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Successful application of heat transfer materials depends on three primary variables: time, temperature and pressure. Not all heat transfers heat press at the same setting. Hotter is not always better. In fact, higher temperatures can make matters worse. Before heat pressing, refer to the manufacturer’s literature for the recommended time and temperature settings.
Successful application of heat transfer materials depends on three primary variables: time, temperature and pressure. Not all heat transfers heat press at the same setting. Hotter is not always better. In fact, higher temperatures can make matters worse. Before heat pressing, refer to the manufacturer’s literature for the recommended time and temperature settings.
Pressure is equally
important. Many times a heat transfer
will not adhere properly because of inadequate pressure. Increasing the
temperature setting or dwell time usually will not help. The manufacturer of
the heat transfer material will have recommendations for the correct settings
in their technical bulletins.
Press Warm Up. Heat
presses take time to warm up to the optimal temperature. About thirty minutes prior to production
allow your press to warm up. Set your
controls for the time, temperature and pressure settings recommended for the
heat transfer films that you will use.
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| Set your controls for the time, temperature and pressure settings recommended for the heat transfer films that you will use. |
Preheating the Garment. Prior
to heat press transfer of the graphic, always press the garment for three to
five seconds. This serves three important functions. First, it drives off
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 graphic applique. 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.
Registering Graphics. After
you weed the matrix of 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”. For printed appliques, using a
clear Flextape hot mask will facilitate alignment.
Be sure to carefully
measure the graphics, to prevent misalignment of graphics. To aid registration,
several tools and templates 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. If
you use a Teflon® blanket, you will likely need to increase the time for
pressing.
After pressing the
material, peel off the carrier or Flextape transfer tape as shown in the photo
below. Whether you should do a warm peel or a cold peel depends on what type of
heat transfer film used. Refer to the manufacturer’s application information
for recommendations.
Proper Prior Preparation. Most
of the standard heat transfer films are designed for application to cotton,
polyester and cotton/polyester blends.
Prior to production, refer to the manufacturer’s literature regarding
compatibility of the film to the fabric. Some fabrics, such as the popular
performance fabrics or nylon, required either a low temp film or an adhesive
designed for coated fabrics. If you have any questions, call your supplier.
Usually they will have the information you need. Of course, since the
manufacturer cannot possibly test and evaluate every film/fabric combination
for compatibility, you may need to test the film yourself to ensure its
adhesion.
Note: When applying heat
transfer materials to thicker garments, you may need to increase the dwell time
and/or pressure to achieve good adhesion.
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.
The layered graphic
shown below combines a black polyurethane base film with a silver metallic flex
film and a red flock film overlaying it.
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.
If you have questions
about heat pressing, 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:
14476-201 Duval Place West
Jacksonville, FL 32218
904-423-0211 - Phone
904-423-0899 - Fax
844-720-9600 - Toll Free
Ordering: sales@SEFamericas.com
Click Here: SEF Americas Shared Public Folder
Click Here: SEF Product Application Guide
Click Here: SEF FlexCut Product Color Guide
Click Here: SEF Print & Cut Product Guide
© 2015 Jim Hingst
