Layering Heat transfer vinyl with plotter
Layering heat transfer vinyl (HTV) can be a daunting task, especially if you are new to it. But with a little bit of knowledge and practice, you’ll find it’s not as difficult as you may have initially thought. The author shares their experience creating a super cute bumblebee T-shirts using T-vinyl PU in yellow and black.
When designing something that requires layering HTV, it is important to keep your cut file organized. The author recommends organizing the cut file by color to make the process easier. In this case, since the author was creating a bumblebee design, they started by releasing the compound path and selecting the parts individually. They grouped everything that would be yellow and everything that would be black so they could separate them and cut them individually. If you were cutting different types of vinyl, you could take it a step further and cut by color.
It is also important to keep in mind that not all vinyl can be layered. Some HTV can only be used as the top layer, so you’ll want to avoid layering on top of Glitter HTV, Foil, Holographic, Shimmer, and Shine. For the bottom layer, it is recommended to use anything with a smooth finish, such as T-vinyl PU, as these smooth finish HTV can be used on either the top or bottom layer.
Once all of the pieces were cut and weeded, it was time to apply the HTV. If the author were using two different materials, they would have made sure that the higher temperature vinyl was applied first. But since they were using T-vinyl PU, they were able to apply the yellow T-vinyl for 2 seconds and peel it hot. They then placed the black layer on top and pressed it for the full 13 seconds and peeled it hot as well. This process was repeated for the entire t-shirts, and the author was done.
If you still have questions about layering HTV, feel free to reach out to T-vinyl’s support team at support@t-vinyl.com. They would be happy to help.
In conclusion, layering HTV may seem challenging, but it’s a straightforward process if you keep your cut file organized, are mindful of the type of vinyl that can be layered, and use a smooth finish vinyl on the bottom. With a little bit of knowledge and practice, you’ll find it’s not as difficult as you may have initially thought, and you’ll be able to create your own beautiful designs in no time.
