4 Rookie Mistakes To Avoid While Making Custom Heat Press Transfers For T-Shirts
Heat transfer mistakes happen a lot more often than you would think. Whether you are a novice, custom t-shirt enthusiast, or expert printer, no one is perfect, and you are bound to make an error once in a while. In fact, the more heat transfers you do, the more likely you are to make more mistakes.
However, despite the disappointment they cause, mistakes are great opportunities to learn, so to prevent more mistakes, it's essential to take the time to understand what happened and how you can resolve it. To help you with this, here is a list of a few rookie mistakes you should avoid making.
Improperly setting the heat press.
Much like most machinery, you need to calibrate your heat press to suit your current needs before using it. This means changing the device settings to match the kind of customization you are doing. These settings include the temperature, time, and pressure exerted on the garment, which work in together to produce the best results.
For instance, if you don't apply enough pressure when applying your custom heat press transfers for t-shirts, the vinyl won't stick. However, if you apply too much pressure, it will cause overapplication.
When fine-tuning the settings, follow the instructions provided by the heat transfer paper manufacturer and keep the type of garment you are working on in mind.
Using poor quality vinyl.
The quality of the heat transfer vinyl (HTV) used affects the outcome of your printing process. If the vinyl isn't of good quality, your designs might not stick or end up peeling off after a few washes, primarily if you used water-based screen-printed transfers. Make sure you buy HTVs from a reputable supplier and that it is specialized for the job you intend to do. This will save you from damaging or wasting your materials.
Layering the wrong HTV materials.
Another common mistake is layering your HTV materials incorrectly. Laying your HTV can help create spectacular, multicolored designs; however, this process is also prone to mess-ups. For there are materials you can layer over each other, and the design will still stick to the garment, such as applying glitter onto a matte design. However, you can't layer glitter onto holographic HTVs since the latter is quite thick, so the glitter might not adhere properly.
Printing over zips, buttons, and seams.
Lastly, if you find you have uneven prints, it's possible you are printing over buttons, seams, or zippers. To get a clean, even print, you need a flat surface, and these areas are often uneven and heavily textured. This makes printing over them quite tricky and can easily lead to mistakes such as crooked transfers, designs not sticking, etc. If your project calls for printing over these areas, you can still pull it off; however, it will require extra caution.
There's a lot that can go wrong while working with HTVs however, knowing what could go wrong can help you be better prepared; thus, you can quickly deal with any mishaps that might occur as you print. You should have a relatively mistake-free printing run if you follow the instructions from the HTV and heat press manufacturers.
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