In the comments on the last Crafter Notes — First Projects with the H17 Made Easier — a few of you mentioned you’d love to know more about temps, timing, and whether there are any easy-to-follow videos. So here’s another round of notes — think of it as us gathering up those questions and turning them into tips you can try right away.
Recommended Settings
PC Phone Case Blanks
Top Plate: 135℃
Bottom Plate: 135℃
Pre-heat: 2–10s
Transfer: 300–350s
Ceramic Blanks & Coasters
Ceramic Plate: Top 140℃ | Bottom 140℃ | Pre-heat 2–10s | Transfer 300s
Coaster: Top 135℃ | Bottom 125℃ | Pre-heat 2–10s | Transfer 300s
Keychains & Metal Badges
Keychain: Top 135℃ | Bottom 135℃ | Pre-heat 2–10s | Transfer 300s
Badge: Top 140℃ | Bottom 140℃ | Pre-heat 2–10s | Transfer 330s
These settings are the sweet spot most of us have tested out — but feel free to adjust a little depending on your press, paper, or design.
Beginner-Friendly Videos
A lot of new users said videos helped them more than text alone, so here are a few that are super beginner-friendly. Each one covers a common pain point we’ve seen in the community:
Film Transfer Basics
If you’re not sure how to handle Sublimation film, this one walks through the whole process step by step.
Color Adjustment Tips
Colors looking a bit off after pressing? This video shows simple tweaks to make your prints brighter and closer to your design.
Android Case Mold Tutorial
Covers how to set up and press Android phone cases so they come out even and properly aligned.
iPhone Case Mold Tutorial
Shows the right way to fit the mold and line up your design for clean edges on iPhone cases.
What’s Next
We’ll keep collecting little tricks and common questions from your projects. If you’ve discovered a setting that works better or a clever way to press, share it in the Machine section. It might just be the tip that helps someone else in the next Crafter Notes.
So just wanted to add to this awesome post. I’ve been helping a number of people with their phone case press machines. Lots of people are wasting material and it’s very costly, so please if anyone else has any tips for new phone case users please post in this thread to. I will have a video out as soon as I finish it too, which hopefully helps.
Some reasons that you are not getting your desired results
Printing tips
When you printed did you use a sublimation printer with sublimation ink?
Also did you print on the matte side of the film.
To help feed the film through I have found it helps to tape a sheet of normal copy paper to the glossy side of the film. The glossy side of the film makes it hard for the printer rollers to grab the film.
Also do not cut the film piece down. The film piece needs to stretch over the vacuum seal on the phone case heat press. Typically, one piece of film is required per phone case.
Also, if you are printing for badges, make sure to rotate your image clockwise before printing to match up with the badges in the heat press.
Also, when printing multiple projects on the one piece of film, make sure to leave enough room between each image as the heat press is a vacuum seal and distorts the film as it heats up.
When sizing your design if you are not using the LOKLiK software templates make sure you have .5 to 1cm more of your design on every side to wrap over the edges of your blank.
Preheating
It is recommended to heat the phone case heat press up for 10 mins with the phone fixture in place. So everything is nice and toasty. You should also place the film matte side up on top of the lid for 5 mins to allow the ink to dry completely.
Temp and time settings
When setting the temp and time there are 2 settings for each. When the light is yellow on temp setting you are setting the top plate. When the light is red, you are setting the bottom plate temp. Setting the time is similar, you have yellow light on time means preheat time and red light means pressing time.
Pressing
Place the phone case on top of the fixture. Place the film glossy side up making sure the film goes past the vacuum seal of the bottom plate. (Don’t cut your film down, 1 whole piece of film is required to do a press). Close the lid and press the start button. You should hear the vacuum for like 10 secs and the machine will quiet down after that. Wait for it to beep saying it is done, peel off the film straight away from the phone case, as the film cools it hardens and is very hard to peel off. Recommended temp for bottom and top plates are 275F or 135C preheat time 20 seconds and press time 350 seconds.
Recommended Settings
Beginner-Friendly Videos
What’s Next
