A heat press is a device that is used to transfer a graphical design onto a fabric with the use of high heat. These machines are also used to imprint designs on mugs, ceramic plates and tiles, tote bags, jigsaw puzzles, wood, metal and other items. Today these machines are used even by hobbyists and artists to make imprints of t-shirts and other fabrics from the comfort of the home. These machines require high temperatures ranging from 375 degrees to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. They also require a force of 40 to 80 psi to press the design on to the fabric.

The heat press machines usually have an aluminum heating element. They make use of carrier paper and certain types of inks. They are heated to the required temperature and then pressed on to the transfer inks at a required pressure for a certain amount of time. Then the transfer inks are pressed on to the material which is to be imprinted to either form a design on the surface or through the layers of the material. Both automatic and manually operated heat presses are available. Even semi-automatic types are available. In modern heat presses, the use of digital technology enables very accurate control over the levels of temperature and pressure and also over the duration of pressing the machine on to the material.

There are a wide variety of heat presses available in the market. The most widely available type makes the use of a flat platen to apply pressure and high temperature. Some common types are as follows.

• Clamshell type - In this type of heat press, the upper heating element is designed to open like a clamshell.

• Swing-away type - In the swing-away type of heat press, the upper heat platen is designed to swing away from the lower platen.

• Draw style heat press - In this type too as the name suggests, the bottom platen can be pulled out for graphic preparation like a drawer.

• Vacuum operated heat press - This style utilizes air pressure to achieve the results.

Steam irons also known as steam presses are a convenient and effective way to keep clothes in a properly ironed and clean manner. These are designed to remove the wrinkles from all materials of clothes including cotton, silk, wool and other materials. They can be made to operate at different temperature settings for ironing different materials. They mainly make use of heat and pressure to iron clothes. These are small devices which are usually made of a triangular base with pores on them for steam to come out and help in ironing. Water is poured through a provision on top and the amount of steam can also be controlled. Besides giving good shape to clothes, they also remove bacteria and pollen from them.