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Beginners Guide: How to Initiate Your First Heat Transfer Vinyl Project

Basic Tools and Supplies for Heat Transfer Vinyl Project

Heat transfer vinyl is widely used for art and craft purposes. You can develop logos or any pattern of your choice to glamorize the object. You are free to accessorize your T-shirt, pillows, sheets, bags or literally anything! Here’s what you need to have for getting started with a fun project! 

Part One: Heat Transfer Vinyl

The first and foremost thing you need for a heat transfer vinyl project is heat transfer vinyl itself! It is a material which upon being heated gets stuck on any surface. A single heat transfer vinyl sheet has three layers and every layer has different purposes, which can be divided into three parts, covering the top, middle, and bottom sheet.

The topmost clear sheet is called carrier which actually holds the design on vinyl in place. The middle layer is the type of vinyl that you want to stick on the shirt or other items for decoration. It may be glittery, colorful or glory. Finally, the last one at the bottom is a heat-activated adhesive sheet, which allows the pattern what you want to apply to be stuck on the object smoothly and seamlessly!

Based on different material components, heat transfer vinyl can be divided into PU, TPU and PVC. Generally speaking, PU material is an environmentally friendly material, which is more heat-resistant, softer, and durable than other two materials. According to the styles and colors applied, there are diversified types of heat transfer vinyl, such as chameleon HTV, glitter HTV, metallic HTV, and more. As to the topic on how to use heat transfer vinyl, detailed tips and tricks can be seen in the HTVRONT blog.

Heat transfer vinyl boasts a ton of colors, textures, finishes, and sizes. Most heat transfer vinyl comes in length sizes ranged from a sheet (12x12 inches, roughly) all the way up to large vinyl rolls. In addition, heat transfer vinyl comes in varying widths, while 12”,15” and 20” are the most common used width. When choosing the heat transfer vinyl width, the size of the vinyl cutter is the top thing to be into consideration!

Heat Transfer Vinyl

Part Two: Heat Source

As the name suggests, heat transfer vinyl needs heat to stick onto the material. A simple "home iron" can fulfill the purpose. But the downside is its smaller surface area. If your design is small, then it's okay, but while ironing on the larger design, you will incur difficulty in evenly applying heat on all area. This may let some area stick and some not on the underlying material.

Alternatively, "heat press" is an ultimate option if you are a perfectionist. Because this will ensure even the application of heat all the way for the right amount of time. A regular iron can be used to apply the heat transfer vinyl, though a flat heat press can make the process more seamless. Some options in the sector cover Cricut Easy Press, VEVOR Heat Press Machine, and HTVRONT Easy Heat Press. If using HTV on mugs, you can consider a mug press.

However, beginners may be unfamiliar with the appropriate time, and the heat press temperature. The problem is that different types of fabrics have different temperature and time settings. In case that things happen, it's essential to get to know the right time as well as temperature. Related article about the tutorials about heat press temperature chart and time can be found in our official website, serving to boast a sound and enjoyable crafting experience. 


Part Three: Other Tools

Vinyl weeding tool is an integral part for removing the excess vinyl from an intricate design. Although you can remove the excess vinyl by hand, using specific weeding tool is a more straightforward and efficient manner to get a clean and fine result.

HTVRONT Vinyl Wedding Tool

At the very beginning, there is a need for you to choose a relatively sound brand in this sector, like HTVRONT and Circut. As far as the author's concerned, HTVRONT vinyl weeding tool is a suitable choice for beginners. To use your weeding tool, you're required to hold it by the handle and push the hook through an excess piece of vinyl you want to remove. You need to slide the hook underneath the vinyl, and lift the excess vinyl away from the backing. Based on the previous steps, you should remove it from the hook, and repeat the action until the completion of removal.

Apart from that, you may require scissors for the cutting purpose. Most of the people don't go for such weeding tools, rather scissor is their go-to tool which they use for cutting the vinyl sheet. If your project is all about art and craft, scissor is the most suitable tool for cutting the sheet.

Not a necessity, but you can also use a cutting mat as well for perfectionism in the design. If your project is merely for a fun purpose, the usage of a cutting mat is not recommended. The cutting mat is used to hold the vinyl in place when cutting the design on it. 

HTVRONT cutting mats have been customized to be in line with the commonly-used crafting materials. It should highlights that these cutting mats are compatible with the Circut Expore Air 2, and other mainstream machines. 

You have the great potential to use a Teflon sheet on top of HTV when placed on the material as well. As an insulator that is designed for preventing the heat transferred from the heat press and feeling safe and sound about the materials you need, Teflon sheet is able to protect the materials like vinyl, clothes, iron, and etc. It protects the material from being burnt and also keep the heat source from any melted HTV residue. When your project is closely related about heat, the Teflon sheet is a prerequisite for your safety. 

Teflon Sheet

Transfer tape, which can be also called application tape, is a paper or plastic film. It is used to be placed on top of a sticker or vinyl sheet so as to apply the sticker in a more efficient manner, acting as a bridge to move the vinyl from its backing to the desired location. As to the detailed instructions about how to use transfer tape, you have the chance to read our article for further information. 

In the meanwhile, transfer tape for iron on vinyl is only used for adhesive vinyl. Heat transfer vinyl has a transparent carrier sheet attached to the vinyl, which can be used instead. Heat transfer vinyl is an all-purpose material which can use for crafting your home, your bedroom, the lounge, and other items. 

Final Verdict

In conclusion, these tools mentioned above can help you get through your project to a large extent. But there could be other tools needed for the completion of your project. With this guide, hope you grasp a basic understanding of the tools what you need before initiating a heat transfer vinyl project. Once the preparations are done, the successful crafting is around the corner. 

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