The MerchMaker heat press offers a rare combination of top level features, streamlined design, and affordability, making it a smart entry point for entrepreneurs and small businesses ready to launch or expand their custom apparel operations.

Designed to help garment decorators achieve professional results with every press, the MerchMaker combines smart functionality with space-saving portability. It’s the ideal solution for startups, crafters, small shops, and on-the-go entrepreneurs who want to take on more custom orders with confidence and consistency, with features not found in other presses at this price point.

Engineered with both function and flexibility in mind, the MerchMaker allows decorators to press with precision in even the smallest of workspaces or live events, pop-ups, or market spaces.

A New Standard in Entry-Level Heat Presses

The MerchMaker stands out with features typically reserved for higher-end machines, including:

• Dual Functionality: use as a traditional clamshell or pull-out draw press
• Smart Display: LCD screen shows time, temperature, and pressure for consistent results
• Fast Heating: heats quickly to 300°F – ideal for transfers and HTV
• Perfect Pressure: patented over-the-center pressure adjustment ensures even application
• Lightweight & Portable: designed for tight workspaces and on-the-go availability
• Safety Certified: (UL/ULC/CE), with 110v standard operation

Getting Started Made Easier with Bonus Marketing Kit

To support new decorators, Transfer Express is including a free Marketing Kit (a $75 value) with every MerchMaker purchase. The kit includes heat transfers samples, educational materials, how-to guides, application charts, and more tools to help decorators promote, produce, and profit from selling custom apparel successfully.

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Taking place on Wednesday, July 17th, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Lane Seven’s Irwindale location, this half-day event will provide valuable insights, practical strategies, and expert guidance to help attendees enhance operational efficiency, expand their product offerings, and maximize profitability through heat printing.

Partnering with Lane Seven Apparel, STAHLS’ Heat Press Pro Day will offer attendees an opportunity to engage in high-impact, hands-on training led by industry experts. Participants will gain real-world strategies to improve operational efficiency, harness the power of e-commerce, and diversify their product offerings with heat printing. In addition, attendees will learn critical pricing calculations and business strategies to ensure they are maximizing their bottom line.

“We are excited to provide an opportunity for attendees to not only learn from the experts but to experience firsthand how heat printing can transform their business,” said Kelly Walters, STAHLS’ Director of Experiential Marketing. “This hands-on event is designed to help decorators enhance production and find new ways to grow in a competitive market, with live demos and real techniques they can instantly incorporate in their operations.”

The Heat Press Pro Day Experience:

• Hands-On Training with Industry Experts: Engage in interactive sessions covering the entire decoration process, from setup to application.
• Comprehensive Business Growth Strategies: Gain insights to increase production efficiency and enhance profitability, with new ways to stay ahead in a competitive industry.
• Exclusive Merch & Promos: Receive a curated set of branded merchandise and exclusive product credits to showcase what’s possible with STAHLS’ products.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow decorators and entrepreneurs, share experiences, and foster a supportive community.

Bonus: Each attendee will receive a $50 product credit to be added to their STAHLS’ account after the event.

With attendance limited to 100 participants, Heat Press Pro Day promises an intimate, impactful experience that allows for personalized interaction with experts. Interested decorators should register as soon as possible to secure their spot. For more details and to register, visit transferexpress.com/heat-press- accessories/heat-press-pro-day.

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Stevensville Highschool in Stevensville, Montanna, is dedicated to providing students with real-world skills through its career and technical education program. By receiving this Dream Shop Package, the school will enhance its curriculum in apparel decoration, empowering students with hands-on experience using professional-grade heat printing technology.

Elite Design Solutions based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, offers custom apparel for local businesses and through Etsy. With the addition of the Dream Shop Package, the business will increase its production capabilities, meet growing demand, and expand its services to better serve the local community while tapping into new markets beyond apparel.

Since its launch in 2020, the Stahl Family Scholarship has awarded over $100,000 worth of equipment to 39 winners. For the remainder of 2025, STAHLS’ is continuing the tradition of helping small businesses and educational programs turn their dreams into reality by awarding six more Dream Shop Packages throughout the year.

“We’re thrilled to continue supporting schools and small businesses with all the tools they need to succeed,” said Dan Stahl, president of the Stahl Family Scholarship. “The work these winners are doing in their communities is inspiring, and we’re proud to provide them with the equipment and training to take their operations to the next level.”

Every quarter in 2025, one small business and one school will receive The Dream Shop Package, complete with a Hotronix® Fusion IQ® heat press and a 360 IQ® hat press, along with essential platens, accessories, and expert training. Winners will also receive virtual consultations, access to Fulfill Engine software, and a product credit for use at STAHLS’ or Transfer Express.

This initiative is designed to help winners expand their decorating capabilities, grow their businesses, and inspire the next generation of apparel decorators.

Applications for the second quarter of the 2025 Stahl Family Scholarship are now open. Schools and small businesses interested in applying can visit www.stahls.com/scholarship for more information and to submit their applications.

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Goof Proof® transfers are a fast, cost-effective alternative to DTF, delivering the soft feel of real screen printing. Perfect for 1-2 color designs, they arrive pre-cut and ready to apply—no cutting apart required. Orders placed by 3 PM ET ship the next business day, helping decorators meet tight deadlines without the setup, equipment, or overhead of traditional screen printing.

Goof Proof transfers can be applied to cotton and poly/cotton blends, with two temperature settings to prevent scorching on heat-sensitive fabrics. They are available in two standard sizes— 9-inch by 12.75-inch and 11-inch by 14-inch—with a minimum order of 25 pieces. Bulk pricing discounts make them a cost-effective choice for decorators fulfilling orders for teams, schools, businesses, and events.

“By offering Goof Proof transfers on stahls.com, we’re giving more decorators access to one of the industry’s most trusted screen printed transfers,” said Josh Ellsworth, Chief Revenue Officer at GroupeSTAHL. “It’s a proven, fast and reliable solution to help them meet customer demands with confidence.”

For more details, including free sample requests, color options, and pricing, visit stahls.com/goof-proof.

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Image courtesy of STAHLS’

This new voltage offering is a significant advancement to the Hotronix® Dual Air Fusion IQ® heat press, making maximized heat printing more accessible to a wider range of apparel decorators, small businesses, and print shops of all sizes.

The introduction of the 120v model means more decorators, from home-based businesses to large-scale production shops, will benefit from the power of the Dual Air Fusion IQ® without having to modify their electrical infrastructure. Simply connect the 120v model into any dedicated standard 20amp circuit. The new voltage option gives every decorator a plug-and-play solution for high-powered, automated heat printing.

“While the Dual Air Fusion has been a staple in heat printing departments at high volume factories, it’s equally important for a small business,” says Josh Ellsworth, Chief Revenue Officer, GroupeSTAHL. “The availability of a 120v Dual heat press is due to the demand we’ve seen for home business use. Typically, an entrepreneur wears many hats in the day, and a dual station press ensures that they are producing orders faster and saving time. Coupled with the machine’s UL listing, any sized decorator, regardless of manufacturing location, can get the benefits of time savings and the peace of mind of a safe machine.”

With the ability to connect to any normal electrical outlet, the Dual Air Fusion IQ® is ready to use in any shop instantly. By removing the barrier of specialized power requirements, more businesses can experience the speed, precision, and unmatched efficiency of this industry-leading machine.

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In the vigorous world of retail, it’s no secret small gift shops are constantly seeking ways to stand out and create memorable experiences for their customers. And what better way to do just that than by doing their own decorating? One such innovation is the adoption of heat press machines for on-demand printing. This technique, which involves using heat and pressure to transfer designs onto various items, offers numerous advantages for small businesses. I spoke with a few of the big players in the heat-pressing sector to get their take on why small gift shops should consider investing in their own heat press machines.

Boosting Apparel-Decorating Sales and Saving Space

Amplifying the product lineup for any business can be challenging. For small retail and gift shop proprietors the challenge is even greater when factoring in a company’s limited space, while doing your best to stay on trend and determine the right quantities to minimize financial risk. By using a heat press and heat transfers, businesses can provide a wider range of products and finishes with high-end decoration, all without the need for stockpiles of pre-printed inventory.

“How do you quickly scale your business up and down with the seasonality of tourists and events, without impacting your bottom line?” asks Cat Cosentino, 613 Originals VP of marketing. “How do you manage through a particular busy season, when you can’t scale your working/storage space just as quickly? Enter the heat transfer—by adding heat transfers and a heat press to your existing business, you can save on manufacturing costs and delivery time. Heat transfers allow you to adopt an in-house ‘print on demand’ model. You can stock up on as many different designs as you want, and then press the design upon order. This allows you to control garment inventory and not be left with any extra sizes or designs that didn’t sell as originally forecasted at the end of the season.”

Transfers are versatile for many products in your inventory. Photo courtesy of STAHLS’

Dave Conner, STAHLS’ and Transfer Express content director, agrees, noting that it’s all possible with a heat press, whether its bulk runs, printing on demand only after an order is received and even personalization. The benefits of a print-on-demand model can include:

Space Efficiency: Heat presses not only minimize inventory needs but occupy minimal space in your shop, allowing you to utilize more of your retail area for showcasing a variety of products without requiring extra storage or a warehouse filled with bulky equipment, supplies and more.

Flexible Inventory Management: With print-on-demand capabilities, there’s no need to pre-decorate your entire inventory. Keep blank items in stock and customize them as required, reducing the risk of unsold goods. This flexibility enables you to quickly respond to the ebb and flow of customer preferences. Display design options or customization choices on a wall and print orders as they come in.

Ease of Use & Training: Heat presses are user-friendly and have a minimal learning curve compared to other decoration methods, making it easy to quickly integrate them into your business operations.
Personalization: Customization stations and interactive activations are becoming increasingly popular. Letting customers choose different patches to create unique, personalized items such as hats not only adds value but enhances the customer experience. Personalization using HTV for names and numbers is achievable without significant investments.

Diverse Products: With a single heat press, you can customize T-shirts, hats, fleece, bags, accessories and more. You can meet a broad range of customer needs and preferences. Offering different heat transfer types enables you to provide premium decorations like embroidery, leather, or PVC, as well as traditional screen-printed looks or full-color decorations with direct-to-film (DTF).

Embrace DTF

DTF transfers are tailor-made for on-demand printing as they cling to all types of fabrics, enabling use on endless apparel options and accessories. The quality of

DTF transfer application is as simple as place, press and peel. Photo courtesy of Ninja Transfers

today’s transfers can produce outstanding designs even while being applied at low temperatures. They often have no minimum order requirements, as well. This type of functionality is the greatest asset for gift-shop owners, who can create their own product samples and assess the customer demand before committing to larger orders or outsourcing.

“DTF offers a significant advantage,” says Ninja Mike, CEO and founder of Ninja Transfers. “You can buy transfers cheaply, for just a dollar or two each, and keep a variety of blanks in 50 different colors without needing to customize them in advance. These blanks can be in different colors, materials, shapes and sizes. The transfers can be stored separately, allowing businesses to have a wide range of inventory ready for sale. Production, or heat pressing, can be done on demand, which eliminates the risk of wasted inventory.”

This approach ensures that inventory is not accounted for until the moment of sale, minimizing the risk of unsold stock. Essentially, shops are only displaying potential unsold items, reducing the risk from 20, 50 or even 100 pieces to just one.

“DTF is a groundbreaking innovation for the industry,” Ninja Mike says. “To outsiders, it might seem like something that has been around for a long time, but that’s not the case. It has only recently started to mature. However, at Ninja Transfers, we’ve been hard at work perfecting the process for over two and a half years.”

Choose the Right Heat-Printing Equipment

An absolute necessity, investing in top-notch equipment is essential for sustainable success. Premium heat presses provide the dependable, professional results shop owners are looking for, while minimizing downtime due to maintenance or repairs. High-quality equipment can streamline your entire business model.

Pressing in person brings a whole new experience to your shop. Photo courtesy of 613 Originals

“All you need are heat transfers and a heat press. If you’re aiming for high-volume production, we recommend an industrial heat press for consistent pressure and heat.” says Cosentino. “Transfers can last for years when stored in climate-controlled environments, so you can order for the entire season before the rush hits.”

Ordering transfers online is a breeze. You can be checked out in under two minutes says Ninja Mike. Transfers can be ordered by size, or you can “gang up” designs on a gang sheet. These days, orders usually ship within 24 hours or can even be delivered the next day if it is placed before 3:00 PM. Also, don’t forget when choosing the right equipment, ensure your equipment supplier provides dependable customer service. This is vital for troubleshooting and support when doing your own decorating.

To secure the return on your investment, Conner suggests avoiding cheap import presses that may not withstand high-volume use. Look for equipment with interchangeable platens, which will open the door for endless decorating possibilities; this will keep your inventory current and on trend. Overall, investing in high-quality equipment can increase profit margins by reducing idle time and safeguarding reliable performance, allowing your team to seamlessly work in a stress-free setting.

Flow with Market Adaptability

The retail market is ever-changing, and small gift shops need to be adaptable to stay relevant. Heat presses allow shops to quickly pivot and adapt to new trends, seasonal changes or special events. This adaptability ensures that the shop can always deliver fresh, trendy products that meet current consumer demands.

“Heat printing offers a practical, efficient, and flexible solution for small gift shop owners looking to expand their product range without the risk and space requirements of traditional inventory methods,” says Conner. “By adopting heat printing you can stay on trend, meet customer demands and increase your sales while maximizing profit.”

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