<p>In hybrid additive manufacturing, components or semi-finished products manufactured by conventional primary forming are enhanced or modified by additive manufactured structures. However, systematic investigations focusing on the critical transition area between the specific properties of the substrate (like high-strength) and the additively manufactured component, made of specific filler material, are still lacking. The focus of the present study was to determine the influence of heat control on the <i>∆t</i>_8/5 cooling time, the distortion, the mechanical properties, and the residual stresses in the transition area of hybrid-additive components. This contributed to the knowledge regarding the safe avoidance of cold cracking, excessive distortion, a reduction in yield stress, and the implementation of hybrid DED-arc manufacturing. The heat control was varied by means of heat input and working temperature such that the <i>∆t</i>_8/5 cooling times corresponded to the recommended processing range. The heat input has a greater influence on the cooling time in the transition area than the working temperature. Working temperature and the total energy applied per layer have a significant effect on component distortion. The lowest working temperature of 100 °C in combination with the highest total energy per layer leads to significantly greater distortion compared to manufacturing with a high working temperature of 300 °C and low total energy per layer. In addition, the longitudinal residual compressive stresses in the sensitive transition area are reduced from − 500 MPa to approx. − 200 MPa by adjusting the working temperature from 100 to 300 °C. Such complex interactions must be clarified comprehensively to provide users with easily applicable processing recommendations and standard specifications for an economical hybrid additive manufacturing of components made, for example, of high-strength steels in the transition area.</p>