How To Heat Press A Hat: Everything You Need To Learn!

Many people like to wear hats because these piece of clothing can add color and elegance to your looks. Hats can also protect your scalp and face while walking under the scorching sun to keep you from dehydration and sunstroke.

So if you are in the business of making hats, you should make your brand very colorful and elegant by pressing designs on it.

There are many things you can press onto the hat with a heat press. It can be an image, a logo, or any artwork that looks attractive. All you to do is decide on what to use as the design and heat press it on the hat.

The question now is, how to heat press design on a hat. Well, keep reading to learn the simple processes adding a heat transfer vinyl to your hats.

The first thing you should do is to gather the following materials that will facilitate your work:

• Flocked Heat Transfer Vinyl
• Heat transfer (Teflon coat)
• Heat tape
• Rubber band
• Thick fabric or oven mitts
• Cotton hat

Step 1: Deciding on the design

Before you heat press any design on a hat, you must first decide on what to use. The next thing becomes the position where the design will appear on the hat.

Some people who want to produce a unique hat sometimes decide to use different designs for each part of the hat like backside, two sides or even the front. The only thing is to make sure that the designs are right-sized and cut on your heat transfer vinyl.

Step 2: Preparing the Machinery

The second thing to do is to get your heat press ready. For this type of job, you should use a thicker machine so that it will be easy to cover the seams. Don't forget your specialty heat tape because it will help you to keep everything in the appropriate position.

Step 3: Prepare the design

To prepare your designs, you must first cut the number of designs you wish to transfer to the hat. Afterwards, take your design and place it onto the hat while using a seam to keep it at the center. Now secure the artwork with the tape so that it will stick in place without shifting.

Then fold the oven mitt or a thick fabric into a small size that will fit the hat so that your fingers will not burn as you work. Since you cannot close the machine, the only option is to push your design very hard against the hot plate of the machine.

Step 4: Transfer Process

After completing the steps above, the next thing to start is the transfer proper. Just hold the hat on the upper plate of your heat press machine for 5-7 minutes tops.

Let's say that the size of the design you are transferring is bigger than the normal size, repeat the same process over again on each side of the design so that it will come out very well.

The best way to start heat pressing the design is to first work on the center of the artwork. When you are sure that the center is in place, continue from the center to the edges of the design.

One good reason for starting at the center is to make sure that the image is in place instead of shifting to the left or right when you want to work on the edges. Can you imagine a hat that has crooked designs? I bet no one will patronize it thereby causing you to lose good money.

Now after transferring the artwork or image successfully on the hat, allow it for some minutes so that the whole design will cool down. Remember, that your material for the job is a cold peel that is the flocked vinyl.

So, don't rush to pull off the sheet. If you do so hastily, all your efforts will go to waste because the design will rip apart.

After the design has cooled down, start peeling the sheet very slowly and be watching how the designs appear.

If peradventure you notice that any part didn't stick tightly to the hat, quickly close the sheet and take the cap back to the heat press. It is better to correct the mistakes than doing a half-baked job.

I know you may have thought that process of heat pressing your favorite artwork or image on a hat is difficult. When you follow the simple steps above, you can go ahead to produce as many as you want.

As for the materials, you can get them very easily, and there is no need to search for a heat press that will only work on hats. Ah! If you are trying this for the first time, I recommend a practice before the main job.

Pick a random hat and try the whole process on it. When you finish, you can correct your mistakes before moving on to your project.  

Okay now, I would recommend watching the video below: