Everything you need to know about Madam Sew's Heat Transfer Vinyl

Temperature: Heat Press: 300-320F; Iron: 300-330F

Time: 15-20s

Peel: Warm

Pressure: Medium-Firm

Cut/Print: Mirror image

Materials: Cotton, linen, wool, lycra, spandex, polyester blends. NO nylon/ NO mesh.

Care: Wait 24 hours before first wash. Machine wash cold, inside out. No harsh detergents or bleach. Air dry or dry on low heat.

You can use these Heat Transfer Vinyl sheets to personalize and decorate your projects easily. T-shirts, napkins, cushions, tote bags, pencil cases, … any project that you are making out of fabric can be upgraded with HTV. The possibilities are endless!

A Heat Transfer Vinyl sheet has a transparent protective sheet and an adhesive side that attaches permanently to fabric when heated. The protective sheet is the glossy side. This will peel off when the HTV is set on your project.

We highly recommend that you wash and dry your garments prior to pressing your design. This will also allow the adhesive to better penetrate the garment.

STEP 1: Preheat your iron or heat press - the maximum temperature for MadamSew’s Heat Transfer Vinyl should be 300-330 degrees F. 

How can you tell what temperature your iron is? Some irons label their temperature settings by material used, others use a number setting. 

For irons that use materials, start with the “wool” setting and increase your heat from there. 

For irons that use numbers, between a 3 and 4 should give you an accurate heat for the HTV, but remember, it is better to start at a lower temperature and increase than to start with too high of a temperature and risk burning your project!

Note: Make sure your iron’s steam is OFF. If the steam is automatic, be sure to remove all water from your iron. Steam will make adhering the HTV to your material more difficult.

STEP 2: Cut the vinyl into your desired shape by hand or using a vinyl cutter machine. If you don’t have an electronic cutter, draw your design on the transparent protective sheet with a permanent marker and cut-out the shape using scissors or a precision knife. You can print a design from the internet and copy that on the sheet.

STEP 3: Position the shape on your project, adhesive side down. You can use the MadamSew Heat Tape to attach your design to your project temporarily. Especially if you have multiple pieces, heat tape is a life saver. After your design is glued onto your project, you can peel the heat tape away. It won’t leave a residue.

STEP 4: Protect the vinyl with MadamSew’s Non Stick Sheet, a piece of parchment paper, or thin cotton fabric and iron at 300-330 degrees for 15 to 20 seconds using medium-firm pressure over the entire vinyl piece.

STEP 5: Let cool until warm to the touch and slowly peel back the transparent protective sheet that is still attached to the vinyl.

STEP 6: Flip your project inside-out and iron the backside (placing a piece of fabric or parchment paper over the vinyl) to ensure a complete transfer.

NOTE: Please allow the adhesive to cure for at least 24 hours before washing. Once it has cured it can be washed and dried. For best results we recommend washing inside out with cold water and hanging to dry.