How To Use The Starter Pack
How to Use Your Starter Pack
Are you ready to learn how to customize clothing? Awesome! This is the step-by-step tutorial for how to start making with our starter pack. Let’s go!
It has become easier and easier for creatives to make custom apparel at home. With easier access to tools like vinyl cutting machines, heat presses, and embroidery machines, literally anyone can make their own clothing, including you!
There are so many reasons why making custom clothing for yourself or your organization is the best. From the quality and color to the type of garment, you gain control over each part of the creative process. You can focus on creating unique digital designs that are meaningful to you and make as many or as little as you want, whenever you want.
This is why we partnered with Pro World to offer a starter pack for anyone wanting to make custom clothes and accessories.
The starter pack includes a 15” x 15” clamshell heat press, clear acrylic t-shirt rulers, a teflon sheet, a $100 credit on Pro World to have your designs made into wearable heat transfers, and $60 credit for blanks from Press Hall. Overall, you save $60 on the total value of the starter pack.
Order the starter pack on Pro World.
The Prepping: Ordering Your Blanks & Heat Transfers
Step 1: Order your blanks from Press Hall.
Every project starts with a “blank”. This may seem like a weird typo, but it’s not! “Blank” is short for “Blank Apparel” or “Blank Accessories”. This is where we (Press Hall) come in.
Once you’ve purchased the starter pack on Pro World, you’ll receive an email from Pro World with $60 credit to spend on blank t-shirts, hoodies, hats, totes, or whatever else you want to make at Press Hall.
The $60 credit will be a code that is simply entered at checkout on presshall.com.
If you get overwhelmed by all the lovely decoration-ready clothing and accessories to choose from, contact our team of in-house makers by calling (855) 919-2467 or emailing help@presshall.com.
Step 2: Spend your $100 credit on Pro World to order heat transfer designs.
If you don’t know what “heat transfers” are, that’s okay! Basically, we partner with “heat transfer manufacturing companies” that will print your digital image onto a special heat-safe carrier that can then be permanently adhered to the blank of your choice using the clamshell heat press.
On the same email from Pro World you’ll see $100 credit that you can use to submit your design or logo to be made into “wearable heat transfers”. Unlike the Press Hall credit, you need to go to Pro World’s website to submit your design/s.
If you have any questions about the wearable heat transfers, please refer to Pro World’s product support page.
Step 3: Receive your blanks and heat transfers.
Once you’ve received your blanks and heat transfers, you are ready to make! Find a large area to set up your making station.
The Making: How to Use Your Clamshell Heat Press
Step 1: Open the package.
If you haven’t ordered your starter pack, head on over to Pro World to order yours and come back to this tutorial when you’re ready to make your own custom creations.
You’ve received your starter pack… now what? Don’t be scared to open it up! Inside, you’ll find your shiny new clamshell heat press as well as a teflon sheet and a bunch of clear acrylic rulers. You’ll see where these accessories come in handy later in the tutorial.
For now, follow Pro World’s instruction manual to plug in your heat press.
Step 2: Set the temperature & time.
For blanks with high cotton content (i.e. 80% - 100% cotton)
To set temperature: Click the “SET” button to the left of the temperature adjustment arrows and then use the arrows to set the heat at 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
To set time: Click the “SET” button to the left of the time adjustment arrows and then use the arrows to set the time to 15 seconds.
For blanks with high polyester content (i.e. 80% - 100% polyester)
To set temperature: Click the “SET” button to the left of the temperature adjustment arrows and then use the arrows to set the heat at 290 degrees Fahrenheit.
To set time: Click the “SET” button to the left of the time adjustment arrows and then use the arrows to set the time to 10 seconds.
Step 3: Set the pressure.
While the heat press is heating up, you can set the pressure manually.
To set the pressure manually, place a test blank onto the platen. Just like most things you turn: “right to tighten, left to loosen”. Tighten the pressure dial until the press refuses to close. Then loosen the pressure dial a little bit at a time, until you can close the press and it stays closed.
Step 4: Prepare your blank.
If this is your very first time pressing a heat transfer, we suggest using a test blank. Otherwise, when you’re ready to begin pressing designs onto blanks, place the blank on the platen.
Step 5: Lint roll to remove moisture.
Use a lint roller to remove any excess fibers that may be lingering on the surface of your blank.
If you are pressing a blank that is high in cotton content (i.e. 80% - 100% cotton), be aware that moisture likes to hide in cotton garments. To remove any excess moisture, pre-press the blank for 5 - 8 seconds.
If you are pressing a blank that is mostly polyester (i.e. 80% - 100% polyester), there is no need to pre-press the item. Unless there are wrinkles, in which case, you can pre-press for 2 seconds. Just don’t press for too long on polyester garments because you risk burning the item.
Step 6: Map out the placement of your design on the blank.
After pre-pressing, keep the blank on the heat press. Use an acrylic t-shirt ruler (included in our starter pack) to map out where you want to place your heat transfer design.
Step 7: Place the heat transfer design on the blank.
Place a heat transfer design on the blank with the plastic carrier side facing up. Then place the teflon sheet over the heat transfer design.
Step 8: Press it!
When you close the clamshell press, it will automatically start counting down from the time you set. Once the time is up, a loud series of beeps will alert you to open the press again.
Step 9: Peel Immediately.
Once you open the press, remove only the teflon sheet. Hold down the blank on the platen with one hand and from one corner, peel away the carrier sheet, while looking to ensure the design fully adhered.
Step 10: Post-Press for 2 to 4 seconds.
Once you’ve removed the plastic carrier and revealed your awesome design, place the teflon sheet back over the blank and post-press it for 2 to 4 seconds. This will help seal the edges of the heat transfer design.
If you haven’t ordered your starter pack yet, head on over to Pro World to order yours and come back to this tutorial when you’re ready to make your own custom creations.
Our team is eager to support you as you embark on the journey making customized clothing! Call (855) 919-2467 or email help@presshall.com to get support or advice about your next project.
