Have you ever tried getting a design on a t-shirt by yourself? Did you use the correct materials to do so? If not, then you should consider trying heat transfer paper. With heat transfer paper, you can get the best quality printing jobs possible on your t-shirts without any problems.
Buying the Right Paper
To start making your t-shirt, start by going to an office supply store and picking up heat transfer paper. There should be many different types and there will definitely be one that suits the type of shirt you are using. If you have a white or light colored shirt, then pick up heat transfer paper that transfers well onto light shirts. For dark colored shirts, pick up heat transfer paper that is used on dark colors.
Print Your Image(s)
Once you have the image you want in mind, go onto the computer and print it. Depending on the type of heat transfer paper you are using, you might have to set the printer to a different mode. Printing your picture as a mirror image normally works out best for your t-shirt so that when you place the image face down on top of it, the image does not come out backwards.
Pre-Heat Your Shirt
Pre-heat the shirt you want to transfer the image onto so that no moisture gets locked into it and creates bubbles or makes the ink from your image run. You will want to consult the heat transfer paper directions to make sure you have the correct amount of heat on your shirt before you transfer the image. If no temperature is specified, then look online for the amount of heat you will need for the type of paper you’re using.
Heat Your Image
To get your image onto the t-shirt, you will need to heat it. Pre-heat a heating device, iron or whatever you are going to use to heat your image before applying it to the t-shirt. Make sure you set your heating device or iron to the temperature specified on the back of the heat transfer paper packaging and attach the image to it facedown.
Apply Your Image
Once the piece of paper with the image on it is heating, it is time to apply the image to the shirt. Keeping the image facedown and on the heating device, place it onto the area of the shirt that you want to see the image on. Press down for at least thirty seconds with medium-heavy pressure. Then, lift up the heating device and you should see the image on the paper. You’re all done.
Heat transfer paper is an amazing tool for making t-shirts. Although the image may eventually wear out from washing the shirt often enough, you can wash the shirt inside out to help slow the rate of deterioration of the image. No matter what image you choose, heat transfer paper will make it possible for you to transfer that image onto a piece of clothing. Just make sure that you buy the correct type of paper for the garment you have selected to use.
