Editors Rating
4.6/5
4.5 stars
Whether it’s your kid’s first birthday or you are gifting someone a memorabilia, custom t-shirts and bags is a fun way to do it. You can get away with vinyl designs and an iron but a dedicated Heat Press Machine can do a better job.
We got our hands on the VEVOR Heat Press Machine. It is a sublimation transfer machine that can work on a variety of materials to make occasional gifts to friends and family. Small business owners can also use this machine to make and sell custom t-shirts.
This is the review of the VEVOR Heat Press Machine. We are writing this review after properly using and testing the product. Read along to find our thoughts on the VEVOR Heat Press Machine.
There isn’t much to talk about the contents of the VEVOR Heat Press Machine package. Everything comes pre-assembled out of the box. The main machine and the digital controller are neatly tucked in a tight and thick polystyrene packing material.
A flame-retardant Silica-gel pad is also in the package (it is sandwiched between the plates).You get a small package with a handle, couple of screws, screwdriver and an open-ended wrench. Screw the handle in the front of the bottom plate.
There is also a minimalistic user manual sheet with some specifications, instructions and troubleshooting steps. Take the heat press machine out of the protective package, plug-in the power cord into an outlet and you are good to go.
The large heating plates steal the show in terms of design of the VEVOR Heat Transfer Machine. Measuring about 15” × 15”, you get a relatively large area to easily work with different types of products.
Top plate is the main heating plate made up of aluminum. VEVOR upgraded the heating plate with Teflon coating. This allows for a quicker transfer of heat as well as easy to clean.
You have to place the Silica-gel sponge pad on the bottom plate while heat pressing. This pad acts a ‘sucker’ to easily and quickly transfer the ink on to the surface.
On the top of the heating plate, there is a handle and a knob. When you lift the plate using the handle, it opens like a clam shell. In this position, you can use the knob to adjust the pressure.
The other end of the handle has the digital control box fixed in a vertical position. Its display and control buttons face up while there is ON/OFF switch on the side.
Setting a proper temperature is the key to achieve a good heat transfer for specific material. Pure cotton needs a higher temperature to absorb the ink. But a polyester material needs slightly less heat.
The digital control box of the VEVOR Heat Press Machine helps us with adjusting the temperature of the heating plate. Using the button on the control box, you can set the temperature anywhere between 32°F to 450°F (0°C to 232°C).
Another important aspect of heat press printing is duration of applying the heat. The controller also allows you set the timer for 0s to 999s.
Once the completes set time duration, it will start a beeping buzzer. This alarm is just an indication that timer countdown is over and there is no automatic shut-down of the heater. You have to manually lift the top plate using the handle after the alarm.
On the side of the control box, there is a big ON-OFF switch. The digital controller’s display also has some LED Lights to indicate whether the heater in on or not.
Using the VEVOR Heat Press Machine is very easy. Pull the handle to lift the top heating plate up. Connect the plug to a 220V outlet (or 110V, depending on where you live). Turn on the switch on the side of the digital controller.
As soon as you turn on the machine, the top plate starts to heat to the set temperature. So, don’t touch the plate.
Now, we have to set the temperature. On the display of the digital controller, the top section shows the current temperature reading while the bottom part shows the timer.
Press the ‘TEMP’ button to enter temperature setting mode, as indicated by the flashing temperature reading. Using the UP and DOWN arrow buttons, you can increase or decrease the desired temperature.
Once you enter the necessary temperature, press the TEMP button again to set this value and exit the temperature setting mode.
You can switch the temperature between Celsius and Fahrenheit. Press the ‘UP’ and ‘DOWN’ arrows together for 4s. Then press the ‘TEMP’ button. Now, press UP button to set the temperature reading to Fahrenheit or ‘DOWN’ button to set it to Celsius.
You can also set the countdown timer for the VEVOR Heat Press Machine. Press the ‘TIME’ button to enter time setting mode. A flashing timer readout indicate this mode.
Again, using the UP and DOWN buttons, set the desired timer and once done, press the TIME button to lock the timer and exit the time setting mode.
An LED at the bottom of the display indicates whether the plate is heating or not. Wait for some time until the heater turns off (when it reaches the set temperature).
If you removed the sponge-pad from the bottom plate, place it once again. You don’t have to take out the pad at all. Now, place the product (t-shirt or bag) on this sponge-pad.
Take the design element and place it on the product with the ink or vinyl touching the product. Close the heating plate using the handle and make sure that it is fully closed.
The timer starts its countdown. Once the timer reaches ‘0’, the controller activates a buzzer. Lift the handle immediately. That’s it. If you are new to heat pressing, then you will need some time perfect the job.
Also, you have to experiment with pressure setting of the heating plate. Before working on the main products, use the machine on test / sample products to set a proper pressure.
We tested the VEVOR Heat Transfer Machine with a bunch of fabrics and design materials. First of all, we tested the accuracy of the temperature reading. We set the temperature to 150 °C on the controller.
After the heater element is off, we measured the temperature of the heating plate using a good quality thermometer. The reading was 154 °C.
Even though this temperature difference might not make a significant difference in the performance, we thought the machine’s temperature sensor needed a better calibration.
Moving on to the actual heat press, we tested the VEVOR Heat Press Machine with ink and paper as well as Vinyl sheets.
In both cases, the performance of the machine was very good. The vinyl sheet also had a good adhesion to the t-shirt. Both ink transfer and vinyl sheets also came out good in our washing test.
Listing price of the VEVOR Heat Transfer Machine is $210 but you can get it for a discounted price of $149. The large work area and rugged build quality justifies this price. If you want to print t-shirts for special occasions or if you a small business, then the VEVOR Heat Press Machine is suitable for you. With a 30-day return and 1 year warranty, you can buy the product worry free.
Overall, we liked the VEVOR Heat Transfer Machine. It is large and bulky yet easy to setup and use. If you have all the necessary accessories such as heat transfer paper, appropriate printer / ink, vinyl sheets etc., then using this heat transfer machine is just a breeze.
The integrated digital controller allows you set the precise temperature and timer depending on the type of material you are working with. Although the calibration of the temperature sensor is slightly off, you can manage with a handy IR Thermometer.
With VEVOR Heat Press Machine, you can adjust the pressure of the heating plate on the subject. The build quality of the entire machine (except the digital control box) is very good. You need a significant amount of room to place and operate this machine.
The large work surface is one of the advantages of VEVOR Heat Press Machine. You can work on t-shirts, trousers, bags, pillows, aluminum cards etc.
If you are looking a decent heat press machine for t-shirt printing and other similar jobs, then the VEVOR Heat Press Machine is a very good choice.
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