HTVRONT Manual Heat Press Review & Setup

Learn how to set up and use the HTVRONT Manual Heat Press machine and read our honest review! Get all the specifications and details about the HTVRONT Manual Press!

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This heat press was provided to me by HTVRONT for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

It’s no secret that we are big fans of our HTVRONT Auto Heat Press (and their Auto Tumbler Press is pretty cool, too!), so when HTVRONT asked us if we wanted to test out their brand new HTVRONT Manual Heat Press Machine, we jumped at the chance!

Keep on reading to learn how to unbox and set up the HTVRONT Manual Heat Press and follow along with our first test projects!

HTVRONT Manual Heat Press Setup

Unboxing the HTVRONT Manual Heat Press is very simple since it comes pre-assembled. Simply plug in the time/temperature control box, and you’re ready to go!

The HTVRONT Manual Heat Press has a 15 x 15 inch heat plate and a footprint of 19.4 x 15.7 x 11.4 in. It weighs 35.3 pounds and is available in white and light blue colors.

The swing-away heat plate can reach temperatures between 104-410° F and heats up very quickly. The plate can be rotated completely around the machine, so keep this in mind if you’re working with the heat press close to a wall. You’ll want to leave yourself at least another 10-12″ behind the press in order to properly work the swing-away plate.

The basic control dial is straightforward and easy to use.

Use the left dial to adjust the temperature (in 5° F increments) – hold down the button to toggle between C and F settings.

The right dial controls the time settings (in 5-second increments). When you are ready to heat press your project, hold this button down for two seconds to begin the timer.

The clearance between the top heat plate and the foam pad is about 2″, which is similar to the clearance in the HTVRONT Auto Heat Press as well.

One of my favorite features of the HTVRONT Manual Heat Press is small and often overlooked, but I REALLY love and appreciate that the feet are individually adjustable so that the machine will always remain level for the best results.

HTVRONT Manual Heat Press: Testing & Review

Now it’s time for the fun part – putting this heat press to the test!

Project 1: DTF Transfer

For my first project, I used a Bella+Canvas tee and a DTF Transfer from Ninja Transfers. This “Summer Surf Club” design can be found on Creative Fabrica.

I pressed the DTF transfer for 25 seconds at 315 degrees. When pushing the time button to start the countdown, I accidentally turned the dial while pressing it (it’s quite touchy!), so be cautious and careful of that when using the timer feature.

When the timer was up, I opened the press, swung the heat plate away, and allowed the transfer to cool before peeling off the transfer paper.

It turned out beautifully! The press was smooth and even.

Project 2: Flocked Heat Transfer Vinyl

Next, I decided to test out one of HTVRONT’s own materials – flocked heat transfer vinyl. This material is soft and velvety, so there was still a lot of spare fuzziness on the transfer paper after cutting (don’t worry, though! It won’t transfer to your garment.).

For this shirt, I used another Bella + Canvas t-shirt and an SVG from Avery James Design Co.

I pressed the shirt for 20 seconds at 320 degrees as directed. Then, I allowed the HTV to cool before peeling off the transfer paper.

It’s kind of hard to capture it on camera, but the letters have a velvety look and feel – very fun and retro-inspired!

My finished shirt turned out great, and the HTVRONT Manual Heat Press was super easy to use! I am very happy with the results!

Project 3: Puff HTV

For my final test, I wanted to try using this heat press with puff HTV, which requires a substantial amount of heavy pressure to work properly. I started with swatches of three different brands of puff HTV (HTVRONT, VTS 3D Super Puff, and MerryMade), and I pressed each of them with different time and temperature combinations.

Unfortunately, none of them satisfactorily puffed to my liking, so I will have to do some further testing with this material. At this point, I’m not sure if the press isn’t applying enough pressure or if it’s just user error on my end 😂

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