HTVRont AutoPress Heat Press Review and Set Up

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If you heat press a lot of materials, you know how tiring and time-consuming it can be. From changing times and pressure to raising and lowering the press.  Does anyone else get a sore arm after a pressing marathon or is that just me?

The new auto presses coming on the market are a total game changer.  And HTVRont’s latest release is the first to come with automatic pressure capabilities.  

Bonus- is less than ½ the price of some other brands.  (I’m looking at you, Cricut)

I got an HTVRont Autopress to see if they are worth the hype.  And I wasn’t disappointed. 

Let’s take a look at all the benefits and features in this full HTVRont Auto press review.  We’ll walk through the setup, and in the video you’ll see how to press a multi-colored shirt with it.  

Let’s dig in

I’m sharing my Thankful Mama SVG with you that I use in the demonstration of the heat press. Click below to grab it.

All of my free SVG files and Designs are kept in a library for your convenience. Simply CLICK HERE to get access. We will send you the link and password right away and you’re free to use all the resources you want in the library.

Already have the password? (It’s at the bottom of every email) Enter the Library Here

The HTVRont Auto Press is currently available for pre-sale, find more info here 

HTVRont AutoPress Features

First let’s take a look of the list of features HTVRont’s Auto Heat press offers:

• 15×15 Inch Heat Plate
• Maximum Temp 410 Degrees Fahrenheit (210 C)
• Five Minute Heat Time to Max Temp
• Weighs 38 Pounds
• It comes with a Removable Heatpad on the base
• Automatically sets the Pressure for Materials up to 1” thick (2.5 cm)
• Sliding Base
• Auto Press Setting
• Two Preset Settings
• Budget Friendly

But we all know the most important thing about those features is the benefits.  

Watch the video tutorial below to see everything in action

Set the Presets on HTVRont Auto Heat Press

One of my favorite features is the HTVRont AutoPress allows you to set two presets.   So I can set one preset for the pre-heat time and temperature and the second preset for the HTV time and temp. 

To set the presets hit the preset button in the middle. Then hit the temperature button.  Use the + or – buttons to adjust the temperature. 

Then hit the time button and adjust the time.   Hit the preset button again and it will be saved.  From there you can set the time and temp for your second preset.  

Turn On/Off the Automatic Settings

To the right of the preset button is the automatic button.  Now HTVRont will automatically set the pressure and the press will automatically come down without hitting this button.  

This feature enables the pressing to start automatically once the bed is slid back and clicked into place.  Super handy!  

With this feature turned off once the bed is in place, you would press the ‘R’ button to start pressing.  

It may sound like a small thing, but with the feature turned on, that’s one less button you have to push.  You can just load your shirt and go.  It makes it super easy to get in a groove when you’re pressing a large number of shirts.  

HTVRont Autopress Temperature Range

HTVRont’s Auto Heat Press will heat up to 410 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is perfect for sublimation printing.  And It only takes about five minutes to reach maximum temperature.  

Emergency Stop on the HTVRont Heat Press

So what happens if the auto press is in the middle of pressing, and you need to stop it for some reason? If you hit the ‘R’ button to the right of the display, the heat plate will immediately rise back up and you can slide the base out.

It also has an auto-off feature where the machine will shut down after 10 minutes of inactivity. So if you forget to shut it off and walk away, no problem.

HTVRont’s Auto Press Automatic Pressure Feature

There is nothing to set for the automatic pressure to work. The auto press will automatically set the pressure based on the thickness of the materials. This smart heat press capability is both good and bad.

It’s good because it’s one less thing to change on the heat press, and if you’re used to using an easy press, you don’t have to stand on it when you need heavy pressure.

The bad thing is there is not a pressure display to know what pressure the machine is using. And there is no way to make adjustments if you need more pressure. I’m sure you could find a workaround to this by adding more materials for thickness so it uses more pressure.

The good news tho is so far it hasn’t been an issue for me doing both Heat Transfer Vinyl and sublimation projects.

Safety Benefits HTVRont AutoPress

I have to admit I was concerned that I would burn my fingers off at first. The clearance from the top heating plate and the sliding base is not that great.

The machine does use thermal insulation materials to avoid accidental burns. And the base will slide all the way out. But when placing shirts or bags toward the top, your hands get awfully close to the heat plate.

And while I can feel the heat radiating off the plate, I haven’t been burned yet, thanks to the offset of the plate and the insulation provided.

Moving Your AutoPress

HTVRont has one of the lightest weight auto presses at 38 pounds. This does make it easier to set up and move, and it’s not too heavy to set up permanently on a small table.

However, it doesn’t have a good place to grip it to move it other than wrapping your hands around the heat plate to lift. This brings back the burn your fingers off fear. Also, I’m afraid lifting it this way might damage the components that raise and lower the heat plate.

It’s best if you find a permanent home for the auto press to avoid this. If you need a portable heat press, it’s still doable. Just be careful and aware you’ll most likely want to lift it up by gripping the heat plate.

In the video and pictures above, I demonstrate how the auto press works by making a shirt that says thankful mama in multiple colors of HTV. Don’t forget to grab this free SVG for your crafting needs.

All of my free SVG files and Designs are kept in a library for your convenience. Simply CLICK HERE to get access. We will send you the link and password right away and you’re free to use all the resources you want in the library.

Already have the password? (It’s at the bottom of every email) Enter the Library Here

HTVRont AutoPress Final Thoughts

I think you’ll love the benefits of an automatic heat press vs. the Cricut Easy Press or even a traditional heat press. It’s one of the top heat press machines I’ve used. Not only is it a huge time saver when working in batches, but my shoulders and arms thank me too.

Just watch out if you plan on moving it a lot. And even tho I haven’t had an issue yet, be aware you might have to do some workarounds to trick it into giving you more pressure if needed.

While it’s new and on pre-sale, it’s probably the lowest price you’ll see it. You can buy the HTVRont heat press machine here and it will ship on October 30th. Just in time for the Christmas crafting season marathon.

Related:

How to Layer Heat Transfer Vinyl on Shirts

Using HTVRont HTV over Infusible Ink

Sublimation 101: Getting Started