As thousands of children go back to school this week, parents everywhere are simultaneously heaving a sigh of relief and taking a sharp intake of breath. A sigh of relief because, well, the obvious. The sharp intake of breath comes as they count the cost of the various items that will inevitably be left behind in the classroom, accidentally swapped or lost along the way.
We have all been there.
Now you could just buy some sticky name labels and slap them on everything that leaves the house, destined for the classroom.
Or you could turn yourself into a one-person crafting wonder, personalising everything from cups and bottles to caps and T-shirts so no one can mistake it for theirs. Seems reasonable, but for that, you need tools.
READ MORE
Well, tools, some creativity and a willingness to push through the learning curve.
The HTVRont A100 neatly packs what you need into one digital heat press that will tackle almost everything on which you can think to slap a personalised design. It uses a mix of heat and pressure to adhere heat transfer vinyl, sublimation ink or direct to film.
Water bottles and tumblers? Covered. Personalised bags? Not a problem. T-shirts can be customised in minutes with the help of some heat transfer vinyl and a bit of creativity. There is even an attachment for caps if you want to branch out.
Is it overkill? Maybe. Or perhaps the start of a budding business. An Etsy shop as a side hustle that could one day fund my dreams of early retirement, perhaps.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
This is not my first shot at heat presses. In the past, I’ve relied on devices that need brute strength to apply the pressure. That doesn’t always work because the pressure needs to be even and I, in short, was not.
So the ability to push a few buttons, set the temperature and pressure, and have the machine do all the work for me was an attractive concept.
Pressure is almost as important as temperature when it comes to working with heat transfer vinyl, for example. Too little and it won’t adhere properly. No one wants their ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ logo to peel off in the wash, making it ‘Live, Laugh, Lo’. Or maybe they do, some people have moved on from that era.
The HTVRont A100 comes in a fairly sizeable box, which should be the first clue that you need a bit of space to give this device a permanent home. It isn’t as big as some of the autopresses on the market, with a 12-inch by 10-inch flat bed, but it will also eliminate the need to buy dedicated presses for other projects, with the mug and tumbler press included in the box alongside the hat attachment.
On first glance, it looks a bit overwhelming. But it turns out that it is not that complicated after all.
There is a digital display on the front of the press that allows you to select the type of project, and the press automatically adjusts the height to allow you to slide in the correct attachment.
[ Australian teens returning to TikTok after ban, data showsOpens in new window ]
Then you can adjust the pressure level, time and temperature, depending on what materials you are working with, and you are ready to go. Press start, and the machine takes over, leaving you free to marvel at your creativity for 30 seconds or so.
The first project was a tote bag that could be used on the flat bed, with some heat transfer vinyl that I had lying around the house. Attempt one failed, but not because of the A100; that did the job admirably, but you could only read the logo I’d applied in a mirror. The second attempt was a tumbler with a sublimation print, which required a quick swap of tools.
That was a fairly effortless process. The attachments can be swapped in seconds, although you probably should wait for them to cool a bit before putting your hands near hot plates, or at least put on some protective gloves (included in the box).
Simply push the orange button on the front and the current tool is released; then all you have to do is unplug it from the back of the machine and carefully place it somewhere safe to cool down.
The end result? A personalised mug that no one can swipe from the office kitchen, although I doubt my crude attempts at design will be setting the craft world on fire any time soon. The edges were clean and everything was automatic.
There is a custom mode too that allows you to adjust the height of the heat press. That is useful if you need to press bulkier materials such as wood or a thick blanket.
Beware the slippery slope. It starts off with a few T-shirts and a tumbler, and before you know where you are, you are looking up sublimation printers and dreaming of having your own personalised line of must-have accessories.
Am I about to jack in the day job to travel craft fairs? Not yet. But I’ll settle for a water bottle that manages to make its way home from school for six months, preferably in one piece.
Good
It is easy to swap over the tools, and the automatic settings mean that even a beginner at crafting can get to grips with materials quickly – and most importantly, without too much waste.
Bad
Heavy, so not one you will be moving around too much. You’ll also need to store the attachments, and the cost of this might be out of the range of beginners.
Everything else
Almost everything you need is in the box, including the heat-resistant gloves. Don’t skip these unless you want to find out the hard way just how hot this heat press gets.
Verdict
Simple to use and comes with all the attachments you need – for now.
