Do you have questions about heat transfer films? Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions...
How can I order SEF Heat Transfer Films?
SEF sells its line of heat transfer flex
and flock films through a select network of distributors. To locate a local stocking distributor, contact SEF Americas:
14476-201 Duval Place West
Jacksonville, FL 32218
904-423-0211 - Phone
904-423-0899 - Fax
844-720-9600 - Toll Free
Ordering: sales@SEFamericas.com
In what size rolls do SEF Heat Transfer Films come in?
FlexCut Sticky/FlexCut Sweet.
The typical roll width for FlexCut Sticky and FlexCut Sweet, which are plotter
cut films, is 15”. In these product
lines, black and white are also available in 19.5” rolls. For these products,
rolls are available in 5, 10, 25 and 50 yard roll lengths.
Tatoo/ClearFlex/CoolPrint.
Tatoo and ClearFlex, which are printable polyurethane films, are available in
19.5” and 29.5” widths in roll lengths of 5, 10, 25 and 50 yards. CoolPrint,
which is a printable, pressure-sensitive polyurethane film, is only available
in 15” rolls in lengths of 5, 10, 25 and 50 yards.
VelCut Evo/VelCut Premium.
VelCut Evo and VelCut Premium, which are flock films for plotter cutting are
available in 20” rolls at roll lengths of 5, 10, 25 and 50 yards.
EcoPrint, which is a digitally
printable flock film, is available in 19.5” and 29.5” widths in in roll lengths
of 5, 10, 25 and 50 yards.
FiberPlus, which is a
polyester flock film for sublimation, is available in 19.5” in 5, 10, 25 and 50
yard roll lengths.
NOTE: If your distributor does not stock a
particular product or a roll size that you require, they can order the material
for you.
When plotter cutting heat transfer film which side do I cut?
Flex and flock
films for plotter cutting are wound so that the adhesive side of the film is facing
to the outside of the roll. When loading heat
transfer material in your plotter, make sure that you are cutting on the film
side not the liner side. Because the liner
is usually a clear polyester film, which side is which, can be confusing. Many
heat transfer films, but not all, are rolled with the liner to the outside. It never hurts to check, using your Xacto knife to
peel a little piece of the film on the corner of the material. Polyurethane films
are very thin and very easy to cut. Polyester liners, on the other hand, are
very difficult to cut. If you have to crank up the down force, you might be
cutting on the wrong side. For
more information, read Plotter Cutting Heat Transfer Films.
What is the correct blade depth for my plotter?
One popular rule of thumb is
to set the depth of the blade so it barely extends past the end of the blade
holder at approximately half the depth of a credit card. While this may work
for many applications, don’t expect it to work in all cases. Unfortunately, one
setting doesn’t fit all media, because media thickness varies greatly. A more precise
setting is to adjust the blade to a depth that is at least as great as the
thickness of the media that you are cutting. One quick test to determine if the
blade is adjusted to the proper depth is to perform a test cut. The blade should
cut completely through the film and only slightly score the surface of the
carrier or release liner. For more information, read Plotter Cutting Heat Transfer Films.
What do I do if the heat transfer film does not cut properly?
Plotter cutting heat transfer films is a little different than cutting
pressure sensitive vinyl. Problems result from dull blades, incorrect downforce
pressure and incorrect blade offset.
·
Use a sharp blade. Ragged cuts
indicate that it is time to change your blade.
· Most polyurethane heat transfer films and flock films cut
easily using a standard 45⁰ blade. When cutting thicker flock films,
reflective films or a design with very intricate detail, you may need to use a
60⁰ blade. Adjust offset values as needed.
· Before proceeding with production, perform a test cut. Check
that the depth of the cut is completely through the media but only lightly
scoring the carrier or release liner.
·
If the film is not cutting evenly,
reduce the downforce and slow the cutting speed.
·
If you need help, call the Heat Transfer Tech Support
Hotline at 855-786-3644.
For additional information,
read:
What can I do if the heat transfer material
does not adhere to the garment?
Successful
application of heat transfer materials depends on three primary variables:
time, temperature and pressure. Not all heat transfers heat press at the same
setting. Hotter is not always better. In fact, higher temperatures can make
matters worse. Before heat pressing, refer to the manufacturer’s literature for
the recommended time and temperature settings. For more information read: Pressing Heat Transfer Films.
How can I find a FlexCut Sticky color that will match a Pantone number?
Page 2 of the FlexCut
Sticky Color selector lists the equivalent PMS numbers to the corresponding
FlexCut Sticky colors. You can open or download this selector by opening the
following link: SEF FlexCut Product Color Guide
Can I overlay flex and flock heat transfer films?
The array of colors in the SEF flex and
flock film product line opens the door to endless design possibilities. While
many different films can be heat pressed on top of one another, you should
follow the few simple rules described in the story: Rules for Overlaying Heat Transfer Films.
What profile do I use when printing on
Tatoo?
When
digitally printing Tatoo polyurethane films, a generic ‘heat transfer media’
profile will generally provide acceptable color reproduction. Make sure that
you print on the polyurethane film and not on the polyester carrier. Both
sides of the film are very similar in appearance. For more information read: Processing Printable Heat Transfer Films.
What type of printer do I need to print on
Tatoo?
Tatoo, printable polyurethane heat transfer
films are printable using solvent, ecosolvent or latex inkjet printers. For more information read: Processing Printable Heat Transfer Films.
What type of application tape do I use to transfer
printed appliques?
To transfer a print and cut heat transfer applique from its
carrier to the garment you should use a polyester HotMask™ transfer tape. While
many shop owners have used paper application tape to transfer printed heat transfer appliques,
you are much better off using the right product for the application. The
problem that I have with using paper application tape is that it is paper. And
paper can tear, especially on larger appliques. This can slow down production.
To transfer any of the Tatoo printable polyurethane films, use HM375 HotMask™.
To transfer the printable flock films, use HM485L HotMask. For more information, read HotMask Polyester Transfer Tapes and RTape Introduces 485L HotMask.
How long must I wait before peeling the
HotMask or carrier after heat pressing?
How
long should you wait before peeling the carrier or the hot mask from the applique
depends in part on the physical properties of the hot melt adhesive and the
type of carrier used on the heat transfer film. Each film is a little different from one manufacturer to the
next, from one product line to the next.
If you are using SEF Heat
Transfer films, refer to the table below as s guide for peel recommendations:
SEF Heat Transfer Film |
Peel Recommendations - When should you remove the carrier or transfer tape following heat pressing? |
|---|---|
| FlexCut Sticky | Hot - Carrier removes easily immediately after heat pressing |
| FlexCut Sweet | Warm - Remove carrier 8 to 10 seconds after heat pressing |
| MetalFlex | Cool - 15 to 20 seconds after heat pressing (delaying removal of the carrier improves the gloss level) |
| Tatoo | Hot - HotMask removes easily immediately after heat pressing |
| ClearFlex | Warm - Remove carrier 8 to 10 seconds after heat pressing |
| VelCut | Cool - 15 to 20 seconds after heat pressing |
| EcoPrint | Cool - 15 to 20 seconds after heat pressing |
For more information, read Heat Transfer Films: Hot, Warm or Cold
Peel and Peel Recommendations for Heat Transfer
Films.
How do know which heat transfer film to use
with different fabrics?
The SEF product line includes a wide
range of products for specific applications. Unfortunately, there isn't one
product that will work on every fabric type. Because our product offering is
extensive, it can be confusing when selecting the right film for the job. To
simplify your selection refer to Heat Transfer Films Product Application Chart.
What type of film should I use on “performance fabrics”, such as Under Armor® or Nike DriFIT apparel?
Go into sporting goods
store any nearly every high end garment will be so type of performance
fabric. Many of these garments utilize
new synthetic fibers, which provide the fabric incredible elasticity. Some of these synthetic fibers are very heat
sensitive. In selecting a heat transfer material for these fabrics, the
characteristics which are most important are elasticity and a low temperature
adhesive. Because most of these fabrics
are dyed through a process called “dye sublimation”, any white applique will
also require a sublimation barrier. SEF Heat Transfer materials which may be
suitable for application to a performance fabric include FlexCut Sticky LT (all
colors except whit and lemon yellow), FlexCut Sticky Nylon (all colors except
white and lemon yellow), FlexCut Sticky SBB, FlexCut Sweet Nylon (black), FlexCut
Sweet LT (black) and Tatoo Subliblock.
Can I apply a heat transfer to leather?
In our tests at SEF, the problem is not
getting a heat transfer material to adhere to the leather. Everything we have
tried has bonded exceptionally well. Rather, the challenge is minimizing the
effects of heat and pressure on the coloration and surface texture of the
leather. On a darker brown
leather, we achieved much more favorable results, when we applied our FlexCut
Sticky LT at a lower temperature. While heat transfer films, such as our
FlexCut Sticky LT, can work great on many leather products, on other leathers
nothing works at all. When feasible, it is always best to test and evaluate a
film for a particular application. As I regularly remind people, “Test, Don’t
Guess”. For more information read Heat
Pressing Appliques on Leather.
What type of film should I apply to a nylon jacket?
To adhere to nylon and other coated fabrics,
the SEF FlexCut Sticky Nylon (a polyurethane film for plotter cutting)
and Tatoo Nylon (a printable polyurethane film) are coated with a special
polyamide hot melt adhesive, which has an affinity for other polyamide
materials. For more information read Which Films Stick to Coated Fabrics?
Why does some heat transfer material discolor?
If you are decorating a polyester garment, it
is dyed through a process called dye sublimation. When you heat press an
applique onto a sublimated garment, the high heat can release the dye in a
sublimated fabric. These dyes can then migrate and discolor an applique. To
prevent discoloration, many of our SEF heat transfer films incorporate our SubliBlock
(SBB) blocking layer. These products
incorporate a second layer of film, which blocks dye migration. For more information read Heat Pressing on Dye Sublimated Fabrics.
What advice should I give my customers about caring for garments with heat transfer appliques?
If
you wash and dry the garment properly, a high quality
polyurethane applique should last just as long as the garment
itself. Nothing shortens the life of a heat transfer graphic faster than
improper washing and drying of the garment. To ensure optimal durability, your
customers should follow the few simple rules in Caring for Garments with Heat Transfers.
Who do I call if I have a question or need immediate technical assistance?
SEF has established a Heat Transfer Tech
Support Hotline. If you have questions
and need answers immediately, call SEF’s one-hour call-back service at our TOLL
FREE number: 855-786-3644. NOTE: The hotline will not be answered by
a live person. Messages received
by our Heat Transfer Hotline between the hours of 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST, are
answered within an hour.
Where can I find additional information about RTape Heat Transfer Films?
Additional information about SEF heat
transfer materials is available on the
SEF website. New literature for the heat transfer films are also available as downloads.
The following articles will also provide you with valuable information when working with heat transfer films:
SEF website. New literature for the heat transfer films are also available as downloads.
Click Here: SEF Americas Shared Public Folder
Click Here: SEF Product Application Guide
Click Here: SEF FlexCut Product Color Guide
Click Here: SEF Print & Cut Product Guide
Click Here: For SEF Documents
Click Here: Access Printer Profiles
The following articles will also provide you with valuable information when working with heat transfer films:
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.
© 2016 Jim Hingst
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