Use this Test to Ensure HTV is Getting Enough Pressure

Are you having trouble getting your heat transfer vinyl materials to adhere to your garments? There could be a wide range of factors that might cause this, but one of the most common is pressure - or lack of, really. 

Pressure is a very important part of decorating garments with HTV ( also known as iron on vinyl). All of the products from iCraftVinyl.com require adequate time, temperature and pressure to properly adhered and stay adhered after wear and wash. If you're using a heat press and following our recommended pressing times, but are finding that the material is coming up with the carrier sheet instead of sticking to your fabric, pressure could be the culprit. 

Some other identifiers that pressure could be the issue are the corners or intricate pieces of your design lifting, or not being able to see your the garments's fabric lines.

Fortunately, there is a quick test you can use to ensure your HTV will be pressed - the dollar bill or paper test. All you need is your heat press and some dollar bills or pieces of copy paper. I recommend having one for each side of your press and the front so you can determine if any parts of your press are getting more pressure than other. 

Check out this video below to see how I tested my heat press' pressure with the dollar bill test: 

On the other hand, make sure you're not using too much pressure. That could cause your material to burn or melt, and it can make layering HTV together more challenging (the more pressure & heat, the more shrinkage)

HOME IRON PRESSURE TIP 

If you're using an iron, you really need to mimic the amount of pressure a heat press would give by using your body weight and keeping the iron still instead of moving it from side to side. Make sure you set up on a sturdy table, or even the floor, so you can really but some pressure behind your home iron. It makes all the difference in how long your garments with HTV last. 

If you have questions about pressure - or anything else HTV/vinyl related - leave them in the comments or join our Facebook group. There you will also find our weekly sales, inspiration and a supportive craft community. 

Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1837720849872580/