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Creating different T-shirt designs has become popular during the past few years. It seems like everyone is looking for the best technique to create their unique prints.
Layering different vinyl colors on garments is a popular method for creating a one-of-a-kind design. Since it is easy to do it, people use it as a way to design most of their clothes.
Key Takeaways
Choosing the correct vinyl is key
This might be obvious to some, but for noobs, remember to use heat transfer vinyl (HTV).
The product will either say heat transfer vinyl or iron on vinyl. This type of vinyl utilizes heat and pressure to adhere to fabric and other materials.
What fabric works best with iron on vinyl?
Cotton tends to be the best fabric to use for heat transfer vinyl. This is because cotton can withstand high temperatures and pressures.
Polyester also works well, although a lower temperature and pressure is required.
Acrylic on the other hand is too delicate. It will likely melt, not making it ideal to use with heat transfer vinyl.
What about speciality vinyls?
We will be layering vinyl. But don’t forger that nothing goes on top of speciality vinyls. This means, do not add vinyl on top of glitter, holographic, flocked or foil vinyl.
If you are interested to learn how to layer iron on vinyl, you are in the right place. We have all the needed tips and tricks just for you.
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Handling several layers of vinyl decals sound complicated. But once you try it, you will realize the process is simple.
A bit of practice and precision will be enough to create your perfect printables. You will see how many amazing crafting pieces can be created using this process.
With a few easy steps, we’ll help you learn how to iron vinyl on. This is possible on shirts or any other material for that matter. This skill can be valuable for your future crafting DIY projects.
Stay tuned because we have gathered all the best tips and ideas in one place.
Choose the design
You first need to decide what it is to transfer. Look for the pictures, designs, or you may even want to create your own illustration.
Once your design is ready, the rest is simple. All you need is to choose and source the vinyl color you want.
Using a cutting machine, you can cut out the require design on the vinyl. Make sure you have a stable mat and the vinyl is held firmly in place on the mat. To be extra safe, use ducting tape to hold the vinyl in place during the cutting process.
The cutting machine will be able to adjust everything, including the blades. It will cut your vinyl perfectly.
Weed the heat transfer vinyl
Once you have cut the design on the vinyl, you should weed it. This is done with a unique tool or a weeding pen.
Your heat transfer vinyl should be put on the cutting mat on the shiny side and needs to face it down.
The weeding process is done to ensure you get rid of excess material to create your design. Take some time and care not to damage the vinyl you require. Gently remove the excess!
Putting the materials in the correct order
A common mistake people make is placing regular vinyl and special vinyl in the wrong order.
Your special vinyl should always be the top layer. The regular vinyl should be the base and needs to be placed underneath.
If you place them the opposite way, the transfer process won’t adhere well.
These so called “special vinyls” are glitter, galaxy prints, opal prints, and foil vinyl. So if you are including any of them, make sure they are applied on the top layer.
Lining up your design accurately against your garment
Say you are working on applying vinyl to a t-shirt. To find the center point, you can fold it vertically in half and iron over it.
This will leave a vertical crease bang smack down the middle of the shirt. You’d be correct to have concerns about the crease affecting the bonding process of the vinyl. However, later on we will be pre-pressing the fabric before application.
Next, you can make a notch to mark the center point of your vinyl. Then simply line up the notch to the vertical crease of the t-shirt and everything is now centered.
Prepare your materials
To start the heat transfer process, prepare your iron or heat press machine. Switch on your heat source and set it to the required temperature.
The best temperature for layering iron on vinyl is around 300°F. Make sure not to exceed 310°F, or you risk melting the material.
Your other materials and garments should also be prepared for the process. Make sure you have pre-pressed them. This is to get rid of additional moisture that can interfere with the adhesive during the transfer process.
Pre-pressed recommended temperatures & times
For pre-pressing using a heat press machine, set it to 315°F for 15 seconds. For an iron, set it to what the material of your fabric is and iron for a good 30 seconds.
The last step before applying the vinyl is to remove any lint, fuzz or pet hair from the fabric. These contaminants can affect the adhesive from doing its job. A lint roller does the job perfectly.
Start the heat press process
Once everything is set up, start layering your vinyl with your heat source. The whole process is simple and easy.
You need to press the iron for at least 20 seconds if dealing with cotton. For other materials try 30 seconds or more until they stick.
The heat should be high enough so that your heat transfer vinyl sticks to the fabric. If you see it doesn’t transfer well the first time round, try to heat it up a bit more. Also try applying more pressure.
Wait at least 2 to 3 minutes before removing the carrier sheet. This ensures everything will cool down and stick well.
Repeat the process for every layer. Don’t bother using a different carrier sheet for each layer. Each carrier sheet can work for up to 10 layers.
Tip: When applying heat to the bottom (first) layer, do not apply the recommended vinyl temperature and length of time. Press for a shorter time. The bottom layers get exposed to more heat when adding the other layers. We don’t want to over heat the vinyl.
Layering vinyl is not a complicated task. It takes a bit more time than when you have just one layer.
Depending on the type of your vinyl and on the number of layers, you may need to take a break or make a change here and there, but overall, multiple layers are not something you need to struggle with because the process is very simple and only requires your precision.
What Is The Key To A Good Layered Design?
Most people struggle to create an excellent layered design. It always feels like something is one step away from going wrong.
Although time and practice is needed to get the desired result, it isn’t impossible. You have to keep trying until something works.
These are some of our tips that will help you learn how to layer iron on vinyl perfectly.
1. Always start with the largest design
The biggest design should always be the base material. It needs to be the first layer as it acts as the foundation for the subsequent layers. Besides adding the biggest layer on the top will hide the others layers, it just wouldn’t make sense!
All the subsequent smaller designs will be built up to the top. As mentioned, make sure your speciality vinyls (glitter, foil, opal vinyls etc) make it to the very top. You cannot adhere other vinyls on top of these. Their surface don’t allow for the adhesive to bond and hold well.
2. Let the design cool down
Do try applying a new layer the moment you’ve adhered the previous one.
Make sure your design was able to cool down for at least 2 minutes before working on the layer; otherwise, you may mess up the previously made design.
3. Use carrier sheets
The worst thing you can do when dealing with multiple layers is to avoid using a carrier sheet because it may lead to different layers and designs sticking to each other, which can mess up the whole process.
A carrier sheet will come in a package with every heat transfer vinyl, and one sheet is enough for the whole process, even if you have 6 or 8 layers.
4. Iron every layer separately
People can get lazy and try layering iron on vinyl together in one go. This simply won’t work, not unless you want your decals to adhere properly.
Not even two layers can get heat pressed together, let alone several layers.
For that reason, heat press every layer separately to get the desired results.
5. Seal the design from the underside too
If you want to ensure optimum adhesive bonding, seal it with the heat from the under side if possible.
This will help keep the design where you originally placed it, and it is a perfect method to giving that final finish to your design and ensure your transfer process has succeeded.
These are some things I would recommend doing whenever you are transferring iron on vinyl. It can make a notable difference to the final results which I think you will be happy with.
What Do I Need To Layer Iron On Vinyl?
Layering iron on vinyl is simple. You don’t need a fortune to get all the materials needed and they can be sourced quickly.
No matter what type of vinyl and how many layers of it you have, these materials are all you need for a successful project.
- Cutting machine
- Heat press machine or iron
- Preferred garment
- Preferred vinyl
- Weeding tools
- Cutting mats
- Lint rollers
- Additional tapes or knives
None of these materials are expensive, and you can find most of them at your local craft stores.
What Type Of Vinyl Should I Use?
Most people think there is only one type of vinyl they can use while layering. The truth is, you can not only use any vinyl for this process, but also layer different ones with little difficulty.
However, all of them need to be heat transfer vinyl which can be transferred with an adequate heat source such as a heat press or iron.
Every heat transfer vinyl comes with a plastic carrier sheet which allows it to stick to the surface of any material.
For this process, you can use specialty vinyl too, and whether it is holographic, glitter or opal vinyl, you will be able to layer it without difficulty.
No matter what type of material you are dealing with, all types of heat transfer vinyl will work with it.
Does Using A Basic Iron Gives A Good Result?
Although most people think a regular iron cannot produce sufficient heat, the truth is it works the same as a regular heat press machine.
Using a basic iron when you have multiple layers may seem tricky because you will always need to pay attention to the previous layer too. The issue might working out the temperature and the position for the next layer. The advantage of a heat press is has a temperature and timer display.
However, a basic iron can still be used, and designs was generally made to be transferred this way!
However, if you plan on producing several DIY projects, you may want to invest in a heat press machine. These provide faster results and cover the whole surface of your design at once with a better pressure distribution.
Overall, the results are pretty much the same both with the basic iron and with a heat press machine. So choose the one that fits your needs the best.