We hope you are staying warm during wintertime but, we’re not asking about your body temperature. Rather, we are speaking Heat Press language and it’s something we should all be familiar with. No matter what type of transfer you are applying the key to success is HEAT. Without the adequate heat, the adhesives found on various transfers will not activate and properly adhere to your garment or item. The internal heating element is the key to this temperature remaining accurate and Hotronix® heat presses with their fully embedded heating elements have the best in the business.
So, what is a cold spot?
A cold spot happens when there is a section in the upper platen where there is no heating element. This lack of heat from above will cause the application on the garment below to fail.
How do I know if I have a cold spot?
You can generally tell you have a cold spot if you are heat applying a large name and number on a sports jersey, for example, and everything is adhering except for maybe a left-hand corner, or across the middle but the top and the bottom are fine.
Can’t I just keep hitting it with more heat to make it seal?
Trust us, DON’T DO THIS! Continual over-applying will actually burn off remaining adhesive.
How do I eliminate the cold spots?
If your press is imported or not a Hotronix®, it probably has a heating element that either travels around the upper platen in a “U” shape, or it zig-zags like a “Z” shape. There is no fix for this except a new Hotronix® press.
Hotronix® heat presses are manufactured with a continual loop of heating element running through the upper platen, with no gaps more than 1/2-inch from the heating element. Combining several patterns and loops in the upper platen reduces cold spots and the adhesive is activated properly each time.
If I already own a Hotronix® press, how can I be sure it isn’t developing cold spots?
Like any machinery, Hotronix® presses are workhorses but parts can wear out over time. Most machines have a lifetime warranty on the heating element. If you want to do some testing first, you can order a heat seal test kit to check the machine.
What about a screen print heat gun to test my heat press? Unfortunately, this device is meant to test machines that apply heat differently. We would recommend the heat seal test kit so you can test the heat coming off the actual upper platen.
Have more questions?
