If you're like me and work on fabrics, choose your preferred colors of iron-on vinyl. I've heard good things about the Cricut product, but as I mentioned, there are also less expensive options for vinyl products, especially if all you're doing is delivering your design without having to run it through a cutting machine. . At this point I will tell you that I really liked the finished quality of this product, that the ironed-on graphics were very smooth, and that the material was easy to work with. If you plan to apply the vinyl graphic to something other than fabric, you'll want to look at the other products available (such as traditional or premium vinyl for temporary applications, or things like custom hanging signs).
I think the main oversight craftsmen had today is the idea that it takes a mighty $300 machine to make wonderful graphics. Here's proof that you can use scissors and an X-Acto blade to easily design and produce your own shapes.
There will be a glossy side and a matte side to the vinyl when you unroll it. The matte side is what is going to press against your fabric when you lay it out to iron; the shiny side will actually peel off, leaving you with a permanent matte graphic.
For more complex designs, I found that drawing on the shiny side of the paper with a non-permanent marker was effective in helping guide my design. (Don't draw on the matte side, because it will get stuck behind the graphic when you iron it on, and you'll feel really sad if the black marker shows through the permanent decal!) For straight lines, rely on a Straight Edge to help with the cuts..
If you want to produce letters without having to hand them over completely, print your letters in black ink on a sheet of standard printer paper, and place it with the vinyl material against a window for the classic letter tracing technique.
Honestly, going old school and cutting your own vinyl graphics is wonderful because you can scale and style them however you like. My design for this shirt was inspired by one of my favorite artists (Cheers to Charley Harper).
When you're ready to iron it onto your shirt, center it and place the glitter vinyl side up.
It's important to create a barrier between the hot iron and the vinyl itself; In one of my tests, I allowed the vinyl to get too close to heat, and it wrinkled a bit like if you touched a plastic flame. The best reviews I've read recommended using plain printer paper sheets between the iron-on and the vinyl (five sheets thick worked fine) and so far I've found the paper to be transparent enough that I could start with a single sheet on paper. Chart (just to view and make sure none of its details have been changed). Once I could see that the graphics were held in position under a sheet of paper, I gave the paper a quick tap with the tip of the iron (no steam!) to start gluing the vinyl, and then I put the another 4 pieces of the paper on top before ironing on it for 15 seconds to fully set.
For larger graphics, I found it helpful to join the fabric and graphic in stages, and not try to do it all at once.
Five pieces of paper completely covering the graphic were enough to disperse the heat and bond the vinyl to the fabric. One suggestion:check it every 10 seconds or so, as the iron's settings can fluctuate and if you leave it on for too long, you risk the vinyl melting too much. When overheated, it can not only wrinkle but also bleed outside the edges of your intended design. A very big problem if you are looking to have sharp lines.
An easy way to tell if your iron-on transfer is attached is to check one corner of the graphic to see if you can easily peel off the clear plastic shiny layer. If the colored vinyl lifts, you'll need to apply heat for a few more seconds, but if it lifts easily like this, feel free to remove it completely.
With the top layer of plastic lifted, the shirt is ready to wear right out of the box! This is so exciting, guys. The patterns I chose to do include the above sheet and a lady bug (both inspired by Charley Harper, even though the lady bug also looks a bit like a robot, oops), and initial tank tops for both of my daughters. . The possibilities are endless! Perfect way to dress up or personalize t-shirts for kids or events.
