Vinyl Printed T-shirts

The idea is to make short instructable for putting a text on a tshirt via a heatpress and vinyl foil for an event.

Supplies

see next step for supplies

Step 1: Preparation

Requirements:

- vinyl foil

- tweezers

- small metal hook is also handy

- box cutter

- heat press

- baking paper

- T-shirts

- inspiration

Step 2: Design the T-shirt

Make a design or text that you want to have on the T-shirt/sweater in Brother Canvas software for mechanical cutout by a cutting machine.

The standard size of a cutting mat is 305x305mm

Step 3: Before You Cut..

If the design is made, you have to mirror it (horizontally) because you cut on the backside of the vinyl foil.

Step 4: Export the Design to the Machine

Either you can do this with an usb stick or via usb cable if the Brother Scan 'n Cut supports it.

Step 5: Import the Design in the Machine

Load the file from the usb stick or from the internal memory of the scan cut and do a quick visual check if all text is mirrored and is properly scaled.

--> If necessary you can still adjust the size and position on the LCD of the scan cut machine

A few designs in attachment below.

Step 6: Cutting Vinyl

- lay the vinyl upside down on the mat. The transparant plastic foil should be underneeth tht vinyl so the machine cuts only the vinyl

- Put the cutting mat in the machine

- update the setting to the thickness of the vinyl (check manual of the machine)

- cut the design

Step 7: Removing the Remaining Vinyl

- After the machine has cut the vinyl, remove the mat from the machine

- start pulling the remaining vinyl so only the design remains (so you only remove what is NOT needed)

Step 8: Printing the T-shirt

Be careful - following steps have to be done very carefully to avoid severe burns !!

Preheat the heat press on +- 150°C

put the T-shirt over the lower plate (" the cold one" )

place the cut out vinyl on top of the T-shirt - not touching the hot top plate!

place a piece of baking paper in between the upper plate and the protective transparant plastic foil

In short - top to bottom:

hot plate > baking paper > transparant plastic foil > vinyl > T-shirt > cold plate

- press the hot plate now for 10 to 15s onto the T-shirt

- let cool down for +- 15s (depending on the protective foil of the vinyl)

- remove carefully the protective plastic foil

- press the hot plate again 15 to 20s onto the T-shirt

- let cool down and remove T-shirt from the cold plate (this cold plate may heat up after a few T-shirts, be careful of skin burns !)

- peel off the plastic foil from the T-shirt

- up to the next one!