The Process Of Heat Transfer Printing T-shirts
Heat Transfer Printing Is A Process That Combines Heat And Transfer Media To Create Personalized T-shirts Or Products. The Transfer Media Can Be Vinyl (a Colored Rubber Material) Or Transfer Paper (a Paper Coated With Wax And Pigment). Heat Transfer Vinyl Comes In Various Colors And Patterns, From Solid Colors To Reflective And Glitter Materials. It Is Most Commonly Used For Customizing Names And Numbers On Jerseys. Transfer Paper Has No Limit On Colors And Patterns. You Can Use An Inkjet Printer To Print Individual Artwork Or Images On The Media, And Then Use A Heat Press Machine To Transfer Them To Your T-shirt According To Your Design!
The Advantages Of Heat Transfer Printing Are:
- It Allows For Different Customization For Each Product, Such As Name Personalization
- It Has A Shorter Delivery Time For Smaller Quantity Orders
- It Is Cost-effective For Small Batch Orders
- It Can Produce High-quality And Complex Graphics With Unlimited Options
The Disadvantages Of Heat Transfer Printing Are:
- It Is Time-consuming And Expensive For Large Volume Runs
- It Tends To Fade After Long-term Use And Washing
- It Can Damage The Image If Ironed Directly On The Print
The Steps Of Heat Transfer Printing Are:
1) Print Your Artwork On The Transfer Media
Place The Transfer Paper On The Inkjet Printer, And Print It Through The Software Of The Cutter Or Plotter. Make Sure To Adjust The Graphic To The Desired Print Size!
2) Load The Printed Transfer Media Into The Cutter/plotter
After Printing The Media, Carefully Load It Into The Plotter, So That The Machine Can Detect And Cut The Shape Of The Graphic
3) Weed Out The Excess Parts Of The Transfer Media
After Cutting, Remember To Use A Weeding Tool To Remove Any Excess Or Unwanted Parts. Be Sure To Check Your Artwork Carefully, To Make Sure That No Extra Parts Are Left On The Media, And That The Print Looks Like How You Want It On Your T-shirt!
4) Press It On Your Garment
Before Pressing, Pay Attention To These Things On The Heat Press Machine:
A) The Heat Press Temperature Should Be Between 155°c To 180°c. The Optimal Temperature Depends On The Type Of Transfer Media And Shirt/fabric You Are Using
B) The Heat Press Pressure. A Medium Contact Pressure Is Enough To Transfer The Print To Your Garment.
C) The Duration. Prolonged Duration May Leave Burn Marks On Your Garment. Make Sure To Follow The Instructions On The Media, And Ensure That The Printed Shirt Looks Flawless!
Step 1: Place Your Garment On The Platen Of The Heat Press Machine. Before Printing, Make Sure That The Shirt Is Straight On The Platen, As Any Bent Position Will Affect The Placement Of The Print! Press Lightly For About 2 To 3 Seconds On Your Garment Without Any Print, To Remove Any Wrinkles That May Interfere With The Print.
Step 2: Place Your Printed And Cut Transfer Media (vinyl Or Transfer Paper) On Your T-shirt. Before Pressing, Check To Make Sure That The Graphic Is Centered And In The Right Position And Angle! A Crooked Print Does Not Look Good!
Step 3: Carefully Check Your Print, And Once Ready, Lower Down The Top Layer Of The Heat Press Machine To Start Heating. Once The Timer Starts, Lift Up
The Top Layer. Peel Off The Top Layer Of The Transfer Media. Be Careful When Doing This, As The Surface Of The Transfer Media Is Hot, So Handle With Care. Your Design Is Now Printed And Ready To Wear!
