T Shirt Transfer Paper (or Heat Transfer Paper as it is sometimes known) is a well known product used by a wide range of different users. School children, sport associations, hen and stag party organizers, all have used transfer paper at some point in history to create personalised T Shirts (and other Garments) for a specific occasion or to produce a memento of a significant event.
Heat Transfer Paper however, can be used for a much wider range of applications that are often not considered by people who want to create something special on a surface that can not be easily fed through an inkjet printer.
The technical bits…..
Heat Transfer Paper is designed to take an image printed on it using an ordinary inkjet printer using ordinary inks, and allow the user to transfer it using a heat process onto essentially a porous surface that will allow the carrier film to stick to it.
Printed in mirror mode (with the image appearing back to front when viewed before transferring) the image is placed face down onto the substrate and with the application of heat and pressure, using a domestic iron or professional heat press, is transferred. No special skill or equipment required.
The creative bits….
As the transfer paper requires a porous substrate to stick to, the application range is much wider that simple t shirts. Users in the past have used transfer paper to print on items such as:
- T Shirts (obviously)
- Sweat Shirts
- Mouse Mats (becoming obsolete we know, but may still be required)
- Pillow Cases & Cotton Bag For Life
- Aprons
- Dinner Napkins (imagine the effect when unrolled and an image appears)
- Flags and Bunting
- Banners, Table Cloths and Covers of every description
- Hats, Caps and Bandana’s
- Wood!! Not a mistake, you can print on untreated flat wood!
Fabrics can be Cotton, Viscose, Polyester, Silk etc. As long as they do not melt under a hot Iron, the process will work.
General guidelines for using transfer paper:
- Heat – The transfer paper relies on sufficient heat to be applied so that the image separates from the paper and moves onto the substrate. Domestic Irons of 1400w minimum and above are best for domestic application. (Do not use Steam)
- Pressure – The more the merrier (but don’t cause and injury to yourself or your equipment). Pressure is the parameter that makes sure that the image does not only transfer but also stays there for ever.
- Surface – Needs to be solid and sturdy. Work tops lined with another t shirt are great, ironing boards are banned!
- Flat Substrates – T Shirts are flat so no problems but if you are printing other items make sure that they are flat and crease free. Remember that the iron or heat press are very flat and any indentations on the substrate will not receive heat and pressure to transfer.
Remember that these are not instructions on how to use the product. Full instructions are provided when you buy the paper.
So go off and exercise your creative juices when considering what you can do with this highly versatile product. As long as the surface you want to print on is heat resistant, absorbent and flat, the Transfer Paper will allow you to transfer an image generated on a computer and domestic printer, onto a wide range of materials. Your imagination is your only limit.
Watch the video tutorial of the Inkjet transfer paper:
I used the information on this website to find out if I could use ordinary ink on transfer paper and not necessarily sublimation ink. So I hope it works just as well.