Clamshell vs Swing Away Heat Presses

clamshell vs swing away heat presses: which one should you get

Are you in the market for a new (or your first) heat press?? You came to the right place! Pro World carries a broad selection of TransPro heat presses- many of which are eligible for our $200 off deal!*

*If you purchase at least $399 in stock transfers, transfer paper, heat transfer vinyl, sublimation paper, sublimation blanks, and Silhouette products (excluding cutters & custom transfers), a $200 discount will automatically be applied to your cart.

But first, do you even need a heat press? Can’t you just use an iron or handheld heat press?

In some situations, yes. However, a heat press gives you the pressure consistency, temperature control, and larger work area necessary for most projects. Additionally, if you have a steam iron, the holes on the bottom will affect the amount of pressure being applied. Your transfer won’t be receiving any pressure in the areas where the holes are.

So if you have a t-shirt business (or are thinking about opening one), using a heat press will allow you to create MORE shirts in way LESS time. Plus, you’ll be able to feel confident in the quality of your shirts!

Clamshell vs. Swing Away Heat Presses

We carry two different styles of heat presses: Clamshell & Swing Away. While the design may differ, one isn’t necessarily better than the other. When trying to decide between the two styles, keep in mind the type of substrates or garments you’ll be working with, as well as how much space you have available in your work area.

clamshell heat press vs swing away heat press

Clamshell Heat Presses

Clamshell heat presses open and close just like a clam. They have a smaller footprint of the two styles and also tend to be the more affordable option. They’re great for beginners because the design and set up are so simple.

Swing Away Heat Presses

Swing away heat presses have a top platen that lifts and swings completely away from the lower platen. This makes it easier to lay out your garment or substrate without the risk of burning yourself.

The design of swing away heat presses also makes them more conducive to working with thicker items, such as plaques and tiles. This is because the top platen comes down straight and can apply pressure evenly.

Swing away heat presses require more space than a clamshell style. You’ll need to make sure there’s enough room on either side of the machine to swing the top platen.

The TransPro Slide: The Best of Both Worlds!

If you love the affordability and size of a clamshell heat press but also want the ease of laying out your garments safely away from the heat, you may want to consider our TransPro Slide heat press!

The TransPro Slide is a clamshell style, but the lower platen slides out like a drawer. This gives you plenty of space to lay out your garment without having to get too close to the heat.

clamshell style heat press with slide out drawer

Whichever TransPro style you choose, you can feel confident that you’ll be getting a quality heat press at an unbeatable price! Check out all of the TransPro Heat Presses here and don’t forget about our $200 off special!!

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How and Why You Should Use Heat Press Pillows

Whether you work with heat transfer vinyl or sublimation, our heat press pillows are the key to helping you consistently achieve professional looking results!

when and how to use heat press pillows

What are heat press pillows?

If you don’t know what heat press pillows are, they’re soft foam squares or rectangles that are covered with teflon. These foam pillows go inside or under garments, causing thick seams, zippers, buttons, etc to be pressed down into the pillow. This eliminates pressure points, allowing pressure to be evenly distributed across your garment.

Four different sizes: 6"x6", 5"x16", 10"x10", & 15"x15"

Four different sizes: 6″x6″, 5″x16″, 10″x10″, & 15″x15″

Have you ever ended up with paper indentations on your garment after pressing a sublimated design?? Pressing pillows can help with this! Try using a pillow that is smaller than your transfer paper, but larger than your design. This will prevent the edges of the paper from touching your garment and ensure you’ll have no indentations.

If I were applying a smaller logo to the left chest area of this shirt, I would use the 6"x6" pillow to make sure the seams along the sleeve don't interfere

If I were applying a smaller logo to the left chest area of this shirt, I would use the 6″x6″ pillow to make sure the seams along the sleeve don’t interfere

When applying heat transfer vinyl; zippers, buttons, and thick seams can stop your top platen from fully reaching the area where you want to apply your vinyl. If this happens, your vinyl might not receive the amount of pressure it needs to properly bond to your garment.

The 10"x10" size would be perfect for applying a larger design onto this tote bag

The 10″x10″ size would be perfect for applying a larger design onto this tote bag

how-to-heat-press-shirts

In this case, place the pressing pillow under or inside your garment before using your heat press. This will raise the area where you want to place your design, allowing your vinyl design to get the right amount of even pressure.

heat-press-pillows

If you’re ready to find out how heat press pillows can benefit you and your business, head over to our website where you can purchase your own pack!

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Save Money On A Heat Press

The holidays will be here before you know it! If you shop early, you can take advantage of our current heat press deals!

Save Money On A Heat Press

The Details:

Currently, you can save big on the purchase of a TransPro® heat press when you purchase a minimum of stock heat transfers, heat transfer paper, heat transfer vinyl, sublimation paper, sublimation printable blanks, and Silhouette products. 

heatpress rectangle

The heat presses that are currently having a promotion are the: 

Save Money On A Heat Press But please note the promotion does have a few rules and restrictions. Below is the fine print.

  • Your purchase must be made in a single order and entered on our website. We cannot accept orders by phone, fax, or mail.
  • Applies to first time customers only and can only be purchased one time.
  • Limit 1 machine offer per customer.
  • This offer is subject to change.
  • No other discounts, such as Club Pro World, apply to this promotion.
  • Available only in 110v.
  • Orders will ship only when complete. No backorders.
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All About Heat Transfers!

Have you tried using a heat transfer yet? They are so easy to apply! All you need is the Heat Transfer, a heat press, and your garment!

Visit proworldinc.com for more info

Here’s how you use a heat transfer:

  1. Lay the heat transfer on your garment
  2. Press it with your heat press according to the instructions listed on our website
  3. Peel the backing paper off of your design
  4. Admire your results!  

It’s really that simple!

Plus, when it comes to Heat Transfers we have thousands of heat transfer designs for both adults and children, in a variety of media types. Here are a few of our most popular types:

Sequin

4792E529-E339-4223-A51B-805896781FE9 (1)

 

Rhinestones/Studs

IMG_3349

Screen Printedsummer heat transfer

Color Changing Heat Transfers (Solar Heat Transfers)

solar heat transfers

Custom Heat Transfers

custom transfers

Plus, you can do a lot with your heat transfers. You can combine it with HTV to create a unique one of a kind design!

sequin pillow

Plus u can apply it to varying surfaces! We’ve even applied heat transfers to shoes!

flag heat transfer onto shoes

 

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Mother’s Day Gift Ideas That She Will LOVE!

With Mother’s Day around the corner, it is time for Mom to be spoiled and nothing says I love and appreciate you like Craft Supplies!  Today, we have put together our favorite items that we know your Mom (or you) will love!
Mother's Day Gifts (1)

Is Mom crafty and creative? She NEEDS the Silhouette Cameo Starter Pack! This package comes with everything that she will need to start making custom goodies!

ailhouette starter pack

Send Mom a rainbow of colors, patterns and types of vinyl. I am sure she would love a new stash to replenish her supply.  After all, a crafter can never have enough vinyl! Just mix and match the different prints and patterns of the adhesive sign vinyl and heat transfer vinyl so she has something for every occasion.

vinyl collage

Has Mom been dreaming of a heat press? Now is the time to make her wish come true!  Let her put the iron down forever with our most popular heat press, the TransPro 15 x 15, which is a manual heat press and so easy to use. Great for applying heat transfers to t-shirts, jackets, mouse pads, and more!

 heat press

If Mom loves learning something new you can get her started with sublimation.   With a sublimation printer, she can create one-of-a-kind, custom pieces like mugs, phone cases, frames, license plates, coasters, and more. And if you purchase the Sublimation Starter Pack, she will have everything she needs to get started!

Does Mom like coffee? Buy her a mug press so that she can create her own mugs to drink from. You may also want to take a look at the mug starter package for the ultimate all-in-one package including the sublimation printer, mugs and mug press.
diy-photomugs-amy-tangerine-10
diy-photomugs-amy-tangerine-04

 

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