How to Make Profesional T-Shirt Heat Transfers
- 1). Create your T-shirt design using a graphic design or picture editing software program such as InDesign, Paint, Word, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. Use whatever graphics, text or illustrations you like. Keep in mind the larger and more vibrant the elements of your design, the greater likelihood your image will transfer clearly onto the T-shirt. Size your design based on the width and length of the chest or back of the T-shirt's print area.
- 2). Flip the finished design horizontally in the software program. This creates a mirror image of the design. The image will print correctly onto the T-shirt during the heat transfer process.
- 3). Print your design onto an appropriate heat transfer paper. The type of transfer paper, light or dark, depends on the T-shirt's color: light for light shirts and dark for dark shirts. If you have an ink-jet printer, use ink-jet transfer paper. If you have a laser printer, use laser transfer paper. Read the instructions on the transfer paper to ensure that you print on the right side.
- 4). Cut unwanted transfer paper from around your design using a pair of scissors or a utility knife. Leave a 1/4-inch margin around the design so that you can easily lift the transfer from the T-shirt after the heat process.
