This button press is fantastic. I know that a lot of button presses get mixed reviews but I thought I'd break down the possible confusion someone might have in regards to using and pressing the badges. It's a simple piece of machinery, so it's really easy to figure out and also comes with a sheet of instructions on set up and basic use. The style of button press is similar to the Neil Enterprises brand button machine, but lighter and much more affordable.First of all, the machine doesn't require a lot of force to press. From the videos I keep seeing of people using them and having defect badges, it all seems to be that people are using too much or too little force. It's important to note the die molds are a certain way when you press so you can get an idea of when the button is fully pressed and ready.When you put the badge, design, and mylar on the first part of the mold, it has to fit and be pretty much flush against the inside. It can't be askew, the top of the badge has to sit in the center of the ring all the way flat. I had a single defect badge that I tried to press twice because it wasn't all the way in there the first time.The first time you press down, there is a gap on the top mold between the plate and the mold where the pins are sitting under the plate. This is as far as it's supposed to go down, it's just grabbing the badge, design, and plastic.The same thing applies to the backing. The backing has to be completely flat against the bottom, and if you're using the right size mold it will fit perfectly in the bottom. The bottom mold pin pushes the top mold slightly so that the pins in the top mold fit through the plate and when you press down, there should be absolutely NO GAP between the top mold and plate. If there is a slight gap, you haven't pressed all the way down. This results in the messy and loose plastic around the buttons from presses you see in other reviews.A few other things to note:- Paper weight matters! You can press up to a very light cardstock (about 50lb) but not heavy or scrapbooking cardstock. The best recommendation is to use regular copy paper (19-24lb) because it will press easier.- Make sure you only grabbed one piece of mylar. It's really thin, thinner than you might think.- This WON'T work with American button sizes. America uses imperial sizes, so the buttons are .03" too big. American buttons are 1.25" after pressing, these are 1.28" after pressing (58mm)Final verdict:This is super easy to use. The button backings are much higher quality than I initially anticipated and seem really sturdy. Also, you never really imagine just how much 1000 buttons are. It's a lot. It's probably over 2sq ft worth of unpressed buttons. It's really a great deal. On top of that, the molds are totally interchangeable! I'm really excited to get other size molds and buttons so I can make more products.
