How To Make - Iron On Transfers that Glow In The Dark
Instructions for Glow In The Dark Iron on Transfer Paper:
Iron on transfer paper designed for use white fabrics with a smooth surface.
Transferring your iron on transfer image is as easy as four easy steps:
1. Using an ink jet printer, print your image.
2. Let the ink printed on the iron-on transfer dry thoroughly before handling.
3. Trim away any un-printed paper around your image that you do not want to transfer.
4. Transfer image onto fabric using either a hand iron or commercial heat press.
What you'll need to make iron on transfers:
An image in a digital format scanned or downloaded from a camera
Pre-washed and dried 50/50 blend or 100% dark cotton fabric, T-shirt etc
Iron-on Glow In The Dark inkjet transfer paper
A color inkjet ( bubble jet ) printer
Hand iron or a commercial heat press
Flat, hard, smooth, non-porous ironing surface
Clean soft cloth
PRINTING & APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Printing your iron on transfer
When you are ready to print your image, follow these steps:
Test by printing your image on a sheet of plain paper
If you are satisfied with how your image looks, insert a single sheet of transfer in your printer.
It is easy to tell which side to print on, as one side is blank (to print on), and one side has the line or lines or boxes.
Make sure that the paper is not creased or curled.
Flip, Mirror or use T-shirt setting
Below are suggested printer settings. For the best results check your printer manual or with your printer's manufacture.
Paper Type – Plain
Paper Resolution - Best / High Resolution
After printing allow to dry completely - 30 minutes is recommended.
Trim around image.
METHODS OF HEAT APPLICATION:
COMMERCIAL HEAT PRESS
Preheat the heat press to 325° Fahrenheit. To remove any moisture from the fabric, press for a few seconds and allow to cool.
This aids in better adhesion of the image to the fabric. Place the transfer face down in the desired position and press using light to medium pressure for 45 seconds. Gently rub the transfer for a couple of seconds with a soft cloth, allow to cool and peel the transfer.
HAND IRONING THE IMAGE:
Lay the fabric, T-shirt on the work surface. Do not use an ironing board, or bare wood, glass, formica or metal surface for ironing.
Place the pillowcase on the ironing surface with the open end hanging over the edge and smooth it flat so that there are no wrinkles.
Preheat the shirt using the iron to remove excess moisture and remove wrinkles.
Confirm temperature setting is 325° or cotton setting.
Allow the fabric to cool completely before applying the transfer.
Place the transfer IMAGE SIDE DOWN on the fabric, T-shirt
Use Medium/Firm pressure; Slide the iron up and down moving constantly.
Make sure to pay extra attention to the edges.
Iron completely to cover the edges. Watch a clock if necessary
When using a full 8-1/2" x 11" sheet - iron a full 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.
If using an 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" sheet - iron a full 60 seconds - 1 1/2 minutes.
Gently rub the transfer for a couple of seconds with a soft cloth and remove the liner sheet.
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS:
Always turn your garment inside out. This will minimize the amount of abrasion that the transfer will encounter with other garments in the wash.
Wash the garment in cold water using a mild detergent. DO NOT USE BLEACH.
Remove the garment from the wash immediately and allow to air dry. If you are going to tumble dry, use the air only setting.
By doing this over the life of the garment, you will be ensuring that your image stays clear and bright.
STORAGE & HANDLING:
Store in a cool, dry place. After opening the shrink wrapped packages, put the paper into the re-sealable plastic bag, and if available,
include one silica gel (desiccant) package. This will keep the paper from picking up excess moisture on high humidity days.
TROUBLE SHOOTING TIPS:
Iron on Transfer looks yellow:
Heat may be too high and is scorching the surface of the transfer. Confirm temperature setting is 325 ° or cotton setting.
The heat generated by irons may vary greatly by brand and model.
Iron on Transfer is not adhering to surface:
If temperature is too low, the transfer will not react sufficiently to bond to shirt. Increase pressure.
Increasing pressure on the iron allows the transfer to be pushed in the fabric pattern
Iron on Transfer is cracking after being washed:
Pre-wash shirt before applying transfer. This eliminates some possibility of shrinkage that may stress the transferred image.
Increase pressure when transferring image. If insufficient pressure is used, the transfer will not bond properly with the shirt.
The resulting "slack" may crack in the wash.
The edges of the iron on transfer are not adhering:
When hand ironing it is vital that the edges are ironed extremely well; apply the most heat and pressure to the edges of the transfer.
Image is reversed on shirt:
The printer has been set for T-shirt, Flip or Mirror Image. Reset the printer for positive image.
Consult your printer manual or check with your printer's Manufacture.
Iron on transfer paper is designed for use with inkjet printers.
Do not use Iron-On T-shirt transfers with laser printers, photo copiers or with printers that have a heat dry process such as the HP DeskJet 1200C or HP DeskJet 1600C printer.
The heating elements in these printers can melt the transfer paper, which could damage the printer.
If you are not sure about your printer's printing and drying process consult your manual or call the manufacture.