Information and Usage Tips

Hot-Split heat transfers are credited with reviving the screenprinted transfer industry.  Why?  Hot-Splits have a soft hand and look nearly identical to a direct screenprint.  The softness and look are achieved by the ink literally splitting  when the transfer is peeled from the shirt.   In other words, part of the ink remains on the paper and part is pressed into the shirt.  Since hot-splits are in the shirt's fabric, there is little chance of the image not bonding well with the shirt.  

The Shirt Has To Be Hot and Dry. All moisture must be removed from the shirt for the transfer to bond well. We specify 15 seconds of pre-heat time, but if your climate is humid, or if you're working in a relatively cold room, you may need more pre-heat time. If you still see steam coming out of the heat press at 15 seconds, raise the heat platen, wait a few seconds and pre-heat the shirt again.

The Printing Surface Must Be Flat.   Printing over shirt hems or seams will result in the transfer not bonding with the shirt properly.

Your Heat Press Temperature Must be Accurate.  The temperature you set on your press may not be the temperature the heat platen is at.  Heat test strips are available from heat transfer supply vendors that will show the exact temperature of your heat platen.  Heat temperature guns are another good way to check your heat platen.

Before using heat transfers in production, it's a good idea to wash a test shirt and inspect the transfer on the shirt.

A note of caution when using white heat transfers on 50/50 shirts of dark colors:  Some brands and dye lots of 50/50 t-shirts are not color-fast, which may result in dye migration of the shirts' color into the transfer image.  An example is a white heat transfer becoming pink after pressing onto a red shirt that was not color-fast.  50/50 shirts should always be tested for being color-fast before production.

Interested in trying hot-split heat transfers for yourself?  Send us an email, and we'll send you samples.

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