Many in our industry use the all-encompassing term “heat transfer vinyl” to refer to any heat transfer flex film. The fact of the matter is that many of the heat transfer films on the market today are not vinyl at all. Much of what is sold today is polyurethane or a polyurethane blend. Read more »
Stretching Garments Prior to Heat Pressing
Some screen printers, who print directly onto t-shirts or who print plastisol heat transfers, will stretch the garment before printing or heat pressing. By doing this, the weave of the shirt opens up allowing the ink to better penetrate the fibers of the fabric. This practice is believed to prevent cracking of the ink. Read more »
Laminating Application Tape and HotMask™ Films
Stick It In Reverse How you apply an application tape to a vinyl graphic or a HotMask™ transfer tape to a printed heat transfer applique can affect the appearance of the finished product. If you get wrinkles or bubbles in the paper application tape, I can just about guarantee that you will get wrinkles and […] Read more »
Puff, the Magic Inflatable Heat Transfer Film
Textile screen printers have used plastisol puff inks for years. These inks contain a special additive that causes the ink to expand after it is exposed to heat. RTape/SEF FlexCut Sweet Puff films work in much the same way. Read more »
Introducing Tatoo Printable Heat Transfer Films
RTape Corp. (South Plainfield, NJ) introduces its SEF Tatoo heat transfer film, which is a white, printable, multi-layer polyurethane construction on a polyester liner or carrier. Tatoo films are printable using a wide range of digital printers, including solvent, ecosolvent and latex systems. The brilliance of the facestock and its chemical formulation allow for vibrant […] Read more »
How Calendered Vinyl Films are Made
I usually compare the calendering process to rolling out pie dough. In reality, the manufacturing process is a little more complex than that. In the calendering process, PVC material is squeezed between gigantic, heated, polished-steel rollers that form the vinyl into a very thin sheet of film. Read more »
Peel Recommendations for Heat Transfer Films
After you heat press an applique to a garment, how long should you wait before peeling the carrier or the hot mask from the applique? A number of variables come into play, which are covered in my story: Heat Transfer Films: Hot, Warm or Cold Peel. The physical properties of the particular flex or flock film that […] Read more »
Application Tape Tips
Here are some helpful tips for working with application tape: Whether you laminate application tape by hand or with a laminator, avoid trapping air bubbles between the vinyl graphics and the application tape. Bubbles and wrinkles in the application paper often result in bubbles and wrinkles in the applied graphic, regardless of the skill and effort […] Read more »
Comparing Heat Transfer Films with Screen Printed Graphics
A high quality polyurethane heat transfer film will outlast a screen printed garment hands down. In fact, if you properly process and care for a polyurethane heat transfer, the applique should last the life of the garment. We all know what happens to a screen printed shirt after a dozen washes. Plastisol inks crack. By […] Read more »
The Importance of Fire Inspections
A Proactive Approach to Reducing the Risk of Fire The old saying, “forewarned is forearmed”, should remind us that conducting regular fire inspections is the best way to keep the incidence of fires low. By identifying fire hazards in your shop, you can correct them before they cause a fire. Read more »
