Impressions - March 2023 - 33

range of hoodies or placket-style apparel-T-shirts represent just the
tip of the iceberg in terms of your potential product line and/or the
services a committed decorator can off er. Th at said, as is the case with
a conventionally sized fl at-platen heat press, the key is to decide in
advance the precise kind of heat pressing you have in mind in order
to make sure you have the equipment you need to do so successfully.
With this in mind, there are a number of purpose-built heat pressGeo
Knight & Co.'s DK8T Twin
Label Press. Photo courtesy of
Geo Knight & Co.
es available for those looking to decorate smaller items or thicker or
irregularly shaped objects in 3D. Among the most recognizable of
these are hat presses-which come with curved platens and pressing
surfaces expressly designed to create a combination of even heat and
even press across the surfaces to be decorated. Also easily recognizable
are the variety of tag and label presses on the market.
Finally, there are hybrid, or multipurpose, presses and/or the various
diff erent specialized accessories available for use with, or as an
integral feature of those same more conventional swing-away presses
described in Part 1.
Labels and Small Spaces
Starting out with tag, or label, presses, these can in many ways be
thought of as specialized versions of those same clamshell-type presses
discussed in Part 1, i.e., highly modifi ed clamshells equipped with
diminutive top and bottom base platens, typically measuring 4 inches
by 4 inches to 6 by 8 inches. Smaller sizes are available as well, like the
3-inch-by-3-inch bottom platens manufactured by Geo Knight & Co.
No big surprise, in addition to labels, these kinds of presses are
ideal for decorating a multitude of other small surface areas as well.
Examples include like collars, pockets, socks, sleeves or backups and
bags where a nearby seam, zipper or button makes it diffi cult to ensure
even pressure on the area being decorated.
Granted, in a pinch, you could always heat press label with a larger,
more conventional press. Same thing with working your way around
the zippers and seams on, say, a backpack or duff el bag. However, as
STAHLS' Dave Harding warns, there are " concerns about practicality
and effi ciency " that inevitably result from taking this kind of approach-
concerns that are only going become that much more pronounced
if and when you ever fi nd yourself ramping up production volumes.
" For small-volume labeling, it may be possible to use a conventionally
sized machine, " Greg Farmer of Insta Graphic Systems says.
" However, for high-volume jobs, decorators will always be better off
with a dedicated label press. "
" Th e issue is that the bottom tables are too large, and you end up
" Th e issue is that the bottom tables are too large, and you end up
pressing a large part of the garment, and making a large stamp mark,
all for a transfer that is very small, " agrees Aaron Knight, vice president
of Geo Knight & Co.
Note, in a neat twist for those running higher production volumes,
there is also the option of what Geo Knight & Co. calls its DK8T
Twin label press: a system in which the heated top platen pivots back
and forth between a pair of pedestals/lower platens. Similarly, there's
Insta's air-operated 907 Dual Station Shuttle, which off ers this same
kind of pivoting performance in combination with fully automated
pneumatic functionality for optimal effi ciency at especially high production
volumes. Th e Insta 907 comes standard with a 6-inch-by-6inch
platen. However, 2.5-inch-by-2.5-inch platens are also available.
Note, in a neat twist for those running higher production volumes,
Hats and Caps
Moving on to hat presses, these are, of necessity, slightly more complex
given the nature of the curved surfaces being decorated. However,
the ultimate goal remains the same as with any other heat press, i.e.,
to provide a consistently predictable combination of time, heat and
pressure to both the design and surface being decorated.
With this in mind, commercial quality hat presses typically come
With this in mind, commercial quality hat presses typically come
March 2023
P.33
The Insta 907 is well suited to
higher production volumes. Photo
courtesy of Insta Graphic Systems
Impressions - March 2023

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