SEF Heat Transfer Films Instructions

Tips and Tricks for Cutting, Printing & Heat Pressing SEF Heat Transfer Films

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SEF HEAT TRANSFER FILMS

With SEF films for plotter cutting and printing, you can expand your product offering to include heat transfers for sports teams, groups such as sororities, fraternities and businesses. It’s a great way to ignite your sales and profits. Heat transfer materials can be applied to t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, caps, bags or any fabric material.

The SEF line of heat transfer materials consists of four families of products. FlexCut™ and FlockCut™ are for plotter cutting. FlexPrint™ and FlockPrint™ are print and cut materials. SEF FlexCut™ and FlockCut™ heat transfer materials consist of a heat-activated adhesive coated on either a polyurethane or flock facestock, laminated to a plastic release liner or carrier film. With the carrier on the bottom, the top layer is the adhesive. After the graphics are cut in reverse, the carrier serves as the application film. This clear film carrier allows the user to accurately position the graphic, which prevents misalignment.

FlexPrint™ and FlockPrint™ consist of a facestock coated with a heat-activated adhesive on a film carrier. With the carrier on the bottom, the top side is the printable surface. After the material is printed “right reading”, and contour cut, the matrix is weeded and the graphics are laminated with a hot mask type of application tape, such as SEF’s FlexTape.

 Vinyl versus Polyurethane

Vinyl heat transfer films are often considerably less expensive than polyurethane films. These vinyl films are thicker, less flexible and less durable than polyurethane. After multiple washings, vinyl heat transfer graphics tend to become brittle and crack.

Plotter Cutting

If you have a plotter, you can use the same vector-based software that you use for cutting vinyl graphics. The only difference is that you will cut the SEF FlexCut and FlockCut materials in reverse or “wrong reading”. The 45­° blade that you use for cutting vinyl graphics is also the same that you will use when cutting any of the SEF films.

Always do a test cut prior to production. The SEF FlexPrint™ and FlockPrint™ families of heat transfer materials are digitally printable with solvent, ecosolvent and latex inks. When printing SEF materials, a generic ‘heat transfer media’ profile will generally provide acceptable color reproduction.

After the SEF media is printed, cut and weeded, apply the hot mask application tape, such as the SEF FlexTape, with a squeegee to the printed graphic. Remove the carrier or release liner of the heat transfer media and apply it to the garment. Printed polyurethane or vinyl heat transfer media generally require medium tack or high tack hot mask application tapes.

Transferring printed flock films is extremely difficult, because of the highly textured surface of the flock fibers.  Standard application tapes used for vinyl graphics, including ultra-high tack tapes, just don’t work.

For this very difficult application, SEF has developed a special tape, which is designed to transfer printed flock films, such as EcoPrint.  This transparent polyester film is coated with a high tack silicone adhesive and protected with a white embossed polypropylene release liner (shown below). 

The SEF FlexTape exhibits exceptional adhesive properties to transfer printed appliques, including flock graphics with plotter cut copy, script or intricate detail. The clarity of the film aids accurate positioning of printed heat transfer appliques to garments.

After laminating the HotMask, peel the carrier or liner from the back of the print.

During the heat press operation, SEF’s FlexTape protects the printed media from the high temperatures of the top platen, preventing discoloration and distortion of the applique. The polyester (PET) facestock of the masking withstands heat cycles as long as 60 seconds at 330° F (166°C).

Following the heat pressing cycle, the SEF masking removes easily and cleanly in one piece, within a few seconds, while it is still warm. The FlexTape maskings are designed so they do not leave any residue on the printed graphic. The new hot mask application tapes also work well with all brands and types of printable flock heat transfer films.

Heat Press Warm Up

Heat presses take time to warm up to the optimal temperature. About thirty minutes prior to production allow your press warm up. Set your controls for the time, temperature and pressure settings recommended for the heat transfer films that you will use.

Pre-Heating the Garment

Prior to heat press transfer of the graphic, always preheat the garment for three to five seconds. This serves three important functions:

• First, it drives out moisture, which could inhibit adhesion of the heat transfer material.
• Second, it presses the garment smooth, eliminating wrinkles so the heat transfer has a smooth surface to adhere to. No wrinkles in the garment, means no wrinkles in the graphics.
• Third, preheating the fabric will cause it to shrink. That’s a good thing, if you are layering several different materials. Without preheating, the shirt and the first layer of graphics will shrink together. That will make registration of subsequent layers impossible. 

Will preheating prevent further shrinking as the garment goes through multiple heat pressings? Not always, so there are other fixes that may work, such as allowing for overlaps when you are designing the graphics.

Heat Press Operation

Successful application of heat transfer materials depends on three primary variables: temperature, duration and pressure. Before heat pressing, refer the SEF literature for the recommended time and temperature settings.

After pressing the material, wait at least three seconds, before peeling off the carrier. While you can remove the carrier cold, it removes more easily and in less time when it is hot.

Test, Don’t Guess. Most of SEF films are designed for application to cotton, polyester and cotton/polyester blends. Prior to production, refer to the SEF literature regarding compatibility of the film to the fabric. Since we cannot possibly test every film/fabric combination for compatibility, test the film to ensure its adhesion.

NOTE: When applying SEF heat transfer materials to thicker garments, you may need to increase the time to achieve good adhesion.

Registering Graphics

After you weed the matrix for the SEF plotter cut films, you will turn the graphics over to position the graphic on the garment. The clear liner allows for accurate registration, which is critical when doing layered graphics. With the material in position (the carrier should be on top now), the graphics should now be “right reading”.

Be sure to carefully measure the graphics, to prevent misalignment of graphics. To aid registration, several tools are available on the market, such as the Tee Square It™ tool or alignment grids.

After you position the graphics on the garment, you can cover the graphics with a Teflon® blanket (optional). While this blanket will evenly distribute the heat, the main purpose is to protect the top platen.

Layering Graphics

Combining different materials in apparel design creates visual excitement, which can be your competitive edge in selling heat transfer graphics. Think of the possibilities of combining colored flex films with a metallic film or a flock film. You can create designs that are unique and different and difficult to reproduce using other techniques, such as screen or digital printing.

Layering multiple color designs involves cutting, weeding and heat pressing each color of film separately. In heat pressing one color over another, make sure that the carrier covers and protects all of the different layers which have been applied.

Garment Care

How long a heat transfer image depends in large part on how the end user cares for his or her garment. To achieve the optimal durability, the consumer should always follow a few simple rules:

Washing

• To prevent abrasion as garments rub together during the wash cycle, turn the garment inside out.
• Wash the garment in cold or warm water. Use a mild detergent. Never use bleach.

Drying

• To protect the image from abrasion as garments rub against each other, turn it inside out.
• Tumble dry on low OR hang to dry (preferred).

If you have questions about cutting, weeding or pressing heat transfer films, call SEF Americas or your SEF distributor.

ABOUT SEF: For more than 35 years, SEF has provided the screen printing and garment industries with high quality flex films and flock films. Manufacturing at SEF is totally integrated. The factory formulates, casts and adhesive coats its own polyurethane (PU) films. SEF even manufactures its own flock fibers. With a corporate commitment to a greener environment, all of its film and adhesive formulations are water based. This ensures that no solvents pollute the atmosphere. Its only emission is water vapor. Today, SEF is recognized as a leading producer of heat transfer films for used in the fabrication of heat press appliqués for textile decoration. Its ultra-thin polyurethane films and super soft flock films are easy to plotter cut and digitally print.

FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT: SEF Americas provides a toll-free technical support service at 844-720-9601. NOTE:  If your call is not answered by a tech support person during normal business hours, 8am to 5pm EST (Eastern Standard Time), please leave a message and we will do our best to return your call within an hour.  Should you need to contact us after business hours, an alternate tech support number is 480-987-8028.  You can also get answers to your technical questions by emailing: techsupport@SEFamericas.com.

About this blog: SEF Americas Heat Transfer Blog is dedicated to providing technical information about flex and flock films for heat pressing appliques to textiles. SEF, a leader in flock materials and polyurethane films, serves the garment, sign and screen print industries. SEF brands include Tatoo, Classicprint, Clearflex, Fiberplus, Metalflex and Reflexcut.

For More Information About SEF Americas:

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Click Here: SEF Product Application Guide

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© 2015 Jim Hingst