What am I doing wrong?

[jiminyC_fan]

Hey all you experts.

I am having trouble with iron on transfers. I am using the Avery brand and they crack when you wash them. What am I doing wrong? What brand do you use? What suggestions do you have for me?

I need help! Thanks soooo much!

 

[PNO4TE]

Hey all you experts.

I am having trouble with iron on transfers. I am using the Avery brand and they crack when you wash them. What am I doing wrong? What brand do you use? What suggestions do you have for me?

I need help! Thanks soooo much!

Sandy - I use the Avery transfers too and have not had the problem with cracking. Are you using light or dark transfer paper? Are you prewashing the shirts and using no fabric softener? Are you using the dryer? All those things might help us better answer your questions.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Good questions. I prewash without fabric softener. Dry. Iron on the transfers. It said for best results, wash before wearing. I did that and totally destroyed the two tshirts. They cracked soooo bad by washing inside out in cold water. They actually cracked BEFORE drying. So....ran out bought more tees, prewashed, dried, ironed on again and didn't wash after ironing. They cracked when WORN! I have been using light transfers. I want so badly to make several tees for an upcoming family trip but am I just wasting time?

 

[KBerly]

It's probably because of the light transfers. Try the dark transfers. Cut out your design so you don't have extra white. Sounds like you did everything else correctly so I can't figure out what else it could be. I haven't used the light transfers myself but from what I've read on the board, most people prefer the dark because of the cracking that you're experiencing. Good luck!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Thanks!! Guess I need to run to the store. Just a stupid question before I buy the dark transfers. If I am using a white tshirt and a design that the background is black, will it be ok?

 

[KBerly]

Yes. Just trim around the black part for the excessive white. Also, don't flip your design when you print it. Print it straight like you would any document. I'm not sure how the light transfers work but with the dark ones, you just peel off the back and iron on the design to the shirt (using a piece of the tissue paper in between the transfer and the iron!)

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Thanks!

 

[grumpy2]

We used the HP light transfers. Had to put on white T-shirts only, but had no cracking or bleeding. I have a Dell all in one printer. Don't know bout the dark transfers. I would listen to those that know (Kberly). We also had the transfers put on at a shirt shop, that may have helped. Any way, my point was, maybe try the HP transfer paper. Hope this helps. Dave Sorry I miss-spelled Jiminy.

 

[stagemomx3]

Well my first experience with the dark transfers after washing is that it's wrinkled not cracked. Plus I found the peelying of the back of the transfer off terribly difficult. Any tricks for that part? I'm think it is easier just to stick with white t-shirts and the white transfer paper!

 

[KBerly]

I'm not sure if I know but I just did a ton of shirts and made every mistake possible.

If you have trouble peeling the back off of the shirt, before you cut out the design, make a tear in the back of the paper and rip it enough to rip just behind your design. KWIM? That way, after you cut around it, you can just pull the torn part off of the back and rip the rest off of it. That worked for me. For the designs that have square edges, I was able to split the back from the transfer on the corners pretty easily but I have long fingernails that are strong so it may not work for you.

I'm not sure about the wrinkling. I didn't have any problems with wrinkling. Except for the one that I had to iron an additional transfer over the previous one that I goofed up and put my child size design on my husband's shirt. It was a huge tee shirt with a design the size for a four year old. Yeah...I made every single mistake possible.

I did iron the shirt on the front and back prior to putting the transfer on it so that it would be smooth. Maybe that helped?

I did find that the transfer directions said to iron the transfers for way longer than you needed to. When the tissue paper adhered to the transfer and stopped sliding around (slightly), I knew it was done.

We're leaving in two weeks and my shirts are DONE!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Kberly, I even ironed the shirt first, too. Glad your worked out. I want to make 20 still but want to get this all worked out first.