Deciphering A World Of Heat Transfer Vinyl Part 2 of 3
29 Dec
This 3 part guide is created to serve as a general guide to help you along when selecting a heat transfer vinyl to use for your business.
Part 1 of this guide examined factors such as Price, Delivery & Quality.
Part 2, this article, will cover production factors and finished results.
Part 3 will cover a list of specific brands and sub-brands, along with a pricing breakdown.
PART TWO: Production Factors and Finished Results.
Production Factors
Cuttability – The first thing to look for from a production standpoint is a material’s “cuttability”. Cuttability refers to the ease at which the cutter blade cuts the material. Cuttability relies heavily on characteristics, such as thickness and texture. When sourcing a material it is important to know whether or not the material can be cut with a standard blade (usually 45 degrees) and if so, how does it wear on the blade. Thicker materials or materials that include glass beads such as reflectives are usually harder to cut and should be looked at carefully. Sometimes these materials will need to be cut with more downforce or even a 60 degree blade. Although this is not a big deal, it’s better to know up front. For the most part cuttability is more reliant upon the capabilities of your cutter. Extremely thin or thicker materials can often pose a problem for lower grade cutters. So be sure to test or ask questions from your supplier. Another item to note is that thinner materials that come in wide rolls (more than 15″) often are difficult to cut on many machines. When being cut, they tend to pucker in the middle which causes inaccurate results. Be sure to mention your brand of cutter to a supplier before ordering in these types of material.
Weedability – After your material has cut successfully the next logical step in the process is to weed away the excess material. Since this is the most time consuming step in the production process, it is certainly one that should weigh heavily in your decision making process. One of the major factors that has an effect on weedability is whether or not the material has a “sticky” carrier. Although there are many variations of materials with and without “sticky” carriers it is important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages associated with this. The advantages of the sticky carrier is that if you accidentally peel up part of your design or lettering you can “stick” it back down to the backing. With a non-sticky carrier this is not possible. The entire piece would be lossed, unless you use a trick, such as hairspray, to stick it back down in place. Please keep in mind that certain materials without a sticky carrier hold better to the backing when weeded, significantly reducing this issue. Usually thicker material without a sticky backing is the primary culprit of this problem. A disadvantage of the “sticky” carrier is it’s ease of use in the general weeding process. When peeling away the excess film, you are often fighting with the carrier by trying to prevent it from sticking to itself, picking up dust and reclaiming small cavities that you have weeded (such as the inside of a letter). Another thing to consider is that if you will be storing the cuts, the sticky backing can pose an issue.
Heatability – Heatability refers the ease at which the heat transfer vinyl can be heat pressed to a garment. Since there are three primary factors crucial to the process of heat pressing it is important to examine the material as it relates to these factors. In case your wondering, these three factors are time, temperature and pressure. There is no rule of thumb to whether or not a material is quality based on these factors, but looking at each from a unique perspective can make life easier. For instance, examine the pressure needed to apply the heat transfer vinyl. A lighter pressure to apply means less fatigue on the heat press operator. Look at temperature: a lower temperature can translate into the ability to apply to more delicate fabrics that cannot withstand higher heat settings. American Apparel garments are a great example of this. Now, look at time: a lessened dwell time will translate to you being able to produce garments at a quicker rate. Dwell time can also effect delicate fabrics in the same way that temperature does. A short dwell time is usually preferred. Now lets go back to see the pros and cons of the sticky carrier that we discussed earlier. During the pressing process a sticky carrier can make the cut harder to reposition and adjust after it has been placed on a shirt. On the flipside, some prefer the sticky carrier in order to place the cut and hold up the shirt for a visual, to ensure proper placement. Other things to consider during the heat press process are: how easily does the carrier peel away after the cut has been pressed, is the material a hot or cold peel and does the pressing process require multiple applications and/or special cover sheets.
Finished Results
Finished results should be the most important factor when considering which heat transfer vinyl to go with. Characteristics such as opacity, feel, look and durability top the list when it comes to a customers perspective. When looking into specific brands and styles ensure that the opacity is good. A nice test of this is getting the supplier to send you a sample or digital photo of a white material applied to a red or black. If the opacity is bad, you will see strike through and not a pure white color on the vinyl. The second thing to consider is feel. Many customers have different expectations as to how a heat transfer vinyl will feel. Some customers like a thick feel whereas most customers will prefer a soft feel similar to screen printing. When researching brands of material ask whether or not the material is soft on the garment. As a tip: usually polyurethane based vinyls have a softer feel. PVC based tend to be thicker. The next thing you should consider is the look of the heat transfer vinyl. Some materials are glossy whereas others are a matte finish. Be sure to specify which finish you prefer andmake sure that it is available in the brand that you are considering. The last and very important thing to consider is durability. The durability of a material will often directly effect your reputation. Many materials are guaranteed to outlast the life of the garment with no cracking, peeling or fading. Be sure to check to see the guarantee that each brand offers.
