YSM as a reflective heat transfer manufcturer, we are well aware of the process and considerations of heat transfer printing. Heat transfer printing is the process of combining heat with a transfer medium to create a personalized t-shirt or merchandise. Transfer media comes in the form of vinyl, a colored rubber material, and transfer paper, a wax and pigment-coated paper.

Heat transfer vinyl comes in a variety of colors and patterns, from solid colors to reflective and glittery materials. It is most commonly used to customize the name and number on the jersey. Transfer paper has no restrictions on colors and patterns. Individual artwork or images can be printed onto the media using an inkjet printer to create shirts to your design! Finally, put the vinyl or transfer paper in a cutter or plotter to cut out the shape of your design and transfer it to the t-shirt using a heat press.

Advantages of heat transfer printing:

– Allows for different customizations for each product, such as name customization

– Shorter lead times for smaller quantity orders

– Cost-effective for small batch orders

– Ability to generate high quality and complex graphics with unlimited options

Disadvantages of heat transfer printing:

– Massive runs are time consuming and costly

– Easy to fade after long-term use and washing

– Ironing the print directly will destroy the image

Steps of heat transfer printing:

1) Print your artwork onto transfer media

Place the transfer paper on the inkjet printer and print it through the cutter or plotter's software. Make sure to adjust the graphics to the desired print size!

2) Load the printed transfer media into the cutter/plotter

After printing the media, carefully load it into the plotter so that the machine can detect and cut the graphic shape

3) Remove the excess part of the conveying medium

When you're done cutting, remember to use the weeder tool to remove excess or unwanted parts. Be sure to double check your artwok to make sure there is no excess left on the media and the print should look like you want it on the t-shirt!

4) Printed on clothes

Attention should be paid to the heat press before printing:

a) The hot pressing temperature should be between 155°C and 180°C. Optimal temperature depends on the type of transfer medium and shirt/fabric used

b) Hot pressing pressure. Moderate pressure on contact is enough to transfer the print to the garment.

c) Duration. Prolonged duration may leave burn marks on clothing. Make sure to follow the directions on the medium as well, in due time, to ensure a flawless printed shirt!

step 1:

Place the garment on the platen of the heat press. Before printing, make sure the shirt is sitting straight on the printing plate, as the curved position will affect the position of the printing!

Press lightly for about 2 to 3 seconds on the non-printed garment to remove any wrinkles that may be preventing the print.

Step 2:

Place your printed and cut transfer media (vinyl or transfer paper) on top of the t-shirt. Check to make sure the graphic is centered and at the correct position and angle before pressing! A crooked print doesn't look good.

Step 3:

Carefully inspect the print, and once printed, lower the top layer of the heat press to begin heating. Once the timer starts, life on the top floor begins. Peel off the top layer of transfer medium. Be careful when doing this, the surface of the transfer medium is hot so handle it with care. Your design is now printed and ready to wear! You are very welcome to order our YSM Reflective Heat Transfer Film.