Transform Your Crafting from a Hobby to Business with the Riley Hopkins 150 Screen Printing Press

Oct 28, 2021 | Cricut Projects, Screen Printing, Screen Printing Press, Vinyl Projects


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This is a sponsored post with Screenprinting.com. The review and opinions are all mine.

riley hopkins 150 press review

If you’re like me, you’ve found that one of the hardest parts about being a creator is making the leap from crafting as a hobby to making a business out of it.

Looking back over my journey from hobby to business, I can tell you there will never be a perfect time. If you’re even remotely thinking about it, I want you to know I will help you however I can.

All you have to do is make the decision to “Go for it”.

My best advice for all of you out there ready to make this move is to make sure your equipment is up for the challenge too. It’s hard to create professional looking merchandise with homemade supplies and nothing will sink your new business faster than poorly made products.

In this article I will review a piece of equipment every crafter needs if they are ready to get serious about their business.

1-color riley hopkins screenprinting review at home

When you are making small orders for family and friends, you can print just about anywhere and make it work. That is great for now, but what are you going to do when your first large order comes in?

Riley Hopkins 150 1-color screen printing press is exactly the type of equipment you need to move from completing small requests to fulfilling large batch orders.

screen printing vinyl cricut press tutorial

Why the Riley Hopkins 150 Screen Printing Press?

Riley Hopkins has been the industry leader in high quality yet economical screen printing equipment for over 4 decades. They have literally helped thousands of printers get their career up and running.

This press is simply a continuation of that long history of excellence and I love this press for so many reasons.

screen printing sweatshirt with cricut 1-color press

First – you can’t beat the quality. The Riley Hopkins 150 is American made and backed by US based support via phone or chat.

Second, this thing is a breeze to set up. You don’t need to be a mechanical engineer to get this press up and running. It comes with step-by-step setup instructions with ultra helpful photos. In addition to that, the parts are packaged according to step which makes it easy to identify what you need next.

Finally – and probably my favorite part – this press is super flexible. The Riley Hopkins 150 allows you to change platens based on the type of project you are doing.

screen printing vinyl cricut press tutorial

Interchangeable Screen Printing Platens

The ability to change platens allows you to always use the right platen for the garment you are printing on. For example, the leg and sleeve platen is just what you need for printing on winter clothes.

If you have ever tried printing on long sleeves using the standard platen, you have battled keeping the top layer from sliding around on top of the bottom layer. This platen tapers down in size from top to bottom just like a sleeve does from shoulder to wrist. This design keeps your garment in place so you can get that perfect design every time.

Even better, it’s not just for long sleeves. You can use it to print on sweatpants, leggings, shorts, and more! You can also get creative and use it for tote bag pockets or other blanks that require a more narrow platen.

screen printing sleeve design press cricut

Using the Sleeve and Leg Platen for Screen Printing

This leg and sleeve platen works just like the shirt platen. You will want to put Super Tack adhesive on the pallet to keep your sleeve from moving around.

You will also want to invest in a larger screen to use with the leg and sleeve platen.  My usual 16×20 size frame didn't allow me to print on the full sleeve, so I added the 20×24 frame. This frame will work for the leg and sleeve platen as well as with your shirt platen. 

sleeve screen printing idea

Save on Screenprinting.com with Promo Code

For a limited time, screenprinting.com is offering 30% off the leg and sleeve platen when you purchase the Riley Hopkins 150 press. Use code P&PSLEEVE to receive the discount at checkout.

screen printing press with vinyl white ink

The durability and versatility of this press will definitely help you take your screen printing to the next level.

I get it. Making this type of purchase is not an easy decision. I have gone with less expensive presses in the past just to save some money up front. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way you get what you pay for.

I believe you won’t find a better press in this price range anywhere else. If you are looking for a more professional way to create your projects, the quality of the Riley 150 makes this press worth the investment.

If you need step by step help learning how to use this press like a pro, I would love to teach you how.

riley hopkins 150 assembly

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I’m Jennifer, your go-to for all things vinyl screen printing. I offer both in-person and online classes to help you craft better quality shirts. This blog is full of screen printing inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to learn all about screen printing with vinyl!

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