A Basic Guide to Vinyl T Shirt Printing!

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A Basic Guide to Vinyl T Shirt Printing!

• PRINTING

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Everything, you need to know, about vinyl t shirt
printing, in one place.

• Do, you, like us, have become fascinated with
  vinyl t shirt printing, or you are already quite
  established in the world of custom printing, and
  now you want to experiment with garment
  decoration using vinyl for shirts. Fortunately,
  you do not need to spend hours on the internet
  finding out the scoop about CAD cuttable T-shirt
  transfers, also called T shirt vinyl or heat
  press vinyl. We have got you covered with our
  scoop on heat transfer films that can be used
  with a vinyl cutter and vector software to create
  the best designs.
• Stay with us till the end to find out everything
  you need to know before you step into the field
  of vinyl transfers and star printing t-shirts.

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T-Shirt Vinyl Hardware

• The hardware you need for vinyl for shirts is the
  same as the one that is used for making vinyl
  signs. The things you need to carry out the vinyl
  transfers for printing shirts include equipment,
  such as a personal computer, vector software, a
  cutting plotter or vinyl cutter and heat press.
• If you want to start off with a small project,
  then you can easily make do with a small
  inexpensive press, but if you want to hit the
  market, like the big retailers, then you will
  need something robust.

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T-Shirt Vinyl Software

• Again, for the software, you can use the same one
  that is used for signs. So, just go for the same
  vector-based software but reverse the image
  before you cut it. Creating and applying the
  letters on apparel is almost the same for iron-on
  vinyl for shirts, as it is for vinyl graphics.
  However, before you send a design job to a vinyl
  cutter from your vector software, you must
  reverse it to get a mirror image of your original
  design.
• It is just like an upside-down vinyl, so when you
  load your media onto the plotter, the liner faces
  upward. And when you plot the film, you cut the
  bottom not the top of the face film, so you have
  to flip it before sending it to the plotter.
  Plus, most of the t shirt transfers designs films
  have a single liner and only a few have an
  additional one to protect the film. Hence, you
  need to cut a section of the extra liner before
  you plot or cut the job.

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Weeding and Pressing

• Once youve cut the graphic, weed it, and you
  will see the clear liner showing your graphics on
  the bottom. Now put the weeded graphic on your
  garment in the right reading, but remember if you
  are still looking at the mirror version of it, it
  will actually stick to the press rather than the
  shirt.
• After that, cover your film with silicone Kraft
  paper or a Teflon sheet to ensure even
  distribution of heat, and set the time, pressure,
  temperature, and close it. After you are done
  pressing, wait for the tie to finish and remove
  the liner.
• Each thermal transfer film comes with its own
  time, pressure, and temperature settings which
  you can find online. It is important to remember
  these specifications when you are dealing with a
  heat transfer t shirt.

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Types of Heat Press Vinyl Supplies

• You will find different types of t-shirt transfer
  materials in the market. Lets take a look at
  them
• PU vs. PVC
• Polyurethane films are the perfect medium for
  carrying out t-shirt transfer graphics during
  vinyl t shirt printing. They are more stretchable
  and thinner and feel like they are a part of the
  garment, and feel so soft, which is what makes
  them perfect for apparel graphics. Plus,
  Polyurethane films are OekoTex Standard 100 and
  CPSIA compliant. Most importantly, they are safe
  for kids.
• PVC T-shirt films, on the other hand, are less
  expensive and thicker, which makes them less
  flexible and less soft. In addition, they are
  also not safe for kids who may put it in their
  mouth. Therefore, PVC films should only be used
  for adults.

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• Warm or Cold Peel
• The time required for the adhesive to cure before
  you remove the liner is important for
  productivity. Traditional heat press films have
  to be cooled down to room temperature, before you
  can remove the liner and, this makes the adhesive
  bond completely to the fabric. This can be
  frustrating when you are working with multiple
  colours. Hence, for more complex and intricate
  designs, it is better to use a warm peel product
  to save time.

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• Film and Fabrics
• Since the shirts you make have to be worn at some
  point., it is important to choose the right film
  for the fabric you intend to use. With some
  exceptions, standard PVC and PU films are
  compatible with acrylic fabrics, polyester,
  polyester blends, cotton, and cotton blends and
  that is what most casual and sports apparel are
  made of. However, these films are not compatible
  with all garments. For special fabrics, such as
  Lycra Spandex, nylon, and leather you have to use
  different types of film. You can also use
  one-film-fits-all solutions which are compatible
  with a wide range of fabrics, such as Nylon and
  sublimated polyester.

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• Bling It Up
• Standard spot colour graphics are perfect for the
  most common applications, such as softball
  jerseys. But nowadays, the demand for
  eye-catching apparel has increased which is
  essentially just heat transfer materials with an
  extra punch. You can use these materials to add
  special colours, such as fluorescent or metallic,
  patterns, holographic effects, or glitter to make
  custom garments.
• Out of all the special heat transfer films that
  introduce the bling, the ultra-metallic
  glitter-flake films is the most appealing one at
  the moment. Bling and glitter are 12mil materials
  with plenty of metal flake, which makes them a
  bit difficult to cut and weed compared to a
  standard vinyl t shirt printing.

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• Supplemental Supplies
• Now that you have your hardware and software
  sorted for vinyl t shirt printing, lets discuss
  the additional supplies you are going to need.
  You will need a Teflon sheet, a T-Square It or
  Logo It, some weeding tools, and a safety ruler.
  You will also need a Geo Knight IR thermometer
  kit to make sure that your heat press is as hot
  as you think it is. So, get these supplies before
  you venture into the vast world of vinyl
  transfers.

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Final Word

• Thats it for vinyl transfers and the equipment
  required to carry it out perfectly. All you have
  to do is keep the above-mentioned information in
  mind and start your new journey with vinyl
  t-shirt printing. Best of luck and happy printing!