Your T-shirt Vinyl Guide

A complete guide to making custom T-shirts and any other processes involving heat transfer vinyl. Find answers to all FAQ about ironing vinyl here! For the project tutorial, there is the process of applying HTV to T-shirts step by step from beginning to end. The t shirt vinyl guide is helpful!

What is heat transfer vinyl?

Heat transfer vinyl, also known as ironing vinyl, T-shirt vinyl, or HTV, is a special type of vinyl that can be adhered to fabric. This is different from adhesive vinyl sheets and rolls, which are sticky from the onset. The adhesive on the vinyl will be heated. This kind of vinyl comes in sheet, roll and package form. When you receive a vinyl record, you will find it on the front and back. The front side is the shiny side-the gloss layer is the carrier sheet, which can be peeled off after ironing the item. The back is the matte side, which is the side that will be cut when creating the design. Iron on vinyl for shirts is also a face with heat activated adhesive. What kind of vinyl to use on shirts? The iron on vinyl for shirts is a good choice.

What if I don't want to make vinyl crafts on the cloth?

If you are looking for a vinyl that can stick to glass, plastic, walls, and other objects, check out the adhesive vinyl.

 

What temperature do you use on HTV?

The type of HTV you use will help determine the temperature. For this project, I am using HTVRont HTV Vinyl, so my iron must be between 302-315 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature setting varies for other major brands.  

 

My iron does not tell me what the temperature is - what should I do?

My iron doesn't tell me which temperature to heat up! Don't worry, there are many ways to solve this problem. The first method is to test. Use a small piece of fabric or an old T-shirt and see what happens when you iron the HTV at different heating settings. Using an iron, I found that using the hottest cotton setting and the lowest linen setting can be successful. This may mean that the higher cotton temperature is about 315 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also use a high-temperature thermometer to test the temperature of the iron, but please be careful not to burn yourself!

What cutting settings do you use for HTV?

Fortunately, we have a cutting setting chart here! Whether you have Cricut Explore, Silhouette Autoblade, or older Cricut or Silhouette, we also have your cutting settings chart. Make sure to note it for future reference. Also, don’t forget that every blade, machine, mat, etc. is different. Before jumping to cutting the entire project, make sure to always do a test cut.

What size should the design be?

No matter what you are creating, be sure to always measure the design and vinyl size for shirts before cutting iron on vinyl for shirts. The following is a list of convenient vinyl size for shirts, suitable for most T-shirt items. What size vinyl for shirts? Check out the t shirt vinyl size Make sure to use any projects you actually create to confirm these measurements!  Click to know Vinyl size for shirts and HTV size chart.

Adult T-shirt size: 11 inches x 11 inches
Fit adult T-shirt size: 9 inches x 9 inches
Youth T-shirt size: 7 inches x 7 inches
Toddler T-shirt size: 5 inches x 5 inches
Baby onesies size 0-3 mo: 3 inches x 3 inches
Baby onesies size 3-6 months: 4 inches x 4 inches
Baby onesie size for 6-9 months: 5 inches x 5 inches
Baby onesies 9-12 months old: 6 inches x 6 inches
Sleeve measurement: 2 inches x 11 inches
Pocket size: 4 inches x 4 inches

What items can you iron on?

You can iron on anything that will not melt! For starters, custom T-shirts, koozys, baby onesies, blankets, pillow cases, tote bags, dish towels, unlimited possibilities! HTV is most suitable for cotton, polyester or cotton/polyester blends. Other synthetic fabrics (such as acrylic) will not work properly because they will melt under the heat of the iron. For more advanced craftsmen, you can apply HTV to cups, baseball caps, footballs and even wood! There are many t shirt vinyl near me. If you want to know how to make vinyl shirts. Click to know how to make vinyl shirts

What if you don't want to iron it immediately?

After washing several times, how well does the vinyl stay on fabric? Depending on the type of heat transfer vinyl you use, ironing vinyl will last longer than the T-shirt itself!

Always remember to turn over the inside of the clothes and wash them with cold water. If you accidentally forget to do any operation, your project might last up to 10 washes. If this happens and your vinyl starts to bubbly and wrinkly, try ironing it again to get it to lie smooth. Never throw any HTV in the dryer!