After the sale of their first business, Cliff and Judy Hix founded First Edition in 1991. Remaining within the screen-printing industry, they shifted their focus from manufacturing screen-printing equipment to specializing in custom and stock screen-printed heat transfers.

As the company grew, increasing production capacity became essential. In 1998, Cliff designed and built a fully automatic 7-color transfer printer, followed 16 years later by a replicated 5-color model. These machines were—and still are—one of a kind in the transfer printing industry, enabling First Edition to deliver some of the industry's highest-quality heat transfers at competitive prices.

In 2005, Cliff continued his innovation with the design and construction of a heat transfer press known as The Splitter. This industry-revolutionizing machine allows a garment to be split over the lower platen for printing. The durability and engineering behind this design have earned our machines the reputation as the "German tanks" of the heat press industry. They also allow us to proudly state that we are among the few heat press manufacturers whose equipment is 100% made in the USA.

In 2023, Joel and Ami VanBecelaere acquired First Edition from the Hix family. They remain committed to preserving the values and principles upon which the company was built. We believe our employees are family, our customers are friends, and compromising either would undermine who we are. With that belief at our core, the First Edition team strives every day to serve our customers with honesty, integrity, and respect.

Thank you for placing your trust in First Edition. We look forward to serving you for many years to come.