Starting a small apparel business — heat press + DTF recommendations?
Hey yall,
I’m getting ready to start a small home-based custom apparel business with my husband and I’d love some advice from people who are already doing this.
We’re planning to start fairly small and outsource our DTF transfers rather than buying a DTF printer. We’d mainly be doing T-shirts, sweatshirts/crewnecks, hats, and eventually things like embroidered/faux-leather heat-applied patches.
Right now I’m looking at a 15x15 heat press plus a separate hat press, but there are SO many brands and wildly different price points that I’m having trouble figuring out what is actually worth buying.
For those of you who do this regularly:
• What heat press do you use, and would you buy it again?
• Is there a particular brand you recommend for someone starting out that is reliable without spending thousands?
• Clamshell vs. swing-away vs. auto-open — which do you prefer and why?
• Any hat press recommendations?
• Who do you use for ready-to-press DTF transfers? I’d especially love companies with good color, fine-detail/small-text quality, consistency, and reasonable turnaround/shipping.
• Do you order gang sheets or individual transfers?
• Are there any DTF suppliers you would specifically avoid?
• What blanks do you find press the best?
• What supplies should I buy from day one besides the obvious stuff — parchment/Teflon sheets, heat tape, lint rollers, pressing pillows, alignment rulers, etc.?
• Any tips for getting a softer/professional finish rather than that thick plastic-looking transfer feel?
• How do you handle tiny lettering and detailed designs? Are there minimum line/text sizes you stick to?
• If you apply heat-seal embroidered or faux-leather patches, does your regular press/hat press handle those well too?
And most importantly: what do you wish someone had told you before you started? 😂
I’m trying to buy decent equipment the first time without going overboard before we know how much business we’ll actually have. Any beginner mistakes, favorite suppliers, temperature/pressure tricks, workflow tips, packaging recommendations, or other advice would be VERY appreciated.
Thank you!!