There is no question that heat transfers have come a long way in the past few years. In fact, quality designs can now be created from your own home with a basic home printer and the right type of paper. What could be more fun than creating a unique design, all your own, and then printing it out and creating a custom t-shirt within a few minutes? And this process is one that extends far beyond just t-shirts. When you create a heat transfer, you can apply it to all sorts of surfaces; however, what makes the difference in a quality or sub-par piece is the technique for transferring that is used.
Some tips to do it right are highlighted here.
The Material
It is highly recommended that you use a cotton-polyester blend or 100 percent cotton material for heat transfers. This will provide the smoothest results for your transfer.
The Temperature
When you begin to transfer the design, you need to have the transfer machine set between 375 degrees and 400 degrees in order to achieve the best results.
Use a Transfer Pad
It is a good idea to lay your shirt over some type of pad during the actual transfer process and to smooth out any instances of wrinkles that are present. In order to achieve the very best results, you may want to pre-heat the shirt, which will help to warm it up while smoothing up the wrinkles.
Position of the Transfer
When you begin to transfer the design, be sure it is placed printed side down on the surface and about half of a finger’s length from the shirt’s collar. This is a general rule to follow, which will provide you the ideal placement.
Heating the Transfer
When you are ready to use the heating element (an iron works well), be sure that you hold it into position with both of your hands. This will provide the proper amount of pressure. The mistake that is most commonly made during this process is not providing enough pressure. This means that not all of your design would be transferred to the surface. This is why two-handed pressure is highly recommended.
Removing the Transfer
After holding pressure for 10 to 14 seconds, peel the paper away right away. This should be done in a quick motion. Within a few minutes the shirt will be cooled off and ready to go.
The shirt can be ironed normally and then tumbled dry. It is never recommended that you iron the shirt after laundering it as this can damage the transfer. When you follow the tips here you can create a great looking t-shirt or other wearable item. It will also look great when you launder it properly.
