You will always get a better result by applying HTV (heat transfer vinyl) with a heat press. But if you are careful, you can successfully apply these decals it at home using your iron.
To test the decals, I decided to use an iron to apply this dinosaur decal to a ribbed onesie (from KMart). It only took a few minutes. It took less time than it usually takes to heat the press, and the result was pretty much perfect. So much so that I am unable to tell the difference between this onesie and the one that I pressed with the heat press.
The process is fairly simple.
- You set your iron to a temperature about halfway between wool and cotton.
- Lay the garment on a flat surface (or ironing board). I use a Teflon pad on top of the bench in my laundry to iron small items. And that works perfectly for applying decals.
- Run over the top of the garment with a lint roller to remove any debris.
- Set your iron on the garment for 10-15 seconds to remove any moisture. Any moisture in the fabric can prevent the htv from adhering to the garment properly.
- Remove the backing from your decal. It should just peel off (I pre-peel every decal before I send it out to make this step easier for you). Lay it on the garment with the printed side up.
- Use the strips of transfer tape to secure the decal in place (included in your decal pack).
- Cover the decal with some parchment paper (also included in your decal pack).
- Place your iron on top of the parchment paper. Hold it down with a little bit of pressure for 10-15 seconds.
- If your decal is larger than the surface of your iron, you will have to repeat this process as many times as needed to press the entire surface of the decal.
And you are done. Lift the iron and remove the parent paper. Carefully peel off the transfer tape.
Seeing is Believing: Applying HTV with a Home Iron
At this stage, I have not had time to do a “how to apply HTV with a home iron” video. I probably won’t get to it for a while. So I found one on YouTube that I think is a perfect tutorial for you.
In this video, Jessica from Expressions Vinyl demonstrates how to use a home iron with heat transfer vinyl.
You can also check out their website for more hints and tips about using HTV.
