Heat Transfer Vinyl or HTV is a vinyl used to decorate apparel, bags, and other soft goods. Unlike adhesive vinyl or sign vinyl, HTV is printed onto an item using heat and pressure. How you apply each heat transfer vinyl depends on the fabric and the application guidelines. Just as there are many different types of garments, there are different types of HTV to decorate them.
Common HTV Terms
Having a grasp of these common HTV terms will be helpful when referring to application guides, reading industry blogs, and even watching tutorials.
Carrier
The clear, shiny backing on the HTV. The carrier can be tacky or smooth, depending on the HTV type. Carriers can come in low, medium, and high-tack backings. High-tack carriers are the best choice for more intricate designs.
Cavities
Cavities are the center portions of the design where excess vinyl surrounds the design. The center of an “O” is an example of a cavity.
Peel
After heat application, you need to peel the carrier away from the vinyl. Depending on the HTV, the options are hot, warm, and cold peel.
Hot Peel – Peel carrier right away while the design is still hot from the press. No waiting necessary!
Warm Peel – Wait until the carrier cools down slightly and peel carrier away when it is warm to the touch.
Cold Peel – Let the carrier cool down completely before peeling away the carrier.
Soft Hand
When HTV has a “soft hand”, it is both soft to the touch and lightweight. Materials with a soft hand feel like it is a part of the shirt.
Stretch & Rebound
Stretch and rebound have to do with the flexibility of the HTV. When materials stretch, they rebound back to their original shape once stretched. This factor is important when talking about activewear or jerseys that need to have HTV that move with the garment.
Vinyl Cutter
Vinyl cutters are the equipment choice for do-it-yourself production of heat transfers. Use them with heat transfer vinyl, screen printed transfers, or transfer paper to create one-of-a-kind designs for apparel or for personalized print-on-demand orders. The cutter cuts the design into the vinyl, allowing for weeding of the excess vinyl.
Weed
Weeding is the act of removing the excess vinyl from a cut design, leaving only the design on the carrier.
