What is Heat Transfer T Shirt Vinyl & the Cut n Press?

You are looking into the Cut n Press Custom T Shirt System, but what exactly are you making t shirt with?

Let’s break it down into the materials and how they work, then you are beginning to truly understand how this system works.

How are custom t shirts made?

Just about every type of t shirt you own has one thing in common: HEAT.  No matter what type of art is on your shirt, it’s generally cured with heat. This makes it so you can wear, wash, dry and repeat. The better the shirt, the more times you can repeat this cycle. Essentially, you take a liquid or material and attach it to the shirt, that’s it. You will do this with some sort of heating method. When it comes to heat applied graphics, like what is in the Cut n Press, it is a similar process. So let’s talk about Heat Transfer Vinyl.

What is Heat Transfer Vinyl?

Also known as HTV, it is a plastic based material use in many different applications. This type of material can be used to wrap cars, make signs… and yes, make t shirts too. It’s not the same material for a car as a shirt, but it’s the same concept. The HTV that comes with the Cut n Press is a very flexible polyurethane material that is soft to the touch, but durable enough for the wear, wash, dry cycle of clothing. The type of material we chose for your t shirt business is a premium product. It isn’t rough and doesn’t crack. It’s easy to work with and gives you the quality your customers are seeking. The bottom line is that it’s easy to use, looks great and is high quality. This allows you to sell t shirts with the confidence your customers will come back for more.  Look here for a dedicated article about HTV.

How many colors does it come in?

The FDC Vinyl we carry comes in tons of colors, we are adding new ones every month. These don’t just include solid colors, but also glitter as well. This allows you to create all type of designs that can work for business apparel, sport uniforms or fashionable bling. The FDC HTV is versatile enough to handle just about anything your customers will need.

Can I make multi-color designs?

Absolutely! When putting together the Cut n Press, we wanted to make sure the material was ‘layerable.’ This means you can put layers of material on top of each other to create just about any desired look. The glitter and opaque(solid colors) can layer with each other as well. This allows you to create designs with as many colors as your customers want. Now remember, you are working with solid colors, so if you want 2 colors, you cut out 2 pieces of material. If you want 6 colors, that is 6 cuts; the more colors, the more time it takes to create a shirt. Most shirts made with HTV are going to be 1-2 colors, so you wont find yourself making an 8 color shirt… unless you wanted to. Think about a sports jersey, or a typical company logo… mostly 1-2 colors.

How does it stick to the shirt?

The HTV is on a clear ‘sticker’ like material. You can stick this material right to the shirt to get a visualization of where the design will be permanently. Once you are happy with the placement, you just put it under your heat press machine for about 10 seconds. When you lift it up, peel off the clear paper and its done. Your shirt is now ready to be worn.