays on the film, you went too fast and too cold. There's a sweet spot, find it.
Standard recipe works for most cotton. Other fabrics need small tweaks.
Standard recipe works. If colors look dull, add 2 to 3 seconds.
Watch dye migration on colored blends. Drop temp if needed.
Drop temp. Higher heat causes dye migration into the transfer.
Usually 100% poly. Use polyester settings. Test a corner first.
Pre press 3s to flatten the pile. The second press really matters here.
Bump pressure to firm. Heavier weave needs more time.
Not recommended. Heat damages the coating. Test heavily first if you must.
Left: right temp, hot peel, second pressed long enough. The edge is sharp and the bond is locked.
Right: same design, but the second press was skipped or peeled cold. After one wash the surface cracks and the fabric weave starts showing through.
The differences are subtle on press day. They show up loud after the first wash. The next table covers what to adjust when you see the wrong side.
Most issues come from temp, pressure, or peel timing. Here's how to read them.
Lab tested past 50 wash cycles at these settings without cracking or fading.
Sharp edges, saturated color, no halos, no cracking. The customer sees the design, not the printing.
If your press output doesn't look like this, run through the troubleshooting table above. If you've checked everything and still can't pin it down, send us a photo and we'll diagnose.
Send a press test photoSend a photo of your test press and your settings. We'll help you diagnose temp, pressure, or peel timing.
Talk to the shop floor