Are you making your own t-shirts for a hobby or as a fundraiser? If so, it’s a good idea. Every year 2 billion t-shirts get sold around the world. Americans, in particular, love the t-shirt. Surveys say that 62% of us have more than ten in our wardrobes. If you’re making your own t-shirts with heat transfer blanks, though, you might want to read on for a couple common mistakes to avoid when using heat transfer blanks. If you’ve invested in heat press vinyl sheets, a heating press, and all the other printing supplies, avoid these common issues:

1. Make sure you’re printing on the right side of the paper. This is one of the most common mistakes, but it’s also one of the easiest to avoid. Just take the time to double check that you’ve set the paper up in the right direction.
2. Let the iron get really hot. Some people get afraid of letting the iron get too hot, but the iron must be set to the highest temperature if you want to have a good experience with your transfer.
3. Don’t forget to turn off the steam. If there’s anything that will ruin your t-shirt, it’s a steamy iron. Check this. Then check it again.
4. Remember to print on the mirror side, when your printing on light colors. If you’ve got a dark t-shirt this doesn’t matter, but with light colors, you have to switch your printer to the mirror mode so you the image doesn’t come out backward.
5. Always iron on a completely flat surface. It’s not enough that it be mostly flat. It needs to be completely flat. If the surface isn’t completely flat the heat transfer blanks won’t completely transfer the image. <
6. Never keep the iron still. Modern irons don’t have a perfectly flat surface. They have lots of grooves on the bottom for steam to pass through. If you keep the iron too still, those grooves will mess with your transfer and some parts won’t stick.
7. Pressure, pressure, pressure. You’ve got to press hard for the transfer to be successful. Pressure is what makes it work, so bear down hard as long as you’re using the iron.
8. Make sure you got it all. One last common mistake is to fail to get all the edges of the transfer well ironed. This is especially an issue if the shape is irregular or very large.

Apparel you made yourself is a great hobby, and even a great way to make some money. If you’ve invested in heat transfer blanks and all the other accouterments you need, make sure you take the time to do everything right! Read more.