Top 2 reasons HTV doesn’t stick

If you’ve ever used heat transfer vinyl (HTV — also known as heat transfer material), you’ve probably had trouble at least once with it not sticking, or falling off after a wash. You’re not alone! This is a VERY common problem and the vast majority of the time, this is due to one of 2 issues. We’ll cover both today. And I’ll give you a few other, less likely causes. (If you’ve never used HTV, you might like to read my First Steps series on it starting here.)

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HTV sticking Issue #1: Not enough pressure

I remember well some of my first HTV projects where I could NOT get the stuff to release from the carrier. My first thought is the one most everyone has — “Hmmmm. My iron/heat press must not be hot enough).” So I would crank it up and try again. Even with my iron up as hot as it would go, it still wouldn’t stick.

So, my next thought was another common one– “Hmmmm. Maybe I need to hold it on longer.” Tried that — scorched a few garments.

My third thought was, “Hmmmm. This HTV must not be any good.” I tried other brands, but still had the issue.

Then finally someone taught me that the issue was the amount of pressure. It takes a pretty heavy amount of pressure to get HTV to stick. That’s why they make heat presses — so you don’t wear out your muscles trying.

Tips for getting the correct amount of pressure–

• If you’re using an iron, do NOT use your ironing board. Most have holes in them and have some give vertically. So, you aren’t getting a consistent amount of pressure across the HTV. Instead, work on a concrete floor, a granite countertop, etc. That way, the surface you’re pressing against in hard and immovable.
• Don’t be afraid to press hard. Practice with some scraps of HTV so you don’t ruin a project.
• Consider investing in a heat press. Once I did, I ended up using it a TON and it’s much easier. I don’t have a fancy heat press — just this basic one from Amazon.
• If you’re working with a heat press, there’s a knob to adjust the pressure. You can test it with an ordinary piece of printer paper. Do this with the heat press off.
  • Put the paper at the bottom of the press, with just a few inches of it inside.
    
  • Close the press.
  • Tug on the paper.
    
  • If it slips out easily, tighten your tension a bit time and repeat until you can’t pull the paper out.
  • Repeat the test on the sides as well.
  • That gives you a starting point. Sometimes with thicker materials you may have to loosen it or vice versa for thinner materials. But once you’ve played with it some you’ll get the hang of it.
• Another way to test a heat press is by feel. Again, this is something that takes practice. If your heat press does not automatically open when it’s done, you can do this one.
  • Put the project on the press and close it.
  • If it opens again really easily, you probably need to tighten the tension.
  • If you can’t open it (like you’re picking the press off the table and it still isn’t opening), loosen the tension.

HTV sticking Issue #2: Seams

Perhaps I should have actually called this “Issue 1B.” That’s because it’s related to the previous one.

When you’re trying to press HTV near the seam of a garment, that seam can get in the way of even pressure. The iron or heat press isn’t coming fully into contact with as much pressure near the seam. You’ll notice this right away on a baby onesie because they are so small and your HTV will be fairly near the seams.

What you need to do is even out the thicknesses of the seam area and the flat area.

Tips for evening out the thickness–

• You can use a kitchen towel folded a few times or rolled up. Place it between the front and back of the garment with it underneath both the seam and flat surface. That will both lift up the flat areas and allow the seams, snaps, etc. to sink.
  
• Pressing pillows are a wise investment if you plan to use HTV a good amount. These are squares of thick, high density foam (like you would use in a chair cushion) covered in a heat resistant material (the teflon material heat press sheets are made from).
  
  Like the towel, you slip them inside the garment. You can get these on Amazon, or get a set of pillows and 2 teflon sheets here. Both are currently under $20. The teflon also helps distribute the heat more evenly.
• Before the prices came down on pressing pillows, I made my own with ironing board material and 1″ foam from Joann’s. Go when they are on sale or you can use a good coupon. You can also use the teflon sheets instead of the ironing board fabric. Had the price been under $20 for the pre-made pillows, I would have gone with those.

Other possible causes

These are issues maybe 5% of the time.

• Heat too high. Once you degrade the adhesive, with a high temperature or extended pressing time, it can’t do its job. If you see a rim of adhesive outside of your design, that’s the tip-off and your HTV probably won’t last as long it should.
• Heat too low. This happens more with an iron, as you set a heat press to a specific temperature.
• Wrong temperature for your brand of HTV.  Different brands and even different products within the same brand have a different temperature recommendation. Always check the manufacturer’s website for the info.
• Wrinkles in garment. If the tshirt is wrinkled, the HTV may not sit flush on it and have a gap under some parts.
• Old or poor quality HTV. Once it’s been sitting in your craft room for a few years, the adhesive begins to break down on its own. And if it’s cheaply made in the first place, well, you can guess.
• Layered HTV. Most brands of smooth HTV can be layered without a problem. Typically, textured kinds cannot. However, the more layers you have, the more likely it is that they will begin to peel more quickly than a project without the layers. Learn to use your Modify tools in the Silhouette software to minimize the number of layers you need.
• Laundering. This is RARELY a problem. I wash and dry my projects all the time and don’t have problems. They should last a minimum of 30 washes. To extend that as much as possible, do the following–
  • Check the manufacturer’s website for instructions. Sometimes different materials require different care.
  • Wait at least 24 hours after applying before laundering in order to give the adhesive time to fully cool down and cure.
  • Wash inside out.
  • Wash on warm or cold, not hot.
  • Don’t use harsh detergent.
  • Don’t bleach or dry clean.
  • Dry on low heat or hang to dry.