Heat presses are used for all sorts of purposes and here we list a few.
1. Dye Sublimation - The process of transferring an image using heat and pressure. See more information here. What is dye sublimation.
2. Mounting to a rigid base as in pictures, photographs and posters. See What is mounting.
3. Vinyl Transfers as used for t-shirts and signs. See glossary
4. Shaping of plastics or thermoforming using a vacuum press.
5. Applying fabric stiffeners treated with hot-melt adhesives.
6. Laminating as in applying a protective film to a picture or for example bonding thin slices
of wood eg. veneer. See laminating.
As can be inferred from the name a heatpress is a machine that applies heat and pressure. A typical heat press is flat with a heated (normally rigid ) surface and an opposing softer pressing surface. Presses can however be shaped for specific applications such as transferring images to mugs and plates.
Heatpresses can come in a wide range of sizes depending on the intended purpose and temperature capabilities also vary. Large presses (large format) can be used for signs and multiple units while smaller units for badges as an example.