A customer wants a left chest logo on a zip-up hoodie, a print down the sleeve, or a run of youth tees. Zippers, buttons and thick seams make those jobs awkward on a full-size platen. A smaller platen made for the job moves them out of the way.
This guide answers what is a platen in a print shop, what it does on a heat press, a DTG printer and a screen printing press, and which size fits which job, with the real sizes of the platens we carry.
What Is a Platen?
A platen is the flat surface that holds the garment while it's pressed or printed. Heat presses, DTG printers and screen printing presses all have one, and the machines in this guide take interchangeable platens in different sizes.
- On a heat press, the lower platen is the surface the garment sits on, under the press's heated platen.
- On a DTG printer, the platen holds the garment in place while the printer prints on it.
- In screen printing, the same part is often called a pallet.
You'll also see it spelled "platten." It's the same part.
What Does a Platen Do on a Heat Press?
On a heat press, the lower platen holds the garment, and it's the part you swap to fit the job. The press has a heated platen that presses down and a lower platen the garment sits on.
Smaller, interchangeable lower platens solve the problem of pressing awkward garments and bags, such as ones with zippers or buttons. On a garment with a thick collar, hoodie toggles or a pocket, a small platen lets those parts hang off its edge.
Never use an interchangeable platen that's bigger than your press's heated platen. Keep it the same size or smaller, so the whole design stays inside the heated area.
Heat Press Platen Sizes and What Each One Is For
Each heat press platen size is built for a type of job. Here's what each of the Prisma RAMLOCK optional platens is for:
| Platen | Size | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| 4" x 4" | Small items, youth apparel, and garments with buttons, zippers and seams close together | |
| Chest | 6" x 10" | Left chest logos without damaging seams, buttons or zippers |
| Sleeve/leg | 6" x 20" | Sleeves, pant legs and youth size garments |
| Tote | 8" x 10" | Totes and polypropylene shopping bags; slide the bag on to print both sides |
| Youth | 11" x 15" | Youth and women's sizes |
| Junior/ladies | 12" x 16.5" | Youth and women's sizes |
| Sweatshirt | 15" x 15" | Hoodies and sweatshirts |
← Scroll to see all columns →
Those platens fit the DTF Station Prisma Swing and Prisma Auto. Both presses have a 16" x 20" platen and RAMLOCK quick platen change, and the Swing swings away to give you open access to the lower platen.
Which Heat Press Platens Fit My Press?
Platens are made for specific presses, so match the platen to your press brand and model. Platen sets we carry include:
- Hotronix and MAXX: optional platens in 4" x 4", 6" x 10", 7" round, 8" x 10", 11" x 15", a double sleeve/leg platen and a set of three. Hotronix platens clip in and out, with a lever under the right side of the lower platen. The Hotronix Auto Open Clam comes in 11" x 15", 16" x 16" and 16" x 20" with quick-change platens.
- DTF Station Proxima: Proxima optional platens in 6" x 6" pocket, 8" x 12", 10" x 12" hoodie and 15" x 18" dual sleeve.
- Geo Knight: All Thread optional platens. Older Geo Knight models aren't compatible, so have your model and serial number ready to confirm fit.
A PTFE lower platen wrap covers the lower platen in non-stick fluoropolymer. It comes in 11" x 15", 15" x 15", 16" x 16", 16" x 20" and 16" x 24".
What Is a Tag Platen?
A tag platen is a small platen for neck labels. At about 4" x 4" (10 x 10 cm), it also handles small placements where a thick collar, hoodie toggles or a pocket would get in the way.
What Is a Cap Platen?
A cap platen is a lower platen made for pressing hats. Hotronix cap platens come in sizes from baby (2.5" x 3") to champ (4" x 8.75"), or as a set of four, for the Hotronix Auto Cap and MAXX cap presses.
What Does a Platen Do on a DTG Printer?
On a DTG printer, the platen holds the garment in place while the printer prints straight onto it. Each platen size has its own printable area, so the platen you load sets how big the print can be.
The Epson SureColor F2270 prints both DTG and DTF, and it adjusts the printhead height to the garment's thickness automatically. Every Epson platen works on the F2270.
Epson DTG Platen Sizes
Epson's optional platens come in five sizes, from a 4" x 4" sleeve platen to a 16" x 20" large. Here's the printable area of each Epson optional platen on the F2270 and the job it's for.
| Epson platen | Printable area | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeve | 4" x 4" | Garment sleeves |
| Extra small | 7" x 8" | Infant and young children's apparel |
| Small | 10" x 12" | Children's apparel and other small garments |
| Medium | 14" x 16" | The middle size; also comes as a grooved platen and a hanger platen |
| Large | 16" x 20" | Oversized garments |
← Scroll to see all columns →
The standard platens have a 0.24" (6 mm) margin and the sleeve platen has 0.47" (12 mm), so plan your artwork inside those edges.
What Is a Grooved Platen?
A grooved platen has a groove for zippers, so you can print garments that have them. Epson's 14" x 16" grooved platen has a center groove for zippers and an upper recess for polo-style collars. It fits the F2000, F2100, F3070 and F2270.
If you take the grooved insert out, you can't print on that part of the platen.
What Is a Hanger Platen?
A hanger platen adds a hanger so oversized garments line up quickly. Epson's hanger platens come in small, medium and large.
Do I Need a Hoop on a DTG Platen?
Not with a grip pad. Epson's grip pad is a platen cover that keeps the garment from moving and allows hoop-free printing. With a grip pad attached, you don't need the platen frame.
Third-Party DTG Platens
Other makers build platens for Epson printers too, including hat platens. Before you buy one, check the printer model it's made for.
- TucLoc platens for the F2000, F2100 and F3070 come in 8" x 10", 10" x 12", 14" x 16" and 16" x 20". The garment tucks between two rubber pads, with no adhesive, rings or hoops.
- Lawson platens for the F2000, F2100 and F3070 run from 7" x 8" to 16" x 20", plus a 13" x 21". They use no aluminum hoop; the garment is held with double-faced tape.
- The Key Print Co. Captain platen kit prints unconstructed hats with no digitizing. It comes in versions for the Epson F2000/F2100, F2270 and F3070.
On the F2270, third-party specialty platens may need a platen height adjustment.
What Is a Platen in Screen Printing?
In screen printing, the platen is often called a pallet. It holds the garment while you print, and like platens, pallets come in different sizes and shapes for different jobs.
Besides standard pallets, there are specific-use pallets: all-over print, jacket hold-down, oversize, single-sleeve for sleeves and other narrow items, and vacuum pallets.
Brown screen printer platen attachments come in melamine (16" x 18", 14" x 14", 10" x 14") and aluminum (seven sizes from 10" x 14" to 16" x 24"), plus 6" x 20" and 6" x 24" sleeve platens and koozie platens.
To hold shirts in place, removable double-sided pallet tape holds cotton, polyester, nylon and fleece on screen printing pallets and DTG platens. It replaces pallet glue or spray adhesive, and you swap the tape instead of cleaning the pallet.
Which Platen Size Do I Need?
Pick the platen by the garment and where the print goes. A 16" x 20" platen is common on full-size presses: it's the platen size on the Prisma Swing, Prisma Auto, Prisma Sentry and HIX SwingMan 20, and it's Epson's largest DTG platen. For smaller garments and smaller print areas, here's the platen for each job:
| The job | Platen to use |
|---|---|
| Oversized garments | DTG: Epson large 16" x 20" |
| Hoodies and sweatshirts | Heat press: Prisma 15" x 15" sweatshirt or Proxima 10" x 12" hoodie |
| Garments with zippers | Heat press: Prisma 6" x 10" chest or 4" x 4" pocket. DTG: Epson grooved 14" x 16" |
| Youth and women's sizes | Heat press: Prisma 11" x 15" youth or 12" x 16.5" junior/ladies. DTG: Epson small 10" x 12" for children's apparel |
| Infant and young children's apparel | DTG: Epson extra small 7" x 8" |
| Left chest logos | Heat press: Prisma 6" x 10" chest |
| Sleeves and pant legs | Heat press: Prisma 6" x 20" sleeve/leg. DTG: Epson 4" x 4" sleeve platen for sleeves |
| Totes and shopping bags | Heat press: Prisma 8" x 10" tote |
| Neck labels | Heat press: a tag platen, about 4" x 4" (10 x 10 cm) |
| Hats | Heat press: Hotronix cap platens. DTG: Key Print Co. Captain platen kit for unconstructed hats |
← Scroll to see all columns →
Before you order, check two things: the platen fits your exact press or printer model, and it isn't bigger than your heat press's heated platen.
Browse heat presses or DTG supplies to see what we carry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find the Right Platen for Your Press
Smaller and shaped platens keep zippers, buttons and collars out of the way, so you can say yes to sleeves, pockets, neck labels, kids' sizes and totes. Match the platen to your exact press or printer model before you order.
We've been in business since 1986. Not sure which platen fits your machine? Talk to a specialist about your press or printer model.
