Zips and melting in press

[pieces]

Sorry for the newbie question, but we want to print our first batch of pencils cases but have never printed anything with zips on before, should we be using heat tape over the zips?

[ArferMo]

Heat tape won't protect them.

[Justin]

Which pencil cases are these? I print the ones that are sold as pencil case/make up bag. I just hold the printable flap over the edge of the press to get it printed...maybe yours are different?

[rossdv8]

Someone asked me to sublimate a notebook pouch with a nylon zip around the top. I thoought it would melt so I got a jigsaw and a piece of ply about the thickness of an ipad and cut it so it fitted neatly inside the pouch with the zip closed. Just had to open the press a bit wider. I did put teflon sheet over the job, but that was just in case my plywood 'pillow' inside didn;t hold the surface high enough and the zip melted on my press.

Anyway, it worked. I wonder if that would work with a pencil case? Or is the zip in the printable area, rather than the edge?