What Is Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing

Since i shared my first screen printing tutorial many of you have asked why i prefer screen printing over heat transfer vinyl.

What is heat transfer vinyl printing. A heat press is then used to transfer each vinyl color of the design onto the object being printed. Printable htv will require a higher temperature and pressure. In this method you need actual screens. Heat transfer is the printing method of applying specialty vinyls to garments through a heat press.

For years i had been making heat transfer vinyl shirts with easyweed vinyl. On the other hand heat transfer paper doesn t exactly feel like heat transfer vinyl. Vinyl transfers can be used to print designs onto surfaces where the usual methods are not able to reach like a hat. Printable heat transfer vinyl is used the same way as regular htv but at a higher temperature and pressure.

Heat transfer vinyl is made in single colors and also has special options such as patterned glitter. You use a machine to cut out letters and designs from colored vinyl and heat press them onto the t shirt to transfer the color to it. Therefore heat transfer paper is intended for printing with an inkjet or laser printer. It was an easy way to make personalized shirts.

For this heat applied transfer product comparison we are going to compare heat transfer vinyl htv rolls to screen printed transfer sheets. This vinyl can be applied as a single layer or it can be layered for complex designs. It comes in a roll or sheet form with an adhesive backing so it can be cut weeded and placed on a substrate for heat application. Vinyl printing depends on a combination of pressure and heat.

As in the title it feels very much like paper. With digital print heat transfer the desired graphic is first digitally printed on special heat transfer paper using a solvent ink. No it s not because i needed another excuse to buy craft supplies. Inkjet and laser printers are specifically designed to use paper not vinyl.

Vinyl printing is all about heat transfer. What will be important is choosing a printer than can print on vinyl and then selecting a cutting machine that has the print and cut feature. Normally htv requires a temperature of 305f or 320f. This type of ink allows the design to be transferred from the paper to the item being printed when pressed with.

Thermo film heat transfer material with a semi gloss finish the material creates a sharp and bold transfer as it does not absorb dyes from the fabric dye migration. The best option and what most people do for starters is to have a separate heat transfer printer and a separate vinyl cutting machine. Heat transfer vinyl or htv for short is a specialty vinyl polymer that can be used on certain fabrics and materials to create designs and promotional products. Specifically with heat printing there are many materials you can use just with this printing method alone.

We ll look at when to use each and the benefits of each.