How to make custom t-shirts with your silhouette machine.
(T-shirt for our summer science club)
It is very easy and there are many tutorials online that will show you how to do this. This is the very short version. One of my pet peeves is trying to find a tutorial on how to do something and having to read a novel just to get to the point. Especially recipes. Just post the directions already.
1. You will need to find a heat transfer material made for fabric and made for the purpose of using with a silhouette type of machine. I believe the Silhouette company sells their own brand, but I use another brand… not sure what it is. I get it through a local wholesale company. (much much cheaper than through the craft store)
2. The fun part. Design your heart out to create your custom T. Make sure you use the guidelines on the program and measure your t-shirt to be sure the design will fit.
3. Don't forget to FLIP your image horizontally. I have made this mistake more than once. I get too excited to cut my design I forget to flip it to a mirror image to cut. The material is meant to be cut backwards so that in the ironing process it will be face down. Just like the iron-ons your find at the store.
4. Mount the heat transfer vinyl to your Silhouette cutting mat with the shiny side down. Very important. You do not want to cut through the shiny plastic backing. Also if you stick it down shiny side up, you may not be able to recover your vinyl material. If it sticks, it is stretchy and will warp. Just remember, shiny side down on the cutting mat.
5. Depending on the instructions of your heat transfer material, you will need to adjust your blade settings on your machine. For my machine and heat transfer vinyl these are the settings that work best. Speed at 5. Thickness at 4. Blade at 1. Most thin vinyls are going to be set at a 1.
You can always to a test cut to be sure. The cut is successful if your machine cuts through the heat transfer vinyl and NOT through the plastic backing. If it cuts through the backing, your blade is set to deep.
6. After your machine finishes. You need to cut out just around the area of your design. And then the weeding process. Weeding is removing the negative space around your design. Do not remove your design from the backing. I am using a Cricut weeding tool. (because that's what they sell at the local store)
7. Place design sticky side down onto your t-shirt. This transparent backing will allow you to see your design and place it without guessing. Press it firmly into place. It's ok if you need to move it a couple times to get it just right. * If you get to this point and realize that your design is backwards… go back to step 3. and cut again.
8. Iron temp should be pretty hot. I set mine to the second to highest temp. Cover your design with a thin linen cloth (I used a linen napkin) before ironing the design. You don't want to melt any plastic. Hold iron firmly on the design for 25-30 seconds. Try testing a small corner of your design before removing the backing completely. If the vinyl does not stick to your t-shirt and stays on the backing, your iron temp may be too low, or you didn't iron it long enough. Keep going. Test it out, you will find the right temp and time for your particular iron and heat transfer material. It may be different than mine.
9. After I remove the backing, I pace the linen over the design and iron again. I want to be sure that design is staying for good. I even turn it inside out and iron a third and fourth time. Then I test scratch the edge of the design a little with my fingernail to make sure it's not going to peel off.
10. You are done. Ready to wear. I have washed these several times (normal wash) without the vinyl showing signs of peeling or fading. This is a great material. Enjoy your custom Ts.
