Heat Transfer Apparel Decoration

It’s easy to get started in the custom apparel market.  One of the biggest selling points of Heat Transfers is the ability to use full-color printing, even on dark garments.

With digital printing, you’re not limited by spot colors, so you are free to include as much detail as you want in a design.  You can use the same image files created for other digital printing projects without having to reconstruct them for screenprinting.  There are no screen charges or setup fees, so pricing is competitive on full-color, short-run work.  You also have the benefit of true photo-realistic printing.  The ability to contour cut with a Roland inkjet printer/cutter avoids the “square-block” look and avoids unnecessary background.

All you need to get started is your Roland printer/cutter and specialized media called Heat Transfer Material (HTM).  HTM is specifically designed for inkjet transfers to cotton or cotton blend garments, which makes it ideal for t-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, hats and other fabric items.  HTM is an opaque media, which means you can use it on dark garments as well as light ones.  It works with a wide variety of ink types including Roland pigment and mild solvent inks.  HTM prints and cuts very well and delivers outstanding color saturation.

Producing Custom Apparel Decoration

To create custom apparel with your Roland inkjet printer/cutter and Heat Transfer Material, use the following workflow:

Setup your artwork with print data and cut paths.
Send the artwork to the printer/cutter for printing and cutting on Heat Transfer Material (HTM). Be sure to use the appropriate color management profiles for HTM media.  The colors of the printed image will appear somewhat subdued on the media, but will appear fully saturated upon transfer.
Weed excess vinyl away from the graphic.
Clean your blank garment with a lint roller or brush.  This will pick up any loose materials or fibers that can cause discoloration and spotting when the garment is heat pressed.
Preheat the heat press to the recommended temperature setting, typically 325 degrees F.  Place the garment flat on the press and briefly prepress the area where you want to apply the transfer to smooth away any wrinkles.
Position the freshly printed and cut image on top of the garment. If you have a lot of small lettering, you can use transfer tape.  Place a Teflon® release sheet or silicon release paper over the graphic.
Press the image and the garment according to the recommended time and temperature settings (typically 325 degrees F for approximately 10 seconds).  Using the correct time and temperature settings are critical for a successful heat transfer.
Carefully remove the release sheet to reveal a bright and durable finished product.

Reprinted from Taking The Mystery Out of PrintCut, © Roland DGA Corp. 2003.