yolö guide to transferring

Before you start, you will need the following:

• Inkjet or laser heat transfer paper
• An image (e.g. artwork or photograph)
• An inkjet or laser printer (depending on your chosen heat transfer paper)
• A heat press (required for certain heat transfer papers) or hand iron (requires hard surface and pillowcase)

Once you have chosen the right heat transfer paper product, you will need to know how to prepare, print and transfer your image. All of our heat transfer papers come with detailed instructions which are available to download here.

Below is a general 5-step guide to printing and transferring. This is a guide only and it is important to check specific instructions as they can vary.

1. Preparing the image
2. Cutting out the design
3. Application:
    a. Heat press application
    b. Iron on application
4. Peeling
5. Washing

1. Preparing the image

• Design or choose the image which you want to transfer.
• Check the instructions for your heat transfer paper and mirror the image if necessary (as a general guide, ‘lights’ will require mirroring the image and ‘darks’ will not)

• Read the detailed instructions for your chosen heat transfer paper to ensure that the paper is compatible with your printer.
• Ensure that the unprinted side of the paper is the imaging side of the paper.
• Check your printer settings and then print the image onto the heat transfer paper.

yolö recommends…
- Avoiding fine details (lines less than 1.6mm) and large areas of solid colour in your design.
- For inkjet printers, set the printer to ‘normal image quality’ to avoid ink saturation.
- When printing, single-sheet feeding is recommended to reduce the chance of jamming.

2. Cutting out the design

• For best results, trim your design before transferring and do not leave a margin around the edge of transfer. 
• You can trim your image by hand or use a contour cutter - yolö heat transfer papers are compatible with most contour cutters including the Roland GX-24.

yolö recommends…
- Using an image with rounded edges will reduce the chances of corner lift-off after washing.

3. Application

In general, most inkjet heat transfer papers can be applied with wither a hand iron or heat press whilst laser heat transfer papers are only suitable for heat press application. Read the detailed instructions for your chosen heat transfer paper before deciding on heat press or iron on application and follow either 3a. or 3b. below:

a. Heat press application

• Prepare the heat press at the temperature stated on the heat transfer paper instruction sheet (usually 175-190 °C)
• Press fabric first if necessary to ensure flatness, and leave to cool for 2 to 3 minutes
• Depending on the transfer paper, place the transfer paper with the design facing downwards or upwards in the desired position on the garment (check theinstruction sheet)
• If you are using opaque heat transfer paper then place a silicone sheet or Teflon sheet on top of the image
• Apply firm pressure for the time recommended on the instruction sheet (usually 10-20 seconds)

b. Iron on application

• Choose a very smooth, hard surface at waist level or below but do not use an ironing board
• Preheat the iron to the highest cotton setting for 3 minutes - do not use steam
• Place a pillowcase on the hard surface and iron to remove any wrinkles
• Place the garment on the centre of the pillowcase and iron to ensure flatness
• Place the transfer with the image side down or up (check individual instructions) in the desired position on the garment
• Using two hands firmly slide the iron vertically up and down (as shown below)

• In 90 seconds, make enough passes to completely iron the shirt two times
• The iron should be halfway off the edge when the edges are ironed (as shown below)

• Using two hands firmly slide the iron horizontally side to side (as shown below)

• In 90 seconds, make enough passes to completely iron the shirt two times
• Again, the iron should be halfway off the edge when the edges are ironed

yolö recommends…
- If transfer area is smaller than the iron, then simply iron for 30 seconds with heavy pressure

4. Peeling

• Check the instructions to see if the heat transfer paper should be peeled cold or hot (some can be peeled hot or cold depending on the desired finished)
• For hot peel, smoothly and evenly peel away the overlay paper immediately after pressing but take care as the transfer will be hot
• For cold peel, allow the fabric to cool completely, then smoothly and evenly peel away overlay paper

yolö recommends…
- Using firm pressure to peel the transfer away starting at one corner and if the paper tears, start from another corner

5. Washing

• Leave finished items for at least 24 hours before washing
• Do not dry clean or use bleach, bleach additive detergent or fabric softener
• For the first time, wash separately (inside out) and in cold water