First, unwrap the handle and snap press. You will now need to remove the nut and bolt for at the top of the press to attach the handle. An adjustable wrench or a socket wrench (9/16" or 14mm) works well. Attach handle by putting the handle in with the bump down and put the bolt back in place. Handle should push down easily when in place. The die set contains 3 or 4 metal dies. The two dies that are solid metal are the cap dies. The smaller one is the size 16 (.4")ligne die and the larger one is the size 20 (.5") ligne. These fit into the hole on the bottom of your snap press. The other two dies are the stud and socket dies. The die with the large hole in the center is the stud die. The studs are the snap piece that sticks out. The last die is the socket die. It has a circle in the center with a hole in it. These dies are to be used one at a time by inserting in the die slot on the underside of the silver metal cylinder with the screw sticking out. There is a screw here and at the bottom of the press. These screws are used to tighten the dies down so they don't move while affixing snaps.

To apply the snaps you will need to have a cap die in the bottom of the press and either the stud or socket die in the topslot. The stud or socket piece snaps into the die. The cap lies on top of the die. You may prefer to mark the items that you are going to snap. This is best done with a water-soluble pen. When applying a snap to marked fabric I find it easiest to poke the cap prong into the spot where you want the snap to go then lay it down on the cap die. All you have to do now is pull the handle down. The caps have a long center prong that gets squished down to hold the cap to the stud or socket onto your fabric. If you prefer not to mark the fabric just put a cap on the die and lay the fabric down where you want the snap to be and pull the handle down. I recommend bolting your press to something stationary. I have my press bolted down to a board about 16" long. I can carry it all over the house this way and it isn't as wobbly as it would be without the extra leverage. I tuck the end of the board under a couch so it requires very little pressure to apply a snap correctly. These presses have 3 holes for use in bolting the press down. They are fairly balanced on their own though if you do choose not to mount it.

Snaps are best applied to 2 to 3 layers of fabric. If you choose to apply a snap to a single layer of fabric over time the stress may cause the fabric to tear away from the snap. These snaps will not go through a soaker pad.

Removing snaps can be done a few different ways. The easiest way I have found for removing a misplaced socket is to give the handle of the press a good pull. This will crack the socket and it can then be easily removed. I have also heard of people using baby nail scissors to remove the center prong of the snaps. My favorite way to remove snaps is a drill. A hand drill with a small bit will remove a misplaced snap in about one second. Always protect your eyes when removing a misplaced snap.
No snaps come with the snap presses. Snap parts are all sold separately. The colored snaps are sold bagged by 1,000 and 500 pcs. The white and black are sold in bags of 1,000 pcs only. This may sound like a lot, but it really isn't. Most diapers have 12-16 snap parts on them. When ordering snaps, remember you will need one cap per stud and one cap per socket. So, the minimum amount of snaps you will need is 1,000 colored caps, 500 colored studs and 500 colored sockets.