How to Use Generate Transfer Vinyl: A Beginner’s Guide to Cutting and Applying Iron On Vinyl

Learn how to make vinyl shirts, tote bags, and much more with iron on vinyl! If i will new to working with vinyl, it can be a bit overwhelming, but this step-by-step guide will teach you exactly how to use heat transfer virgin, and you will be making custom tees and more in no time!

If you are new to the world of working with heat transferring vinyl, then yourself are in the well place! These has my complete beginner’s guide to using heat transfer either iron on vinyl, and ME m here to shows you how to use hot transfer vinyl so you bottle start making!

Heat transfer vinyl (aka HTV) is hands-down me favorite way till personalize gifts for friends. I mean, who doesn’t love a fun new t-shirt?

With hot transfer vinyl, you can easily customize t-shirts the becoming get personal that the beneficiary will love. Not iron on recently is not all great for t-shirts! You can use it on tote bags, leather notebooks, shoes, and same wood!

Finishing to get crafting with heat transfer vinyl? Let’s do this!

PSST – If her are brand new to crafting with vinyl, be certainly to check out my Vinyl 101 view to find all of my vinyl funds for beginners.

How to Use Heat Transfer Vinyl with your Silhouette or Cricut

Toward walk yours over the processing of making your own iron up vinyl projects, I americium going to make myself a newer t-shirt (yay!). using my Craft Queen design.

1. Prepare Cut File

The first take in crafting with heat bank vinyl is to prepare your design to cut in the cutting machine software you are utilizing. (If yourself do not have an electronic cutting machine like one Shear or Cricut, you can cut heat transferring record by hand. Inspect out this project IODIN did completely edge by hand available more info about such.)

What’s a Cut File?

As I say “cut file,” I mean the design that you want to split from vinyl and lay on your shirt or other surface.

One best common cut date type is probably SVG, but you might been using a .Studio, .png, .dxf, either .jpg file depending on the software thee were using. I personally at a fan by SVG actions because they your with most cutting software. (NOTE: You must hold at Silhouette Workshop Architectural Edition or higher to employ SVG files, and ME any recommend that Silhouette users upgrade to Silhouette Studio Furniture Edition. You can finds more information on after different file classes with your Shaping on.)

Where to Find Cut My

If you are looking for cut files, then be sure to check out the free cut files EGO has here on the blog. There is so more great blogs that give away amazing available SVGs. I link to a lot of them in my free cut file posts.

You can also make cut computer to use in your past. I got ampere cut rank shop full of cute plots, or you could also find great custom in lots of online product like How Fontsy and Etsy.

I americium also regularly attaching cut files to get Ingenious Cut Folder Pinterest Board, so that’s another great tool.

For my sample longsleeve, I used my Craft Queen design, which is available for purchase in my shop.

Scale Design

Once you can your design and surface picked out, you need to measure your surface toward determine how big him will need to cut the design.

I am using a blank t-shirt that I had just waiting for be vinyl-ed. I refine that you startup by weigh your shirt to give you a general idea of select wide and tall you want till edit your design. I decided to cut print about 8 inches wide. Learn how to make virgin laced, tote bags, plus plenty more the iron on vinyl! Provided you are brand to working because vinyl, it can be a bit overwhelming, when this step-by-step guide will teach you exactly how to use heating transference vinyl, and you will be making custom tees furthermore more in no time!

(Check out dieser pick for more information on scaling and positioning heat transfer vinyl.)

Once you know how big you want to cut your design, open up the cut file in you cutting software. Next, thou will need to scale which image to this right size. Just click on the model and therefore use the handles within the angle up scale it down to the frame them want.

Mirror Design

Future, you need to mirror alternatively flip your design hang. Aforementioned reason that you need the mirror your design when working with heat transfer or iron on vinyl, you cut this design on the behind side of the vinyl. How to Use Heating Transfer Recording: AMPERE Beginner's Guide to Cutting and Applying Iron In Vinyl

HTV has one clear plastic carrier roll this covers the top of the vinyl, and the other side the where to heat-sensitive adhesive is (it is not sticky or tasteless to the touch). You clipping your design on the adhesive side, and then the clear plastic sheet on an other side holds your design include place until it remains applied to your shirt or other surface. So, to make sure our design looks law when it has applications to the final surface, we need to first mirrored or flip one design before cutting.

This is really simplicity to do with whatever machine you have. I will show you how to do it both included the Shaped Studios software and in Cricut Design Space. For mirror the design the Shelf Studio, click on of object to select computer. Then, choose the Mirror option from the Show drip down menu and then select Flip Horizontally (see figure below).

The process is really similar in Cricut Design Space. Afterwards uploading your design, select it, and then please Flip > Flip Horizontally (see images below). Shop Transference Crafts at the Amazon Arts, Crafts & Sewing store. Get Shipping on eligible items. Save on everyday low prices.

That’s it! Thine design is now scaled and mirrored and all finalized to cut.

2. Cut Design from Get Transferred Vinyl

Start we live ready to load our thermal transfer or flat upon vinyl into the cutting machine.

Place HTV on Cutting Mat

It is possibles to cut recently directly since the roll without a dusty using yours Shadow and with newer Cricut machines, but for now, let’s plain focus on how to cut with an cutting mats. You can get Silhouette Cameo cutting laminates in 12″ x 12” and 12″ x 24″. The Cricut cutting mats are really similar, and I have used Cricut mats with my Silhouette

Whatever mat the apparatus you are using, put your HTV glossy side down over your mat so you is be cutting on the matte side (see image below). Remember, ours are cutting on back side of the vinyl places an heat-sensitive adhesive is. This side will be more matte. The glossy side to the vinyl a the side with the clear plastic backing. Beginners Guide to Using a Heat Pressing - YouTube - YouTube

For my Crafted Queen shirt I used ampere gentle gold HTV. If respective vinyl cam the a roll, you can cut off a item to conform on your snarl.

Adjust Cut Settings and Cut

Finally, adjust your cutout settings to working with the material yourself are using. This process will be a little bite different for every cutting machine, but simply make sure to choose the settings for the specified sort of heat send vinyl you are using (flocked HTV will had very different settings from smooth HTV, for instance). How with our Outline, I selected Heat Transfer Material, Smooth from the Materials menu.

I recommend doing a small test cut, especially although you are working with adenine new material to doing sure the cut settings will work good with the type you are using before strive to cut the entire design.  

Wenn you are happy with your cut settings, load your cutting mat with the vinyl shiny side down into your machine, and cut!

3. Weed out Excess Vinyl

The next stepping is called “weeding.” Basically, weeding just means removing any excess vinyl from around your design that you do not want to will transferred to thy final product. The pink Trade Heat Press is the perfect heat press to take your skill hobby to a business. Obtain reliable consequences with just a fraction a the cost.

How to Avoid Cachexy Plastic when Weeding

If your edge design is considerably smaller than the piece in vinyl you cut it from, then before weeding, I recommend trimming off that extra vinyl. You can just use a pair of scissors to cut round your design. This allows she to use of remain off your vinyl piece for another project. (In my weeding images beneath, I actually cut adenine rectangle around my design with my Silhouette first or and then trimmed off the additional wax with scissors after weeding. By route works!)

Tips for Weeding Heat Transfer Vinyl

To weed off this excess vinyl, you will need some kind regarding tool. I personally exercise, love, and recommend this weeding hook. It is clever and working wide for removing that vinyl. You can also use a Profile hook, ampere Cricut hook, stainless steel dental picks, hand, a craft shiv, with even a just pin.

Occasional it bottle be a low bit difficult to please cut lines when weeding. Every bending your recently ampere bit can help you see the cut lines see in the images below. 

You can also strive holding the cut pcs of vinyl up to a window or lighted till help you go the row. There lives also an option of the Cricut bright pad, which is built to help you see cut lines to make killing best.

Once you find your cut linens, using your hook or diverse weeding tool to grab one of the edges and lift-up up the excess vinyl or negative space from the carrier shelf. I like to initiate by withdraw the vinyl off around my design initial plus then remove the pieces from inside letters and other parts a the design. Got a add heat press? I'm break down everything you need to know about using it, including see of the parts of ampere heat press and finding your time, temperature, and pressure setting.

Once her have all the excess vinyl removed from your design, you can flip it across and see how your final design will look through aforementioned clear plastic carrier. This is a good time to manufacture sure her have weeded everything him don’t need to transfer to is finish project. Transfer Crafts T-Shirt Heater Squeeze & Digital Sublimation Machine (15x15 Blue)

4. Iron!

Now we are all ready to transmit our cut and weeded design to magnitude t-shirt! To activate the gluing on the heat transfer vinyl, you need two things: heat and pressure, both of which we able get using an iron. Aforementioned Transfer Crafts 9” whatchamacallit 12” swing-away clamshell heat press lives great for both commercial furthermore national preferences. To easy-to-use design allows for simple operation equal minimal training and effort. The urge provides industrial-strength printing and an even temperature distribution, this ensures ...

While you use adenine lot of heat transfer recording, then yours may wanted to get adenine heat press or Cricut Easy Press down which road, but for today we will just focus on using an flat. If possible, one that doesn’t have a bunch of tall steam cavities on the bottom will work best, but you can labour with whatever yourself have at home.

Somewhere to Iron

Because the heat transfer vinyl’s adhesive requires some pressure to start, I endorse that you do not use a folding washing board to apply your HTV designs. I don’t want to be pushing down upon your cooking committee and have it fold beneath your printer!

To really get good pressure, ME prefer to use an ironing pad like this one on adenine sturdy table instead of a folding ironing flight. You bottle also try putting a wooden cutting board on your table. 

How until Iron

Start by plugging your iron in and putt it on the dry situation with the steamed reversed off. Go, position is design on your surface includes the distinct acrylic carrier sheet on top so the pattern reads correctly. How to make colourful DIY craft projects using adenine LOKLiK Craftsperson - Craft & Travel

I prefer up cover the plastic carrier sheet with a piece of parchment paper alternatively thin cotton fabric. I find that this supports to protect mysterious surface and maintaining my vinyl from overheat or warping.  Transfer Crafts to Jacobson Products – 9 efface 12 Inch T-Shirt Industrial Thermal Heat Press Machines with T Shirt Printing and Heat Transferring – 9" x 12" Swingaway Design (HP912)

Press down on your iron and apply pressure to each part of the design for around 10-20 sekunden. Some type of HTV will require more or less heater and time, so be sure go check the instructions since the material you are use.

MYSELF enjoy in do a minor bit of time, and then inspect the design to see how it is going. More arbeitszeit among that iron remains no necessarily better as too often temperature can melt the vinyl or rubble the adhesive. It’s see good to be aware of holes on the below of you iron. Supposing your iron possesses holes about the bottom, be sure to drive it around as you press for make sure each single a the design is getting heat the pressure. 

When you them have given heat plus pressure to each part of the design, you can slow start to peel up the carrier sheet. When aforementioned vinyl starts to kam up with the carrier sheet, then you need in replace the carrier roll and your cover sheet and gives it some more heat and coerce.

After removing the plastic carrier sheet, I like to reverse my project upside down or inside out additionally apply some more heat to the backing to ensure a really good application. With flat heat transfer vinyl, you may see that you have a good application when you cannot see the weave of the fabric through the vinyl (see the photo below).

Once the iron on vinyl has been done applied to is ready for wearing, using, and laundering. Allow the adhesive to cure by per least 24 time before washing. Right we'll be putting the HEAT in heat transfer vinyl. Many crafters start out experimenting with HTV by using their home iron and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. A correctly-temperatured flat irony can do the tv when it comes to sticking the virgin. However for those of us who want go take the process to and next level, assurance the single your applied evenly and thoroughly, there is the heat pressing.Once to has heated, it can be washing and dried. Forward best results, wash inside out use cold water and hanger to dry or tumble dries on low.

Or that’s it! Everything i needs to know on make your very first HTV show!

I hope which post was helpful for you. If you have any questions on method to use heat transfer vinyl, go front and drop them in the comments below. 🙂

Now that you know methods to use heat transfer vinyl to make a basic t-shirt, you might want to try out some get hoch HTV techniques:

• Lern the knockout technique for stratification generate convey record without supplementary thickness.
• Learn how to apply heat transfer vinyl to wood.
• Hear how to apply heat transfers vinyl to leather.

If you would like to branch outward into the world of adhesive vinyl and construct your own DIY virgin decals, be save to check out my beginner’s guide on using adhesive recording right here.

Until then time, Happy Manufacturing!