How to Apply Heat Transfer Vinyl

Co-authored by Nicole Bolin

Last Updated: February 23, 2022

Heat transfer vinyls, also known as T-shirt vinyls, or iron-on vinyls, are easy and fun ways to put a personalized design on fabrics. You can create unique items like T-shirts, hats, bags, pillows, and towels for sport teams, fun events, or to fulfill a crafting hobby.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making Your Design

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There are many colors and patterns to choose from. Look online for vinyl, or visit your local craft store to get a better idea of what the vinyl will truly look like. Consider bringing fabric samples with you, to make sure your vinyl color will be visible.
- Make sure you purchase a vinyl compatible with the fabric you want to use. Some vinyls are only for cotton, others work best on spandex.
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You can use a program like Photoshop or its free alternatives such as Gimp, Seashore, and Pixlr.
- Choose bold, easy to read fonts when adding letters to your design.
- Consider how much room you will have on the fabric you are transferring onto. For example, if your design is for a baseball hat, you might want to keep it simple, and not add too much information in it.
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You can purchase vinyl designs online and in stores.
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It is very important to remember is to reverse the image, so that it does not come out backwards on your final product. Most software will have an option to “mirror” the image, if not, use edit tools like “flip horizontal” or “flip vertical” to make sure you print your design as a mirror image of what you want.
- If you’re using words, make sure the letters are backwards, for example, “love” should read as “evol” in your design
- Similarly, make sure individual letters are backwards.
If you are using a specialty cutter, remember that with most machines, you will need to feed the vinyl dull-side-up.
You may need to cut the vinyl sheet down to the size of printer paper. Make sure your image prints on the back, the dull side, of your vinyl. Alternatively, print your image on paper and then use artists tape to tape down the paper to the vinyl, and the vinyl to your work surface.
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^{[1]
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Expert Source

Nicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY Specialist

Expert Interview. 9 September 2020.} Place your vinyl on a workspace shiny side down.^{[2]
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Research source} Using an exacto knife, or precision scissors, carefully follow the stencil you have printed out.
- Take breaks to make sure you are cutting all the way through the first layer, but not cutting through the entire vinyl.
- You can also use a paper puncher or a die-cut machine to make fast shapes.
Carefully peel away the clear layer of the vinyl, making sure not to rip any part of your image. Peel away everything that is not part of your final design.
Weeding is when you remove small parts of your image's negative space.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Nicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY Specialist

Expert Interview. 9 September 2020.} Use the sharp points of your tools to pick up small areas and peel them off more easily.

Part 2

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Applying Your Design

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Nicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY Specialist

Expert Interview. 9 September 2020.} It is also good to prepare your fabric by running your iron over it to get out all wrinkles and moisture. ^{[5]
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Research source}
It should be positioned how you want it to look in your final product.
^{[6]
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Expert Source

Nicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY Specialist

Expert Interview. 9 September 2020.} Move along to the next section of your design, and press for another 10 seconds, making sure each part of the vinyl gets ironed on! ^{[7]
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Research source} Do not hastily rub the iron over the vinyl as if you were ironing an item of clothing quickly, you do not want to accidentally wrinkle the vinyl.
^{[8]
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Expert Source

Nicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY Specialist

Expert Interview. 9 September 2020.} Read the instructions that came with your vinyl, some require that you peel off the carrier sheet once your project has cooled, others should be peeled off right away.

Part 3

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Caring for Your New Item

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Do not wash your item for 24 hours after applying the heat transfer vinyl. Follow the care label of the item, but do not bring it to the dry cleaner, the chemicals used are too harsh.
Again, turn the fabric inside-out, and tumble dry on low heat. Alternatively, you can lay your item flat to dry, or line dry it. Use teflon sheet paper over the vinyl when ironing, or turn the item inside-out, and use low heat on the iron.
If your vinyl is peeling off, iron the peeling parts back on with the same heat setting you used for that vinyl before, placing teflon paper over the vinyl beforehand. Press for 15-20 seconds.

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Do I need a heat press machine?

Nicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY Specialist
Nicole Bolin is a Crafting Specialist and the CEO of Stencil, a DIY Craft Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. Nicole specializes in interior design and various craft and DIY projects. Nicole holds a Certificate in Interior Design from the New York Institute of Art and Design. She opened Stencil in 2017 to teach others to create DIY projects that fit their home and lifestyle.

Nicole Bolin

Crafts & DIY Specialist

Expert Answer

No, you can still do vinyl transfers at home without one! Just use an iron instead, and use plenty of pressure when you're ironing it onto the fabric.

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Tips

If you want to make sure your design is centered before applying the heat transfer vinyl, fold your fabric in half, and iron over the fold to create a crease in your fabric. Then, fold your vinyl in half and make a crease with your fingers. When you place the vinyl onto the fabric just before ironing, match up the center crease of the vinyl with that of the fabric. ^{[9]
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If you are transferring many heat vinyls, are having trouble ironing them on evenly, or need to ensure the vinyl will maintain through washes, consider investing in a heat press.

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Make sure you press very hard when ironing on your vinyl, using both hands, and a good bit of arm muscle!

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