by Kenzye P.
Hey Makers! It’s Kenzye with another Cricut craft coming at ya! This week’s blog is an extension of our sticker making blog found here. This time, however, we’ll be working with Printable Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV). This may sound like a fantastic new way to add bright colorful images to everything you own, but there are some caveats to the care routines that can alter the longevity of your design on various surfaces.
What is Printable HTV? …and How to Choose!
There are two kinds of printable HTV, one for light fabrics and one for dark fabrics. Which you choose is based on how you want your printed design to show up on your desired fabric. HTV for dark fabrics has an opaque white pigment in the paper that allows lighter colors to appear vivid on any color of fabric. HTV for light fabrics uses a transparent background that allows it to use less ink when printing onto light fabrics. This transparency means that you’ll also see the color of the shirt through the fabric if you’re utilizing something other than white. It also means that anywhere on your image that is white will not show up like it will with HTV for dark fabrics.
Below I’ve tested the same design with both HTV Dark and HTV Light on different fabrics. These tests show how these different types of printable HTV can be used on different types of fabrics. If the kind of fabric you want to use isn’t listed below, it’s recommended to do a test on a scrap piece of fabric or conduct some online research.
Top to bottom and left to right: medium blue denim, muted blue rayon, pink Chinese silk, brown and white felt, white cotton broadcloth, and unbleached muslin.
NOTE: You’ll notice my design printed on HTV light is mirrored. This is only to help further differentiate the two for learning purposes and is NOT necessary when printing your design.
Where to Use Printable HTV
You can put printable HTV anywhere you would put normal HTV, however, it often has less give than normal vinyl. This means that the more the fabric stretches with the printable HTV on it, the quicker it will begin to crack and peel. It’s for this reason that I recommend printable HTV only be used on clothes that aren’t going to be form fitted and generally saved for fabric and projects where stretching will be minimal.
My favorite use for printable HTV is BAGS (tote bags, pencil pouches, etc.)! To the right is a pencil bag I’ve pieced together from reclaimed cotton and applied my design onto. With the patterned fabric, you’ll notice the pattern has begun to peek through the transfers. This is due to the thinness of the vinyl and should be considered when choosing where to apply your design.
How to Use Printable HTV
The process for printable HTV is the same as our sticker making process where we uploaded a print then cut image into Cricut Design Space. Pick the design you’d like to use and upload it to Cricut. If you can’t remember how to upload an image, follow this tutorial.
When you’re ready to make your project, the kind of HTV (light or dark) that you’ve chosen will not change how you prepare your project for cutting.
For printable HTV, both dark and light, you do NOT need to reverse the image. After it’s printed and cut, you’ll peel the vinyl from the backing sheet and place it face up directly onto your garment and cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Press with the heat press or with an iron at 315° for 30 seconds. This is a standard setting for cotton, to check settings and temperatures for other fabric types, use this guide.
Caring for Printable HTV
No matter where you decide to put your printable HTV, the way that you care for your finished project is crucial to ensuring your design lasts for years to come. First and foremost, wait at least 24-48 hours before attempting to wash your garment to ensure your design has permanently adhered to the fibers of your project. When you’re ready to wash, turn the garment inside out and wash on COLD with a mild detergent. Air dry or use a delicate no-heat setting. Printable HTV, when properly cared for, can last up to 50 washes or about 3 years for the average person.
That’s it Makers! Stop by Ignite Studio and check out our new Sticker Maker setup to make your own print and cut HTV project today! Printable HTV for light and dark fabrics are now available for purchase in studio, as an assistant for details. Don’t forget to share your project to the Ignite Community Discussion Board. Happy Making!
