Have you heard of heat press printing? It’s such a cool way to personalize textiles and other flat surfaces! Basically, a special machine applies heat and pressure to transfer a design onto a fabric or material. Here’s how it works: the design is printed on transfer paper, which is then placed on the garment. The heat causes the design to transfer onto the fabric for a durable and high-quality print. You can create custom t-shirts, bags, and even promotional items with this technique. It’s so versatile and effective, and can even be used to make personalized gifts and crafts.
Heat Press printing is typically used for lower Quantity Items, Personalized Names, Numbers and more.
Heat transfer vinyl (HTV): This type of heat applied garment printing uses a special vinyl material that is cut into shapes or letters and then pressed onto the fabric. HTV is durable, versatile, and easy to use, but it can be expensive and time-consuming for large or complex designs.
Screen Print Transfer: This type of heat-applied garment printing uses a screen-printed design that is printed on a release paper and then transferred to the fabric using heat and pressure. Plastisol heat transfer can create high-quality and durable designs that are similar to screen printing but without the need for screens, ink, or equipment.
Direct-to-film printing (DTF) is a type of heat-applied garment printing that uses a special film transfer to create custom designs on fabrics. It is similar to sublimation printing, but it can work on any fabric type and color, as it uses white ink and a powder adhesive. DTF printing can produce high-quality and durable prints with no limits or extra cost for additional colors. They are soft and flexible, but they can also be expensive and complex to produce.
There are other fabric types of transfer materials such as rhinestone, glitter, applique and flock.
Yes and No. One color heat transfers offer a discount on 20+. If it is a 2 color screen print transfer there is usually a minimum order of 65. These transfers work well for web store customers and groups who purchase multiple batches through the year.
There are rarely volume discounts on Heat Transfer Vinyl because this method is used on low volume orders or Names and/or Numbers customizations.
Pros
Cost-effective for smaller orders
High-resolution prints
Can print designs with many different colors
Better for printing in tight spaces like breast pockets or hats
Cons
Less durable prints, more likely to crack and fade with washing
Not cost-effective for larger orders
Heat transfer creates a stiffer feeling shirt than screen printing
Vector art is best! This is usually a Corel (.cdr file) Illustrator (.eps, .AI,) or Scalable Vector Graphics (.SVG).
Screen printing will last longer than heat transfer because the ink is soaked into the fabric, whereas heat transfer prints on top of the fabric. Some fabrics, like polyester and spandex, are difficult to screen print, so heat transfer or sublimation can be better printing options.
Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) is a type of heat applied garment printing that uses a special vinyl material that is cut into shapes or letters and then pressed onto the fabric. HTV is durable, versatile, and easy to use, but it can be expensive and time-consuming for large or complex designs. HTV works best for simple designs with few colors and smooth fabrics1. Sublimation printing is a type of heat applied garment printing that uses a process that transfers dye from a paper or film onto the fabric using high heat and pressure. Sublimation printing can produce vibrant and detailed designs that are permanent and resistant to fading, cracking, or peeling. However, sublimation printing requires special equipment, paper, and ink, and it only works on polyester or polyester-blend fabrics2.
Heat transfer vinyl and screen print transfer come in limited colors. We do our best to match. If custom ink colors are needed for an exact match (extra cost) we would use direct screen printing.
It is recommended for follow care instructions on the garment.
Wash your garments inside out, using cold water and mild detergent. Avoid bleach, fabric softener, and dryer sheets.
Dry your garments on low heat or air dry them. Do not iron directly on the graphics, but use a protective cloth or turn the garments inside out.
