Heat presses\u00a0are\u00a0great tools to use to quickly and easily apply designs to apparel, accessories, mugs and other promotional items. As easy as the process is, there’s still a learning curve involved in applying heat transfers. Here are some of the most common heat transfer mistakes and how to avoid them.<\/p>\n
One of the most common \u2014 and frustrating \u2014 heat transfer mistakes is a misplaced transfer. That could mean that your image is crooked, off center, backward or upside down. It\u2019s frustrating because you know this mistake comes down to avoidable human error. When generating transfers, the image needs to be mirrored so it prints the proper way. To avoid a crooked print, load your substrate properly. For a shirt, that means lining up the tag with the back of the shirt, and smoothing out the substrate. There are clear overlays with grids or laser grid systems that can help you to place your heat transfer in the proper spot and straight on your garment. Lower the heat press slowly and apply ample pressure to avoid shifting your substrate during the transfer.<\/p>\n
Your heat transfer should bond to your substrate so that when you peel away the overlay sheet, the transfer stays in place. A well-bonded transfer also should stay in place wash after wash. If your heat transfers are peeling away with the transfer paper or washing away, several things could be to blame. First, make sure your heat transfer is the right type for your substrate; not all heat transfers are suited to all materials. Second, pre-press your substrate to warm the substrate and evaporate any moisture that could interfere with adhesion. Finally, apply ample pressure while applying your graphic; printers often pay attention to the recommended temperature and time for applying a transfer but fail to apply enough pressure to bond the image.<\/p>\n
A perfectly applied image is wasted if the substrate you\u2019ve placed it on scorches, discolors or melts during the transfer process. In this case, the heat of your press is damaging the substrate. You either need to adjust the temperature of your press or reduce the amount of time your substrate is spending under the heat. If you can\u2019t get the transfer to adhere without scorching your substrate, you likely need to choose a heat transfer that\u2019s made for synthetic substrates that can\u2019t take the heat required for a traditional heat transfer.<\/p>\n