To weed out excess vinyl, you will need tools. This weeding hook has been a favourite of mine. This weeding tool is extremely sharp and can be used for removing vinyl. You can use a Silhouette hook and a Circuit hook. You can also use tweezers, craft knives and straight pins.
Sometimes it is difficult to see where the cut lines are when weeding. As shown in the below image, you can sometimes bend your vinyl slightly to help you see the cut lines. You can see the lines clearly by holding the vinyl piece in front of a light source or window. Another option is the Circuit bright pad. This will allow you to easily see your cut lines and makes weeding much easier. Once you’ve found your cut lines, use your hook or weeding tool to grab one edge of the carrier sheet and remove any vinyl that is not needed. First, I remove the vinyl from the area surrounding my design. Next, I take out pieces of the letters and any other parts. You can then flip your design and see the final result through the clear plastic carrier. This is a great opportunity to remove any unwanted vinyl from your design and transfer it to your final project.
IRON You can!
Now we can transfer the cut-and-weeded design to our tee. To activate heat transfer vinyl, heat and pressure are necessary. An iron can produce both heat and pressure. If you are using a lot of heat transfer vinyl, you may need an Easy Press or heat press. We will use iron to accomplish this task today. While it is better to have fewer steam holes at the bottom of your iron, any iron can be used.
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WHERE TO IRON
Heat transfer vinyl adhesive needs pressure to activate. I don’t recommend that you use a folding ironing board to apply your HTV designs. You should not press down on the ironing board. This will cause it to buckle under your pressure. A sturdy ironing board is better than a folded ironing board. You can place a wooden cutting board on top of the table.
HOW TO IRON
Turn off the steam, then plug your iron in. Place the design on your surface. Cover it with a clear plastic carrier. This will make sure that your design is easily readable. Press down on the iron for approximately 10-20 seconds and then apply pressure to all areas of your design. Heat requirements for HDTVs vary. Be sure to read all instructions. It is important to check the progress of your design. As heat can melt vinyl or cause adhesive damage, it is best to use the iron for a shorter time. Also, be mindful of any holes in the iron’s bottom. If there are any holes in your iron’s bottom, press the button to ensure that heat and pressure is being applied to each part. Once you have applied heat to each part of your design, you can start to peel the carrier sheet. You can replace the carrier sheet if vinyl sticks to it with a cover.
NOTE:
Heat transfer vinyl can be called “cold peel”. It must cool completely before you can take off the clear plastic sheet. I invert the project to ensure a proper application. You can see the weave of vinyl through smooth heat-transfer vinyl if you have a good application. Once the iron-on vinyl has been properly applied, it is ready to be worn, used and washed. Allow the adhesive to cure for 24 hours before washing it. Once the adhesive has dried you can wash and dry it. For best results, wash the adhesive inside-out using cold water. Hang it to dry, or tumble dry low.
That’s it! This article will cover everything you need to get started with your HTV project. This article was helpful, I hope. If you have any questions regarding heat transfer vinyl, please leave them in the comment section. For more information on Silhouette and vinyl making, you can visit Venture into the Vinyl online class. You might be interested in learning more advanced HTV techniques after you have made a basic t-shirt using heat transfer vinyl.
