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Buying

A first heat press setup: what to buy, in what order

Heat transfer projects need several pieces that must suit each other: the way the design is made, the press, and the material it is pressed onto. Buying them in order avoids a press that does not fit the blanks or vinyl that does not suit the fabric.

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A heat press setup is a small system, and its parts are chosen together.

Decide the heat transfer method first

Heat transfer vinyl needs a cutter and suits cotton, polyester and blends as vinyl makers list. Sublimation needs a sublimation printer, paper and ink, and suits polyester and coated blanks only.

Choose a heat press for the projects

Platen size for the largest design. Opening style: clamshell, swing-away or drawer. Temperature range and control, pressure adjustment and a timer. Attachments for mugs or caps if planned.

Buy heat transfer materials that match the press

Vinyl or sublimation paper with settings the press can reach. Blanks — shirts, mugs, coasters — whose size fits the press and whose coating suits sublimation where used.

Heat press accessories that make results consistent

Protective sheets as the vinyl or paper maker advises, heat-resistant tape for sublimation, a lint roller, and heat-resistant gloves.

Leave heat press upgrades for later

Additional attachments and larger presses make sense once the first projects show which items and sizes are used most.

Questions makers ask before buying

Vinyl or sublimation for a first setup?

Heat transfer vinyl works on cotton and many fabrics with a cutter; sublimation works on polyester and polymer-coated blanks with a sublimation printer. The fabrics and items planned decide.

Is a mug press needed for mugs?

Many multi-attachment presses include a mug element, and dedicated mug presses fit specific sizes. The mug size and element fit, as makers publish them, decide.

Last reviewed 15 September 2026

Machines this advice refers to

Nothing above asks for a new purchase. Where a machine comes up, its MakerVerdict review is linked here — each card opens the write-up, not a shop.

  • Heat presses

    Cricut EasyPress 2 (SE), 30.5 × 25.3 cm, up to 205 °C

    30.5 × 25.3 cm ceramic-coated plate · up to 205 °C (400 °F) · handheld · Cricut Heatguide for settings · iron-on, Infusible Ink and sublimation materials

    A handheld 30.5 × 25.3 cm heat press with a ceramic-coated plate reaching up to 205 °C, whose settings come from Cricut’s online Heatguide, named EasyPress 2 (SE) in the title and EasyPress SE in the bullets.

    Best for: A Cricut cutter owner pressing iron-on designs on T-shirts, bags and cushions at an ironing board.

    ≈ £117 / 131 €

    Check price on Amazon Read the review
  • Vinyl cutting plotters

    Cricut Joy 2 Essential Bundle, 11.4 cm cutting width

    11.4 cm cutting width · over 75 materials · cuts around inkjet prints · writes, draws, foils and scores · just over 0.91 kg · bundle for up to 35 projects

    An ultra-compact cutter just over 0.91 kg with an 11.4 cm cutting width, sold in a bundle of vinyl, iron-on and card, that recognises images printed on an inkjet printer and cuts around them.

    Best for: Cards, labels and small stickers made on a desk, with a household inkjet printer for colour.

    ≈ £130 / 150 €

    Check price on Amazon Read the review
  • Sublimation printers

    Brother SP1 sublimation printer, up to 215 × 355 mm

    Sold as a sublimation printer · prints up to 215 × 355 mm · vivid and Eco print modes · sublimation inks and paper included · compact desktop design

    A compact desktop sublimation printer sold under Brother’s own name, printing up to 215 × 355 mm with vivid and Eco modes, supplied with sublimation inks and paper, and described in three short bullets.

    Best for: A crafter who wants a sublimation printer sold as one by its maker, for designs up to legal-paper length.

    ≈ £287 / 416 €

    Check price on Amazon Read the review
  • Mug presses

    VEVOR Mug press for 325 to 887 ml mugs

    325–887 ml (11–30 oz) · 74–87 mm diameter, up to 270 mm tall · 0–220 °C · 0–999 s · NTC sensor, 1 minute preheat · tape and gloves included

    A single mug press for 325 to 887 ml mugs from 74 to 87 mm across and up to 270 mm tall, with a 0–220 °C range, a 0–999 second timer and an NTC sensor the listing says preheats in a minute.

    Best for: Pressing straight-sided mugs and tumblers at home or in small batches, within the stated diameters.

    ≈ $91 / 90 €

    Check price on Amazon Read the review

A price quoted in the text of a MakerVerdict page dates from the day that page was written; the live figure beside each product is fetched while you read and replaces it.