Digital Decorating: Heat Transfer

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February 12, 2016

When Plastisol heat transfers were developed for decorating garments in the 1960s, they were mainly used for embellishing white T-shirts, since colored tees weren’t yet in demand.

Fast forward to 2016 and beyond, and T-shirts have evolved from being under garments to becoming mainstream fashionwear available in a wide variety of colors, styles and fabric blends. Along with the evolution of T-shirts came the development of moisture-wicking garments and compression wear has fueled the need for new heat transfers that adhere to these materials.

It is important to select the correct transfer for a specific fabric type. Following are some fabric and transfer combinations that work well together:

100 percent cotton apparel

This natural fiber is absorbent and is one of the easiest fabrics to decorate because the fibers provide a wicking action that draws the inks and adhesives into the fabric, creating a good mechanical bond. All-cotton fabric holds the garment dye, reducing the chances of the garment color bleeding through the transferred image.

Cold-peel plastisol transfers have been used for decades on 100 percent cotton and provide a semi-gloss look that is popular for team sportswear, fleece and T-shirt embellishing. This transfer type is made with plastisol ink and used for general garment decoration.

Hot-split plastisol transfers also are a popular choice for printing on cotton tees to imitate the look and feel of direct screen printing. When heat applying a hot-split transfer, part of the ink stays on the paper and part of it is transferred to the garment, producing a graphic with a soft-hand feel.

Hot-peel plastisol transfers are peeled immediately after heat pressing and all of the ink is transferred to the garment, leaving the paper clean. Some hot-peel transfers use special adhesives to help release ink from the paper and increase the transfer’s mechanical adhesion.

Color laser copier (CLC) transfers are easy to make in-house with a desktop laser printer. They work on a variety of fabrics, from 100 percent cotton to polyester blends. The main advantage of using CLC heat transfers is for quick-turnaround jobs and short print runs.  

50/50 poly/cotton garment blends

This combination is commonly used in today’s T-shirt constructions. For heat printing this material, cold- and hot-peel transfers both work well. But it’s recommended to apply them at a lower application temperature of 340 degrees F to reduce dye migration caused by high heat press temperatures.

The dyes used in polyester garments begin to sublime or “gas” at temperatures greater than the 350-degree F to 385-degree F range, so lowering the application temperature can reduce the likelihood of the garment color bleeding through the transferred design. Always consult your transfer manufacturer for best results when modifying application instructions.

If the heat press temperature is lowered, increase the transfer pressing time for proper adhesion. Hot-split transfers also can be used to decorate 50/50 blends, but lowering the application temperature is not recommended for this type of transfer. Hot-split transfers typically are applied at 365 degrees F for 10 seconds with medium pressure.

100 polyester and plastisol

These garments have become popular since the introduction of moisture-wicking apparel and performancewear. There are two types of performancewear: the loose-fitting garment that is used for jerseys and athleticwear, and compression apparel that is tight-fitting and pulls in against the wearer’s skin. Compression wear not only wicks moisture, but also increases blood flow in the wearer’s body while working out.

Both types of performancewear can be heat printed, but each requires different transfers. Those that are made for loose-fitting performancewear typically are plastisol transfers that have extra stretch qualities and are backed with a low temperature melting adhesive that allows the transfer to be heat printed at lower temperatures.

Compression wear has become popular in the athletic market for workout apparel targeting muscle groups and providing anatomical support. Dave Wheatley of STAHLS’ advises that transfer placement on the company’s Myrogrid compression wear is critical.

He recommends placing them on flat, smooth, non-vented and lower-compression areas of the garment. While transfers can be applied anywhere, the garment will perform at its best if you can avoid covering the vented zones. Transfer size also is important, and it’s advisable not to place them on areas likely to be overstretched during wear and tear, such as the bust and side areas.

100 percent polyester fashion apparel

This fabrication also is ideal for sublimation decoration.

“One of the best ways to differentiate yourself in sublimation is with the use of sublimation-certified colors, since they create some product diversity,” says Christopher Bernat, chief revenue officer, Vapor Apparel. “People are tired of plain white T-shirts.”

Sublimation transfers have been around for decades but the inkjet printer has dramatically increased their popularity. Sublimation inks are translucent in nature and should only be printed on 100% polyester white or pastel garments.

Burnout fabric garments

“Burnout” poly/cotton blends have been chemically treated to slightly degrade the natural fibers, making the garment sheer and soft to the touch. Burnout fabrics are popular in womenswear construction and can be heat printed with traditional plastisol transfers or hot-split transfers for a soft-hand feel.

Twill, poplin, and corduroy

Each of these fabrics easily can be decorated with flock transfers or CAD-CUT flock materials.

For a winning combination, always remember to consult your heat transfer manufacturer and follow its recommendations for selecting the proper products made specifically for decorating today’s specialty fabrics.

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James Ortolani has more than 30 years’ of experience in the decorated apparel industry, specializing in hands-on direct screen printing and heat-transfer production. This story was updated April 19, 2023