Comments on: Best Heat Press for Transferring Images to Metal?

By: amanda thompson

amanda thompson — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 16:20:01 +0000

I have recently tried using PnP with an iron with poor results. I read on the Facebook group Etcher’s Anonymous about using a heat press, but wasn’t even sure what it was.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the Geo Knight heat press. I’m going to look into it and give it a try. Your information was really helpful. This website is awesome for learning about what works and doesn’t work for others.

Thanks again!

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 22:36:40 +0000

Dorothy,
What model did you buy and also does it work with sterling and copper as well? Thank you.
Diane

By: Rena Klingenberg

Rena Klingenberg — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 16:43:14 +0000

In reply to Dorothy Moser. Dorothy, thank you so much for sharing this helpful information! :)

By: Dorothy Moser

Dorothy Moser — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 16:37:20 +0000

This response is long overdue but… The heat press from Geo Knight is wonderful!!! After much trial and error I have a few tips,
* Make sure your metal is very flat
* Use magazine paper, I bought a box of expensive photo paper and it does work for me but not as well as magazine paper. I have found my printer occasionally skips a few speckles of toner if the paper is ultra thin and using the front/back of a magazine cover (which is much thicker) takes a long time to soak the paper off and it seems to affect the toner. Not sure what the science is behind that but… Just so happens I had an old Rio Grand catalog and the thickness of their catalog pages worked well.
* I use a temperature of 400 for about 90 seconds.
Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope this help and keeps you from the hair pulling experience I’ve had. After 2 years of trial and error I finally feel like I have a decent handle on it yet there is always room for growth. 🙂

Also I tried to add a photo but for whatever reason what not able to.

By: Diane

Diane — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 01:10:42 +0000

I have a heat press and have struggled finding the right temp for successful transfers. I work a lot in stainless and have had one successful transfer, none on copper and sterling. Please let me know how your heat press works out for you. Good luck!!!

By: Rena Klingenberg

Rena Klingenberg — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 17:49:17 +0000

In reply to Dorothy Moseer.

Awesome, Dorothy! How exciting. I hope you’ll share what you’re creating with your new heat press – I can’t wait to see!

By: Dorothy Moseer

Dorothy Moseer — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 15:44:22 +0000

Total excitement! Have received my Geo Knight heat press and TOTAAAALLLLY love it! :). It is, so far, exactly what I had hoped for.

By: Rena Klingenberg

Rena Klingenberg — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 19:42:14 +0000

In reply to Dorothy Moser. Dorothy, I so appreciate your keeping us updated on your heat press quest! I'll look forward to your next update.

By: Dorothy Moser

Dorothy Moser — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 19:06:52 +0000

I am so excited! After researching considerably I have decided to order a Geo. Knight heat press. In the event that there are any interested readers out there I will give a full report once I have used it.
Thanks so much for all of your support and information! 🙂

By: Dorothy Moser

Dorothy Moser — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 15:18:11 +0000

I have read about using PNP and it sounds very enticing but for high output and a tight budget it will not be cost-effective for me. If I were making a few things here and there that would be the optimal choice… I’m planning to open an Etsy store this year and I would like to find an option that is less time-consuming and accommodates a faster pace.
Thank you super jewelry makers for your voices of experience! 🙂

By: Dorothy Moser

Dorothy Moser — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 15:07:19 +0000

Thank you so much for all your comments and inspiration. For whatever reason using an iron just does not give results I’m looking for. What I’m really searching for is what heat press others have had great success with. A couple months back I purchased a heat press off Amazon that reportedly most others have had success with. However, the machine that I received had more cold spots than hotspots etc. etc. and was returned. So I’m looking for one that others have used that have consistently provided solid results.

By: Judy Pagnusat

Judy Pagnusat — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 05:59:50 +0000

I am not sure what process you are using but what I use is laser printed images on PNP paper and transfer it to metal using either an iron or hot plate with a burnisher .

By: Virginia Vivier

Virginia Vivier — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 16:15:22 +0000

Hi Dorothy,

I have one of the heat sealing irons with a Teflon cover and it does a pretty good job on smaller pieces since it gets really hot. But, it can sometimes melt the ink on the transfer if it is kept on too long, so you have to be careful.

Have you tried using a laminating machine? They are about $90 on Amazon. I used one successfully until the toner from my printer changed chemical composition and didn’t transfer as well as previous toner composition. They went “green” and quit using enough plastic (I think) in the toner so that it would result in a good “resist” for the etching solution.

If you Google circuit board design, you may find the DIY instructions for using a laminating machine. I’m sorry but I can’t remember it now.

Hope this helps!

Virginia

By: Rena Klingenberg

Rena Klingenberg — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 16:11:12 +0000

In reply to Deb Lutz. Deb, thanks for sharing this helpful find! :)

By: Deb Lutz

Deb Lutz — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 16:00:21 +0000

My local jewelry shop used some kind of t-shirt press, but my finances wouldn’t allow me to afford one of those. My first attempts were with a regular handheld iron with the steam turned off. While that worked, and I got reasonable results, it was difficult to get the photocopies to transfer consistently. My next attempt is going to be with a Hanger 9, Heat Sealing Iron. I read about a technique using one of those and in all my years of art/crafting, had never heard of one. They are available for under $20 on Amazon and other places, and look like they could be just the ticket for transfer work for etching on a smaller scale. The price was certainly right!