4 Tips for Using Metallic Heat Transfer Vinyl

Some occasions call for more pizzazz than others. A girls’ weekend getaway, the annual Fourth of July celebration, and a graduation bash all fall into that category. While foil balloons and fireworks are a good start, buying up custom shirts with shimmery metallic vinyl lets everyone feel like part of the fun.

If your goal is to provide these kinds of bold garments and products to families and other groups, you’ll need to understand the idiosyncrasies of metallic heat press vinyl first. To get a better grasp of it, consider these four tips for using metallic heat transfer vinyl.

Use the Right Cut Setting and Check Cuts

Though it may be second nature to run your regular vinyl cut settings, don’t forget to switch it to accommodate metallic heat pressing. You shouldn’t neglect this step because metallic vinyl is much thicker than traditional vinyl and adheres best with specific (higher) temperatures and press times.

Practice before doing the real thing to see if your press cuts clear through. If you can’t feel the cuts on the carrier sheet during these practices or during real use, adjust your settings to ensure a deeper cut.

Weed Slowly

With any thick vinyl, you must weed your design slowly. This thickness means it takes a little more focused force to pull up than normal. Patience here will prevent pieces from ripping off before they peel up, especially around the thinnest, most complex details.

Don’t Layer Atop Metallic Vinyl

This tip for using metallic heat transfer vinyl applies to most specialty vinyl—don’t layer anything on top of it. While other types are poor adhesive surfaces because they’re fuzzy, metallic HTV is too smooth a surface to grip another layer. Though you may have a neat idea that involves layering, it isn’t worth the inevitable peeling that happens later.

Handwash After Use

After printing, it’s imperative you tell customers to avoid machine-washing their printed shirts. Doing so warps and shrinks the vinyl design, affecting both the shirt’s look and feel. Though hand washing takes some extra work, it’ll keep their metallic shirt in good shape.