Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine Rated
- Print Quality
- Durability
- Versatility
- Ease of Use
- Value for Money
Craft Schmaft Verdict
Avoid charging your credit card thousands of dollars right off the bat, and check out the Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine as an affordable alternative, especially for those just starting out.
With a small platen, it’s a great starting point, though if you’re looking to print on larger materials, or tackle larger projects, this might not be for you.
While more of a heat-press, it’s easy to use, durable, and versatile, letting you experiment in the world of screen printing while also allowing you to get those shirts you promised the improv team done in time.
Screen printing may be a hobby you’ve always wanted to try but may also strike fear into your heart.
The different printing processes, machines, and design transfers can be simply overwhelming for someone just starting out, and it’s hard to pinpoint which machine best suits what you want to do.
The Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine migh make it a little easier for you. This Wotefusi machine is one that’s very simple and easy-to-use, which is a big plus for beginners.
There are a ton of creation options for a printing machine, but if you’re looking for something very simple, you don’t have much need for the extraordinarily complex professional printers which will run you thousands of dollars.
In online markets like Ebay or Amazon, this product is often labeled as a silk screen printing press, but don’t be fooled: heat presses are much faster, simpler, and cheaper than typical silk screen printing machines, and in this review, we’ll go over some of the advantages and disadvantages of going with a heated press.
Contents
Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine: The Details
Unlike silk screen printing, which uses a separate screen for each unique colour in a design, heated presses work by stamping a single design.
Just like the process of smaller iron-ons, the designs are usually printed onto transfer paper and placed onto the fabric with, well – a heated press!
The design instantly cools and adheres seamlessly onto the fabric, which allows you to customize T-shirts, blankets, hats, and more in just seconds.
There are a wide variety of heated presses available, but the Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine is an inexpensive, lightweight machine that works best for logos and very small designs.
Below, we’ll go into detail about some of the features the screen printer includes.
Specs
- Weight: 38 lbs.
- Dimensions: 19 x 14 x 26 inches
- Platen Size: 15 x 15 cm (5.9 x 5.9 inches)
- Manual or Automatic: Manual
- Stand-Out Feature: Microcomputer-controlled temperatures, swing design
- Warranty: No
Features
Computerized Temperature Settings
The Screen Printing Machine has a simple three-button digital display that lets you set the time and temperature needed for each press job.
This display sits right at eye level just to add an extra point to the ease of the machine.
Timing can be set up to 999 seconds and the temperature can be set up to 399 degrees.
The computer will then alert you when the machine is ready and help you keep track of how long you need to press the design to make the transfer. This process should usually take between 15 to 30 seconds.
There’s no guesswork in how hot the press needs to be to work—the machine takes care of that for you.
Thanks to the machine’s use of an automatic thermostat, the temperature will always be within a few degrees of accuracy.
A microcomputer is hidden right inside the machine, fuelling this feature, and also allowing it to automatically control the time. This all makes getting that perfect press a breeze.
Temperature Range
The heating plate gets up to around 350 degrees fahrenheit, and the combined temperature between the plates can vary between 0 to 750 degrees.
Again, just tap the desired temperature into the lcd screen and it shouldn’t take too long before you’re all set to start printing.
Swing Design
If you take a look at other heated presses, you’ll find that most of them require you to lift the press up and down like a clam shell, which can be a little cumbersome.
Even though the pressure handles would give you a hand with lifting, it can still be an added pain, especially when there’s an alternative.
The swing design is a great workaround that lets you slide your fabric in and out without having to move the heating plates.
You can essentially do all the work sitting down just by moving the silicone platen (where you put your fabric) closer to you while you’re lining up another piece of fabric, then swinging it back under the press for final adjustments.
It’s just a great design that makes this machine really fun to use and cuts some of the hassle in half.
Vertical Pressure
Instead of opening and closing a clamshell-style heating plate, with the Wotefusi Screen Printer the top heating plate presses down directly on top of the bottom plate.
You’ll have your fabric situated on the silicon platen, and the heating plate will come straight down when you pump the pressure handle, which prevents a lot of sliding that you might otherwise run into.
The separation of the two plates also lets you adjust the distance between them for thicker fabrics like thick wool and denim.
This is basically Wotefusi taking the time to make sure there are less chances of your clothing or material mangling or bunching during the process.
Platen Size
The silicon platen size allows you to press designs that are roughly 6 x 6 inches, a perfect size for logos, monograms, labels, and the like.
While the small dimensions may make some people wary, the compact size of the platen is perfect for experimenting.
It allows you to easily versify by trying your hand at printing on trendy can koozies, children’s clothing, or inside labels more accurately, and it allows the overall of size of the machine to be much more convenient for learning.
Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine: The Review
The Positives
Great for Hobbyists
Since the Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine is built to be simple and straightforward, it doesn’t have the number of complicated features which often makes screen printing so confusing.
Without the extra bells and whistles, you will be able to master the basics without any real worry of replacements or stalls.
It’s easy to master right from the beginning and gives you extra creative power over all sorts of designs.
Want to create simple outfits for your family business, add designs to club T-shirts, or just have fun customizing your wardrobe? It has you covered.
Highly Durable for Small Projects
Versatility is not what this screen printing machine was made for, but for what it does, this is a definite benefit.
The plate is the perfect size for small projects and the limited features mean there are fewer elements to wear out or break down over time, making it sturdy and reliable for the long-haul.
As an extra side benefit, if you do want to upgrade to the more complicated models, it wont be extremely expensive.
User-Friendly Design
The swing design makes swapping fabric in and out a cinch, and the settings are so simple that anyone can pick up printing with no trouble at all.
Best of all, this machine has a lot of portability and stability; we can tell that a lot of thought has been put into little touches to make it fun and easy to use.
Thanks to its smaller size, it can be set-up without taking up too much work or office space.
It can also be easy to carry but if you do plan on moving your Wotefusi machine around, keep in mind this machine weighs in at just 38 pounds and is usually easy to manage, but may be a bit difficult for feeble arms.
Safety In Mind
You can rest a little easier when purchasing the Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine.
The integrated plates are locked in safely and the bottom plate protects your fabric by including highly resistant silicone foam.
This foam allows you to keep pressing on to 400 degrees fahrenheit without the worry of burning or damaging your clothes, the plate, or the machine.
The machine also stops you from making too big of an adjustment to the pressure to keep the bearings from being warped.
The swing arm acts as an extra bonus for those who are afraid of burning their arms. Just be sure to press down on the pressure handle when you’re all done and the machine is off.
The Negatives
Heat Reset May Be Necessary
It’s hard to get the fabric too hot, but you will want to turn the machine off if you use it for longer than an hour.
This allows the thermostat to recalibrate itself and keep those plates from getting so hot that they burn the fabric.
It can be a little annoying to reset your machine and will take time out of your projects. However, the Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine isn’t really designed for massive loads of prints at one time, so you’ll probably never run into this issue.
If you do, a rest time of 2 to 3 minutes every hour is usually all that’s needed.
Not Good With Dark Colors
As with any heated press, there are limits to what you can accomplish.
For one, working on black fabric will require a lot of additional work to treat the shirt before it’s ready for transfer, and even then, the results can be mixed.
Sticking with light colours will usually get great results.
Size Limits Functionality
If you’re looking to work with larger designs, you’ll probably want to opt for a different machine, but it works really great for those small logos. You can ensure your designs will be applied with even, close pressure.
The platen is very small, so you’re limited with this machine, since you’ll never be able to upgrade to larger, more complex designs.
Overall Verdict
The best silk screen printing machine is going to cost upwards of $1,000, and for hobbyists or anyone who’s operating with small designs, it might not make much sense to invest in an oversized professional screen printer.
This makes the Wotefusi machine a great alternative for beginners and newcomers.
Heat presses work well for beginners, and if you buy quality transfers, you’ll avoid the cracking, cheap designs that start to wear after a few washes.
In general, heated presses don’t give you impeccable quality, but for logos of this size, they’re much less likely to fade and will be easy to apply.
The design on the Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine is impressively intuitive, and this machine may be worth the cost for you if you’re looking to get started.
Where to Buy the Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine
The Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine is a tougher one to track down. Thankfully, it’s available for purchase on Amazon.
That’s our review on the Wotefusi Screen Printing Machine. Tempted to give it a go?
