Let’s Talk Vinyl
There are so many different types of vinyl that you can use so how do you know which type you need? The type of vinyl that you need depends on the type of project that you will be working on so let’s talk about some of the most common type l and I will share my favorite brands.
Some of the most common types are Heat Transfer, Removable, and Permanent. The focus of this blog will be on heat transfer as that is what I use the most in my projects.
Heat Transfer:
Heat Transfer Vinyl or HTV is used to decorate apparel, bags, and other soft goods. This is the type of vinyl that is most used for t-shirts. To you heat transfer vinyl, you preheat your items for 10 seconds to remove moisture from the fabric, place your image on your item, and depending on the items will determine how long your press and for how long and at what temperature. If this type of vinyl is used for items that need to be washed, it is best to turn the item inside before washing the item. How long the item will last depend on the type of material that you use and the brand of vinyl that you use.
Types of Heat Transfer Vinyl:
Holographic HTV, Glow in the Dark, Metallic, Glitter, Patterned, SportFlex, Puff, Flocked.
You can create so many different projects using heat transfer vinyl. I personally like the way that the glitter looks on dark color shirts it really makes the image pop and stand out. This some types hard to see when looking at in pictures but in person it is very beautiful. Glitter can be a little bit harder to weed sometimes when the project is done. You have to be extremely careful with it and make sure that you are not pulling pieces of the image that you will need.
Siser does make easy weed vinyl and I have not had a real problem when using them. They are my favorite brand of vinyl to use. This is like your everyday simple vinyl. It is in plan colors. They do however have so many different shades and colors to pick from. You can find some of them in your local craft stores but online it seems as if the color selection is endless.
I’m looking forward to working with the patterned and puff vinyl I have not used those yet. I’m looking for some projects that I will be able to use that vinyl on and I will make sure to bring you with me when we try those projects out.
Settings
No matter which brand of viny you use the settings on your machine are very important. Each type requires a different type of cut and setting. When using a cricut I like to set the dial on my machine to custom with this setting I’m able to select the type of vinyl that I have. After selecting the type l I’m using the machine will set itself to cut my image out. Since my machine is a little older and I have been using it for years, I like to set my pressure to more to make sure that I’m getting a really good cut. When I’m working with special vinyl such as glitter, I set my machine to more pressure, and I also do a double cut. I do this because the glitter material may need a little more when cutting it to get an extra clean cut. The main thing to keep in mind when using htv is that you have to mirror your image on put the shiny side down on the mat.
Happy crafting and I hope you enjoy the pictures of some of my creations.
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