Skip to content
Free shipping over $99
Free shipping over $99

Commercial Heat Press 14" x 16" Manual Clamshell

Vendor: George Knight & Co SKU: DK16

Original price $1,275.00 - Original price $1,275.00
Original price
$1,275.00
$1,275.00 - $1,275.00
Current price $1,275.00

Free Shipping to Lower 48

Item ships in 5-7 business days for delivery in 7-14 days

Overview

The DK16 is a mid-sized 14" x 16" clamshell heat press designed for professional production environments with limited space. Built with a solid steel welded frame and full digital control, it offers a durable and cost-effective solution for decorators seeking business-grade performance in a compact footprint.

Unlike traditional clamshell presses, the DK16’s heat platen opens upward and away from the rear of the machine, providing clear access to the lower platen. This rear-lift design, combined with the All-Thread™ loading system, allows garments to slide smoothly over the table with full drape space on all sides. Interchangeable bottom platens are available for smaller pressing areas, making the DK16 adaptable for varied applications.

The press is fully compatible with Geo Knight’s Auto-Release "Pop-Up" upgrade, enabling faster, semi-automatic operation at an affordable entry point. With its compact size, mobility, and upgrade potential, the DK16 is ideal for shops that require production-grade reliability without the bulk of a swing-away press.

Specifications 
Weight : 83 lbs
Electrical : 1500W / 12A / 110V
Counter Footprint :  26"D x 14"W
Shipping Dimensions : 32"L x 17"W x 16"H
Vendor : George Knight & Co
SKU : DK16

 

Features 
  • All-Thread™ table loading for faster, easier shirt placement

  • Back-opening clamshell design eliminates awkward garment loading

  • Fully digital controls: 70 presets, dual timers, and a pressure graph

  • Temperature range from 32°–600°F, accurate to within 2°F

  • SuperCoil-Microwinding™ heating element for fast, even heating

  • Teflon-coated ¾” platen: no sticking, no cold spots

  • Solid steel welded frame built to last through serious daily use

  • Records pressing cycles to track output and maintenance

  • Optional Pop-Up upgrade for auto-release functionality

  • Modular table design: interchangeable & rotatable base plates

Product Sheets
Warranty
  • FREE LIFETIME Tech Support!
  • Lifetime warranty on heat platen
  • 5-year warranty on frame
  • 3-year warranty on controller
  • 1 year warranty on parts

 

Need more than a few? Click here for a bulk order quote
Manufacturer's Warranty

With Lifetime Tech support

Made in the USA

Proudly manufactured in Massachusetts

Chat With Us

We offer 24-hour chat support

Success Starts with the Right Press

Success Starts with the Right Press

You’ve already put in the reps. Maybe your shop’s humming, orders are stacking up, and your old press? Well, it’s starting to show its age. That’s where the DK16 Manual Heat Press steps in. Built for folks who are past the “starter press” phase and ready for gear that matches their grind.

Let’s get real: most clamshells feel like a compromise. They’re either too light, too cramped, or worse, too slow. But the DK16 isn’t trying to be cute, it’s engineered to be efficient. Its 14x16-inch heat platen opens wide from the back, lifting up and away from the lower table, so you’re not reaching into some tight, awkward gap just to center a tee. It’s an intuitive press, a proper industrial heat press machine that doesn’t fight you every step of the way.

And here’s where the real magic happens: that full-access bottom table with All-Thread™ loading means you can slide shirts on like you're pulling sleeves over a hanger. No bunching. No binding. Just a clean, easy load that saves your wrists and speeds up your workflow. It’s the kind of thing you don’t notice right away, but once you do, there’s no going back.

What’s also underrated? Its footprint. The DK16 fits neatly in tighter workspaces while still holding its own in heavy-use shops. If your studio doesn’t have room for bulky swingaways but you still want power and precision, this heat press machine is your middleweight champ.

Now let’s talk upgrades. You can drop in the Pop-Up automatic release option and transform this into a semi-automatic beast. That means faster cycles without having to babysit the machine, freeing you up to focus on prep, placement, or planning your next big batch. And the interchangeable bottom tables? Total game changer. Switch ‘em out in seconds to match different garment sizes or pressing zones.

Under the hood, the DK16 brings full digital control with pinpoint precision. We’re talking programmable presets, dual pre-press timers, pressure bar graphs, and a temp range from 32° to 600°F. Oh—and it logs your press count, so if you’re keeping tabs on production, it’s got the receipts.

But what really seals the deal is the build. This isn’t some hollow frame with a shiny coat of paint. It’s solid welded steel, made right here in the U.S., backed by SuperCoil-Microwinding™ heater tech and a Teflon-coated ¾” platen that delivers smooth, even heat, every single time.

So if you're ready to scale up with a serious tool and you want a manual heat press that brings efficiency, power, and rugged reliability without crowding your space… the DK16’s the one you’ve been waiting for.

Other Great Products

Frequently Asked Questions

The timer does not start when I close the heat platen, or the timer does not reset when I open the press up.
  • There are several probable causes for this. The timer is activated by a micro-tilt sensor stuck to the pressure arm.
  • First: When the head of the machine is opened, the tilt sensor needs to be tilted slightly upward to signal the controller to stop/reset. When the head of the machine is closed, the timer sensor needs to be tilted downward (towards the floor) to signal the controller to start counting.
  • Second: Check the wire connection from the tilt sensor into the control panel. The timer and pressure signals go to a small black 6-pin connector on the top of the circuit board in the control box. Check to make sure this is firmly seated and plugged into the board.
The control displays “Err” when it first comes on, and I cannot set the temperature or use the press.

The “Err” message will display if the heating signal from the platen has been cut off, interrupted, or the heating sensor has failed.

First, check the lime green temperature connector that plugs into the digital control. At the top of the controller, there is a green connector that plugs in with two small wires. This is the temperature sensor wire. Check to make sure it is properly seated.

If, after unplugging and plugging the lime green connector, the “Err” message still appears, unplug the green connector and remove the two tiny wires from the lime green plug. Cut them back 1/4”, strip them so they have new connections, and reconnect them to the lime green plug so they are screwed in tightly and cannot pull out. Plug the green plug back in and turn the press on.

I press the keys on the keypad, and there is no sound or response from the controller.

Check the connection of the keypad to the controller. This is inside the top panel.

  1. Unplug the power cord.
  2. Remove the two screws in between the clamp/linkage that hold down the top panel.
  3. Carefully lift the panel up and look inside at the digital controller.

The keypad connector passes in through the top panel. It should wind around the first circuit board and be seated fully into the connector. Check the black keypad connector that plugs into the circuit board to see if it has pulled apart. Also check the area where the keypad connects to the front membrane to see if the leads have been damaged. The membrane keypad may need to be replaced.

The gas springs are not lifting the head as easily as when the press was new, or the gas springs have lost their pressure.

After a large volume of use over an extended period of many pressing cycles, the gas springs will slowly lose their original force.

These hydraulic lifter springs are extremely easy to replace, and are surprisingly similar in cost—or even lower—than conventional mechanical springs. Contact the factory for replacement gas springs if the machine is no longer able to keep the platen open. Note: The gas springs must have the silver rod face down, and the black tube face up.

The press has shut off and will not come back on after checking the power cord.

Test for power coming from the back side of the power cord inlet socket. Then, test for power coming from the back side of the on/off switch. Finally, test for power coming to the end of the black and white wires that run from the on/off switch into the control board.

This will help narrow down which power-handling component needs replacement. The RPK-DKPWR is a common replacement kit that includes all these components.

I pressed a transfer upside down. The inks and transfer material have burned onto the heat platen.

Cool the press down. Using a non-abrasive detergent or cleaner, thoroughly scrub the heat platen surface.

Do not use an abrasive scrubber or a pad that will scratch the Teflon coating of the platen. If you're still unable to remove the transfer material, obtain Teflon heater block cleaner from the factory.

Compare products

{"one"=>"Select 2 or 3 items to compare", "other"=>"{{ count }} of 3 items selected"}

Select first item to compare

Select second item to compare

Select third item to compare

Compare
Overview

The DK16 is a mid-sized 14" x 16" clamshell heat press designed for professional production environments with limited space. Built with a solid steel welded frame and full digital control, it offers a durable and cost-effective solution for decorators seeking business-grade performance in a compact footprint.

Unlike traditional clamshell presses, the DK16’s heat platen opens upward and away from the rear of the machine, providing clear access to the lower platen. This rear-lift design, combined with the All-Thread™ loading system, allows garments to slide smoothly over the table with full drape space on all sides. Interchangeable bottom platens are available for smaller pressing areas, making the DK16 adaptable for varied applications.

The press is fully compatible with Geo Knight’s Auto-Release "Pop-Up" upgrade, enabling faster, semi-automatic operation at an affordable entry point. With its compact size, mobility, and upgrade potential, the DK16 is ideal for shops that require production-grade reliability without the bulk of a swing-away press.

Specifications 
Weight : 83 lbs
Electrical : 1500W / 12A / 110V
Counter Footprint :  26"D x 14"W
Shipping Dimensions : 32"L x 17"W x 16"H
Vendor : George Knight & Co
SKU : DK16

 

Features 
  • All-Thread™ table loading for faster, easier shirt placement

  • Back-opening clamshell design eliminates awkward garment loading

  • Fully digital controls: 70 presets, dual timers, and a pressure graph

  • Temperature range from 32°–600°F, accurate to within 2°F

  • SuperCoil-Microwinding™ heating element for fast, even heating

  • Teflon-coated ¾” platen: no sticking, no cold spots

  • Solid steel welded frame built to last through serious daily use

  • Records pressing cycles to track output and maintenance

  • Optional Pop-Up upgrade for auto-release functionality

  • Modular table design: interchangeable & rotatable base plates

Product Sheets
Warranty
  • FREE LIFETIME Tech Support!
  • Lifetime warranty on heat platen
  • 5-year warranty on frame
  • 3-year warranty on controller
  • 1 year warranty on parts