Heat Transfer Vinyl T-Shirt Peeling Off, Problem SOLVED

Have you ever had this experience where your heat transfer vinyl (HTV) was peeling right off the t-shirt or have bubbles right after you applied it? This immediately happens after you use the heating element whether it be an iron or a heat press and obviously, you are not happy about it. Well, you come to the right place because I will discuss what is the cause of this problem and what you need to do to solve it.

How do you solve the problem of heat transfer vinyl peeling off? The main reason why your HTV is peeling off or have bubbles is probably due to an incorrect peeling method. There are two ways that are used for this process always and they are the warm peel and cold peel.

There are other possible reasons why this is happening. It is very important for you to know all about these things so you can prevent this mistake which will cost you extra time and money in your operations.

Using a vinyl letter removing solvent can be considered should mistakes happen here.

The other possible causes for peeling will be discussed later in this article. But first, let me discuss these two ways of peeling and how they can cause this problem to happen.

Warm Peel

This means that you will remove the liner from the object while it is warm to the touch, this is the easiest way. Take note that you don’t do this while it is still hot because you can get hurt.

If you allow it to cool completely, it should still be fine because most vinyl although it will just take longer to remove it.

Warm peels have a liner sheet that has a sticky back.

These are the common iron on materials for warm peels:

Brick 600
Cricut Iron On Lite
Cricut Everyday Iron On
Cricut Metallic Iron On
Cricut Glitter Iron On
Cricut Holographic Sparkle Iron On
Cricut sport flex
JetPro Soft Stretch Printable HTV
Silhouette Smooth Heat Transfer (better results with cold peel)
Siser EasyWeed
Siser EasyWeed Electric
Siser EasyWeed Extra
Siser EasyWeed Stretch
Siser EasyWeed Perf

Cold Peel

This time you will have no choice but to wait right until the object is completely cold before you can peel the liner. If you don’t wait, warping, bubbling, peeling or even stretching is very possible for your object.

Cold peel types of vinyl will not have a sticky backed liner sheet.

The following are some of the cold peel iron on materials:

Patterned Iron On
Cricut Foil Iron On
Cricut Patterned Iron On
Cricut Iron On Designs
Siser Holographic
Siser Metallic
Siser Strip Flock

Now you should have an idea how to handle heat transfer vinyl peeling off issue.

These are the other possible causes as to why you will have a peeling problem.

I would like to add that you can effectively use a vinyl letter removing solvent in case you want to remove the vinyl from your garment. It will save you time, money, and you don’t need to throw away the t-shirt.

Not Following The Recipe

Recipe refers to the settings on temperature, time, and pressure which are specifically defined in each of the HTV material.

Temperature

Instructions on the recommended temperature will have to be strictly followed for this HTV to work properly.

That is why I urge you to use a heat press for this purpose so you can properly set the temperature and time ahead. You will not have to worry anymore that you will make a mistake with these settings.

Time

Too short or too long Ironing or pressing time will cause HTV to peel off from the garment.

Remember that HTV needs enough time when being pressed on the material for it to work properly.

If there’s not enough time given, then it will not stick properly. If it’s too long, it is highly possible that this will burn the adhesive.

Pressure

Application of proper pressure is another argument why you should use a heat press. It has to be consistent all through the application for this to work properly.

Things To Consider When Using An Iron

This section is for those who still prefer using an iron when working with HTV.

Definitely, it is very hard to apply pressure on a large design if you are using an iron.

Experts say that you should clearly see the weave of the fabric through the vinyl to ensure that enough pressure was being applied. This kind of application of pressure demands strong upper body strength.

You should also consider the surface where you are laying the t-shirt on.

Don’t use stone, granite, or other surfaces that can absorb the generated heat from the iron. Also, don’t use an ironing board or any other surface where you can’t apply firm pressure consistently.

Here are a few tips to remember if you would still prefer to use an iron instead.

Use the cotton setting.
Don’t use steam.
Don’t place the holes at the bottom of your iron on top of the vinyl when applying.
Apply pressure as much as you can when pressing the iron.
15 to 20 seconds of time should be enough for this action.

Cricut heat press is a good alternative to an iron, it can do the job very well.

Consider The Fabric

Use Craft Perfect for spandex fabric while Siser Easyweed works well for cotton, polyester, cotton/poly blended fabric, canvas, and burlap. Siser Easyweed product is a very popular vinyl choice.

For nylon fabrics, use heat transfer for vinyl.

Presence Of Buttons, Collars, Thick Seams, And Zippers

Raised areas will definitely affect the placement of HTV and the subsequent application of pressure.

Consider using a heat printing pillow to work around these hurdles. Otherwise, avoid these areas for now especially for a beginner.

Heat Transfer Pillow

These are pillows that are soft foam squares and which are completely enclosed within nonstick fabrics.

They are used to enable buttons, pockets, collars, thick seams, and zippers to be absorbed within these pillows. This will enable you to apply consistent pressure during an HTV process.

The way it works is that you will insert these pillows inside these raised surfaces. This will allow consistent pressure to be applied.

If your shop will be having HTV as one of the printing styles, I suggest that you invest in these pillows.

You can also use heat transfer pillows on backpacks, polo shirts, drawstring hoodies, cinch bottom sweatpants, or hoodie pockets.

Check For Fabric Coating

Fabrics that have a special coating on them such as waterproofing and fire retardant ones will have issues with HTV.

This is so because vinyl sticks only to the fibers and anything extra will prevent it from doing so properly.

Using A Fabric Softener

Fabric softeners add a layer of coating between the fibers of the garment. Coatings, as mentioned earlier, cause complications with HTV.

You can work around this by doing away with pre-washing your garments or at least, don’t use a fabric softener when doing so.

If the reason why you are pre-washing is to prevent shrinkage, consider just buying pre-shrunk t-shirts.

Check The Heat Press

I suggest that you check your heat press regularly to make certain that it is working properly.

It is known that there are heat presses that tends to have a cold or hot spot inside of it.

You have to know right away where these spots are so that you can work your way around this if it’s still possible. Otherwise, have this heat press repaired or use a temperature gun to check for these spots.

There are also instances when the heating element inside the heat press just stopped working properly. You must consider getting a new one if this happens.

Heat Press Types

There are 4 types of heat presses that are available currently.

Clamshell Heat Press

This is called a clamshell because it is hooked from one end and then opens and closes like a clam.

It works through a hinge which opens and closes it. This same hinge is located between the upper and lower platens.

This machine operates like a mouth and can carry out its work on multiple surfaces correctly.

Clamshell heat presses are especially recommended for beginners because of it’s easy to use. You should use this type if you would only work with thin garments like t-shirts.

It can transfer your own artwork to mugs, boxes, sweatshirts, and others. You can produce a big volume of artwork with this type of heat press.

It is not as expensive as other heat presses so it is ideal for printing presses that are starting with this printing method and do not have a big budget for it.

There are manual and automatic versions of this type of heat press.

This machine is perfect for small spaces and can be easily moved around. It also works faster than the other types but it does not have a greater amount of precision in doing so.

Swing Away Heat Press

This type of heat press permits the upper platen (plate which presses the vinyl against the t-shirt) to swing either clockwise or counterclockwise from the lower platen. You can swing the upper plate away as you lay your material and artwork and put it back in place when finished.

This type of motion is effective in preventing the person who is handling the press from being burned while operating the heat press. It is also easier to operate compared to the clamshell type heat press.

It is a more heavy duty type of a press since you can work with thicker garments or other materials here. You have a lot more leeway with the HTV and substrates to be used here.

You don’t need additional accessories to be able to print on cups and hats.

Swing away heat presses offer greater precision in the transfer because you have a complete and total overview of the layout area. The pressure generated from this type of heat press is consistent and even.

This type of heat press has more space requirements and takes longer when applying vinyl transfers. It is designed for people who have more experience in heat transfers.

Draw Style Heat Press

This permits the bottom platen to be subsequently pulled out like a drawer away from the heat source. You will then have access to work here as you can layout your t-shirt without having to grab the upper platen.

There is also no chance of getting burned here because you don’t have to work a heated platen. It is also similar to the swing away type heat press because you can have a full view of the print layout.

While this process is not stressful, I must tell you to be careful when printing so that your designs will not be moved out of place.

Draw style heat press can also produce plenty of items.

Sublimation Heat Press

Use this type of heat press when you have to transfer a high-quality digital design to your t-shirts. This heat press type allows ink to be absorbed by your garments.

This heat press has a very big surface area that will enable you to transfer artwork to large items such as sweatpants and sweatshirts. It can also work with multi-purpose heat transfers.

Tips When Buying A Heat Press

In case you are thinking of buying a heat press, the following tips should make this process easier for you.

Machine Type

Purchase the clamshell type heat press if you are a beginner and would just be working on t-shirts and garments with similar thickness. Consider this type also if you have a limited budget.

Buy a swing away type heat press if you need to print with numbers, letters, and rhinestones because this type of job requires precision.

You will obviously get the sublimation printer if you really need to do sublimation type printing.

Machine Purpose, Shape, And Size

Consider curved surfaces if you will be doing printing on mugs and caps; otherwise, just get a flat surface press.

It is important to determine here what are the requirements of your customers in terms of size so you don’t have to purchase a big one if it’s not needed anyway.

Standard t-shirt printing models come in 14” x 16” or 16” x 20” models. Bigger ones come in at 20” x 25” minimum area size.

Manual Or Automatic Heat Press

I will set the dividing line between considering buying a manual or an automatic heat press to the number of hours that you will be working with it in a day.

If you will be working more than 4 hours a day with heat presses, get the automatic type. It will really save you precious time and effort.

Other Considerations

I strongly urge you to get the model that stands out in terms of quality. Invest time in reading the specifications and check for online reviews. This will really save you time and headache down the road.
Check also for the type of customer and technical support that will come with the heat press. You may also consider getting an extended warranty or service agreement especially if you are purchasing the more expensive models.
Focus on the heat platen and do all types of checks on it to ensure that it is working properly such as distributing the heat evenly.
Digital timers on heat presses are a must and you must not scrimp on this.
For a clamshell type heat press purchase, verify the presence of an adjustable pressure knobs and force with it. This will effectively save you effort and allow you to apply the correct amount of pressure to the t-shirt.
If you still prefer to use iron for HTV, consider getting the Cricut heat press.