# How do you heat press on the front of polo's?



## MVP J (Aug 29, 2007)

OK, I have looked all over for a thread to help answer this question but have had no luck so here goes:

How do you heat press the front of a pique polo shirt with buttons? The only way I can think of is to slide the shirt over until the buttons are off the press. I did try it this way but it was difficult to get the transfer in the right spot to press onto the shirt. If anyone has any other methods or tricks I would appreciate some insight.

Thanks.


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## nascarbob (Mar 29, 2008)

I use a teflon pillow. The buttons push into the pillow. Just don't press the collar.


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## deChez (Nov 10, 2007)

If you place a mouse pad under the shirt, it will raise the area where you're pressing without raising the buttons. I use a blank white mouse pad for this , and it works great.

In a pinch, when I couldn't find my mouse pad, I've used a folded up fleece baby blanket. I suppose you could fold up a t-shirt. As long as it's a smooth fabric...not a towel for example.

When my press was down a month or so ago, and I had an order of polos to do, I used my cap press. That made the job so much easier that I've not gone back to the regular press for over heart presses.

If you need to press on the back of a polo, use a large mouse pad (dharmatrading.com sells them as placemats), or a folded fleece baby blanket...anything that's as large as the area you are pressing. This time, you will slip your "pad" inside the shirt so that the buttons are underneath your pad. You can also use a piece of card stock, but don't use corrigated cardboard.


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## wobblez (Aug 11, 2007)

I use mouse pads they work great in fact i have a bunch cut to size for what i press allot of and it works great.


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## MVP J (Aug 29, 2007)

Thank you for the responses. I guess I am most concerned with the buttons affecting the heat platen. My thought is you probably don't want the exposed buttons coming in contact with the platen right? Wouldn't the buttons possibly crack that way with the pressure on them? If I use a pillow to cover them up then I would need another pillow under the garment to raise the area to be pressed correct?


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## nascarbob (Mar 29, 2008)

The pillow goes under the garment. Nothing but a teflon sheet goes between heat and garment. The heat must transfer.


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## PressForProfit (Jun 11, 2008)

MVP J said:


> OK, I have looked all over for a thread to help answer this question but have had no luck so here goes:
> 
> How do you heat press the front of a pique polo shirt with buttons? The only way I can think of is to slide the shirt over until the buttons are off the press. I did try it this way but it was difficult to get the transfer in the right spot to press onto the shirt. If anyone has any other methods or tricks I would appreciate some insight.
> 
> Thanks.


A lineless transfer kit would do the trick. It is mousepad like material cut into many sizes to handle just this problem. It also works great when pressing thick Canvas Bags.


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## MVP J (Aug 29, 2007)

nascarbob said:


> The pillow goes under the garment. Nothing but a teflon sheet goes between heat and garment. The heat must transfer.


So you are saying that its ok for the buttons on the shirt to come in contact with the top platen and there will be no damage to the buttons and no damage to the upper heat platen?


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## deChez (Nov 10, 2007)

MVP J said:


> So you are saying that its ok for the buttons on the shirt to come in contact with the top platen and there will be no damage to the buttons and no damage to the upper heat platen?


The buttons won't come in contact with the top platen...only the area that is raised by the mousepad will be pressed. The shirt and transfer will be covered by a teflon sheet (not pillow...sheet), so nothing will ever come in direct contact with the platen.


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## MVP J (Aug 29, 2007)

deChez said:


> The buttons won't come in contact with the top platen...only the area that is raised by the mousepad will be pressed. The shirt and transfer will be covered by a teflon sheet (not pillow...sheet), so nothing will ever come in direct contact with the platen.


I guess I'll have to try it with a mousepad then. I have some teflon pillows but they are not very firm like the mousepads are. Do you use just a standard pad or should I double them up to raise it?


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## deChez (Nov 10, 2007)

MVP J said:


> I guess I'll have to try it with a mousepad then. I have some teflon pillows but they are not very firm like the mousepads are. Do you use just a standard pad or should I double them up to raise it?


I would say that with a standard mousepad, you won't have to double up -- if your mouse pads are thin, you may want to double up. 

Really, your press is going to determine the thickness of the mousepads -- it depends on the maximum thickness that your press will accomodate.


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## nascarbob (Mar 29, 2008)

MVP J said:


> So you are saying that its ok for the buttons on the shirt to come in contact with the top platen and there will be no damage to the buttons and no damage to the upper heat platen?


I have never had a problem with buttons cracking or overheating, not to say you won't. I put teflon between shirt and platen. I know with the price of polos, I wouldn't want to try one to find out. If you mess any up, maybe then try the teflon pillow. 

I prefer pillows, because they let me go faster. I don't have to be as exact with garment location on the press. 

Let us know what worked for you.


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## MVP J (Aug 29, 2007)

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I am pressing them over the weekend and will let you know how it goes.


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## jvieira (Jun 10, 2008)

I just wanted to thank, this thread has been extremely helpful! we were about to give up on polos; printing on the back was always a pain, now I'll give a try with placemats and mouse pads.


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## MAXDesign (Sep 24, 2013)

Careful with mouse mats. I tried it once and the dye came out of the pad onto the tshirt  I use teflon pillows. Not cheap, but work way better


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