If you’re new to the world of designing with heat transfer vinyl, here is how you can use it to make a design. Aside from t-shirts, you can use it to craft tote bags, wood designs, converse, and leather notebooks.
Step 1: Prepare the Cut File
In executing any craft with heat transfer vinyl, it will require you to prepare your cutting machine software.
You will need to prepare your cut file. Most cut files are in SVG, Studio, .png, or .dxf files depending on the software you’re using.
After selecting a design, you need to measure the surface to determine the size of your craft. Next, open up the cut file on the software of your cutting machine and adjust the design size to what you desire.
Next, you need to mirror or flip your design horizontally. You must mirror your design when working with heat transfer vinyl because you need to cut the design on the backside of the vinyl.
HTV comes with a transparent plastic carrier sheet that covers the top of the vinyl and another side with heat-sensitive adhesive.
The heat-sensitive adhesive side isn’t sticky or tacky to touch before heating.
You’ll cut your design on the adhesive side, while the transparent plastic sheet on the other side holds your craft in place until you patch it on the final surface of what you want to design.
To ensure that your design looks right when you apply it on the final surface, it will require you to mirror it first.
To mirror your design in Silhouette Studio, click on your design. Then head over to the Object drop menu, select “Mirror,” and finally hit the “Flip horizontally” option.
On , the process is similar. After uploading your cut file, click on it and then hit the “Flip>Flip horizontally” option.
That’s all. Your design is now set for cutting.
Step 2: Cut Design From Heat Transfer Vinyl
After preparation of the cut file, load the HTV on the Cutting Mat. Place the HTV glossy side down on your mat such that you’ll be cutting from the backside.
Remember to always cut from the backside of the HTV, where the heat-sensitive adhesive is. The shiny side of the vinyl is the side with the plastic backing.
Adjust Cut Settings and Execute the Cut
Finally, modify your cut settings to suit the heat transfer vinyl material. The process varies depending on the machine you’re using.
You can execute small test cuts to be certain your cut setting is appropriate. When satisfied, load your cutting mat with the shiny vinyl side down into the machine and initiate the cutting process.
Step 3: Weed Out Excess Vinyl
Weeding out is removing the excess parts from your craft, that you don’t want to transfer to your final design.
Once you’ve removed the excess vinyl, turn it over to check how your final design will appear.
Step 4: Iron
To activate the adhesive on the Heat Transfer Vinyl, you’ll need heat and pressure which you can both find from iron. Suppose you used a lot of HTV, a Heat Press or Easy Press might come in handy.
Iron your design for 10-20 seconds.
