Heat transfer vinyl, or HTV, is an increasingly popular pressing material for small décor and fashion businesses. One specific aspect of the HTV world, T-shirt printing, covers an especially broad swath of small businesses.
If you operate your own, you want your HTV to look incredible and last for years. So when you start to notice your shirts peeling, or a customer calls you up complaining, you want to take every step possible to address it. Here are some common reasons your heat transfer vinyl is peeling and ways to fix it.
Fabric Incompatibilities
First, don’t mix vinyls with incompatible apparel fabrics. To promote the best press possible, respective vinyl products optimally match certain materials. For instance, nylon vinyl goes with nylon fabric, while stretchy spandex requires accommodating spandex-ready vinyl.
For cotton or polyester, your options are wider, though you still need to check what works before pressing. If you sync fabric and vinyl well, you won’t deal with peeling often.
Layering Challenges
Also, peeling may result from improper layering technique. Among other HTV layering tips, you must not apply HTV over any specialty vinyl. Glitter, for one, is an ineffective base for application and causes vinyl to peel off after a wash—or even before. Specialty vinyls are also distinctly meant for display, so you shouldn’t even consider layering on top of them. Instead, precisely cut your designs so that it only appears that there’s an underlying specialty layer, even though there isn’t. Overall, you end up with a more secure product.
Temperature Irregularities
Another reason your heat transfer vinyl is peeling involves your pressing temperature. When you inadvertently set your heat press to the wrong temperature, you either don’t melt the vinyl onto the fabric appropriately, or you damage the adhesive. Making sure your settings match the manufacturer recommendations quickly sets things to rights, though.
When you apply HTV with an iron, you’re more likely to run into temperature irregularities. Because your pressing surface is smaller than a heat press and you can’t always apply even heating, peeling may occur in spots.
If you pay attention to these reasons your heat transfer vinyl is peeling, you’re sure to skirt common durability issues and foster your small business’s reputation.
FAQs
Most of the time, the vinyl has not adhered to the shirt properly due to lack of ample heat. Therefore, to stop it from peeling, increase the temperature and pressure of the heat press or iron on. Lay the shirt flat and place a Teflon sheet on top. Then, apply your heat source with the adjusted instructions.
Why is my heat transfer vinyl peeling? ›
Most of the time, the vinyl has not adhered to the shirt properly due to lack of ample heat. Therefore, to stop it from peeling, increase the temperature and pressure of the heat press or iron on. Lay the shirt flat and place a Teflon sheet on top. Then, apply your heat source with the adjusted instructions.
Why isn't my heat transfer vinyl sticking? ›
This usually happens due to a lack of pressure at the time of pressing. We usually adjust the time and temperature correctly but increase the pressing time if the HTV doesn't stick. Instead, we should increase the pressure. The heat press works by adjusting the time, temperature, and pressure.
When to peel HTV vinyl? ›
Hot Peel – Peel carrier right away while the design is still hot from the press. No waiting necessary! Warm Peel – Wait until the carrier cools down slightly and peel carrier away when it is warm to the touch. Cold Peel – Let the carrier cool down completely before peeling away the carrier.
Why does my vinyl peel off? ›
Inadequate pressure is one of the biggest reasons why HTV peels off shirts. Using a pressing pillow when pressing HTV onto shirts in a heat press helps provide more even and consistent pressure for better results.
Why is my transfer paper peeling? ›
When the transfer is cracking or peeling, that may mean that the transfer may have needed more pressure and heat while ironing. We would recommend visiting avery.com/transfers to make sure that all of the steps were followed as closely as possible.
Does vinyl peel off easily? ›
Removable vinyl will adhere to glass, paper, wall, wood. Basically any type of surface. This type of vinyl will easily peel off without leaving any residue.
How to fix peeling shirt printing? ›
The difficulty of repairing shirt printing depends on the material used.. To restick peeling numbers, the simple application of fabric glue to the underside of the symbol can help to reattach it.
How can I make my heat transfer vinyl stick better? ›
Tips to Get HTV / Iron On to Stick and Last Longer
- Know Your Base/Blank Material.
- Choose the Right Iron On.
- Pre-Wash Your Base.
- Choose Your Heating Method.
- Set Your Temperature.
- Choose the Right Pressing Surface.
- Pre-Heat Your Base.
- Press Your Project.
If you're using a regular iron and it's too hot, this can ruin the adhesive. This means your vinyl won't stick, no matter what you do. You'll also need to make sure you're using enough pressure. Think about it: professional heat presses use a lot of pressure to stick vinyl down.
The finest Heat Transfer Vinyl Lasts For Up To 50 Wash Cycles which may increase if it is properly taken care of. If you want to keep HTV rolls to use later on, their shelf life is Six Months To One Year provided they are stored in appropriate conditions.
Do you peel heat transfer vinyl hot or cold? ›
We tried a "hot peel" with this foil HTV and part of the HTV did not adhere. In this case, put the carrier sheet back down, repress, then wait for the HTV to cool. Then, remove the carrier sheet. In general though, most HTV can be peeled cold (or warmish), so if you're unsure, then that is probably your best bet.
Do you let heat transfer vinyl cool before peeling? ›
I prefer to let my items cool before peeling away the carrier sheet. If you don't have time to wait for it to fully cool, wait at least 20-30 seconds and then peel away a small corner to check. You don't want to risk peeling off the heat transfer vinyl while it's still hot.
How do I stop my Cricut vinyl from peeling? ›
Apply Heat:
Therefore, to stop it from peeling, increase the temperature and pressure of the heat press or iron on.
What happens if you over press HTV? ›
Over pressing doesn't just damage the vinyl's physical form. This terrible mistake can also affect the adhesive strength of the HTV. The longer you expose the HTV to high temperatures, the weaker the adhesive becomes.
