Though machine embroidery
has been a popular past-time for several years now, another form of decorating
clothing and other items for the home crafting enthusiast is heat press using
heat transfer vinyl (HTV). For some time
now my daughter, Bethany, has expressed a desire to try her hand at doing the
heat press, but didn’t know exactly how to go about doing it. As a result, I started doing some research on
the subject, and thought I would share what I’ve learned with those of you who are
also considering this craft. I will also
be providing you with some links that you can check out yourself.
I started my search by
asking questions in an embroidery group I’m a member of on FaceBook. Some of the questions you may have or want to
ask are below. (Please note that the answers are either ones I received or just my
opinion.)
Q: What suggestions do you have on what type of
cutting machine for doing vinyl?
Some of the recommendations
I was given were the Silhouette Cameo, Brother ScanNCut, and the Cricut Air
Explore.
Q: How do I decide which cutting machine to get?
Personally I think it’s a
great idea to compare cutting machines.
One machine may have not have all the options you want to use, where the
other may have them all. You can always
put in your browser’s search engine (or just google it) the names of the
machines you are interested in verses each other. Example:
Silhouette Cameo vs. Brother ScanNCut.
Another example would be compare vinyl cutting machines or compare
Silhoutte Cameo and Brother ScanNCut.
Q: Do you use vinyl sheets or rolls?
You will want to decide just
exactly what designs you will be using, as well as what size.
Q: What type of software, if any, comes with the
cutting machine?
Some machines come with
software and some don’t. If the cutting
machine you ultimately choose does not come with software, make sure you shop
around for the correct software you need.
I highly recommend going to your machine’s manufacturer’s website to see
what they suggest.
Q: What type of heat press do you use? What size did you buy?
What size and/or type you
want depends on exactly you plan on doing.
There are at least 3 types to choose from: clamshell, swinger, and draw. For more information on choosing the heat
press best suited for your needs, you can visit http://www.transferexpress.com/how-to-choose-heat-press
Q. Where do I shop for designs?
Each cutting machine should
have recommendations on where to purchase designs. Also, you can probably visit Pinterest and/or
Etsy for designs.
Q: What extras, such as tools, stands, blades,
will I need to go with my cutting machine?
This depends on what comes
with the cutting machine you choose. You
may want to make a list of what is included with your cutting machine, then
google to see what extras you may need.
Q: What extras do I need for my heat press?
As far as the heat press is
concerned, you may or may not want to purchase a stand for it. You may not need a stand if you have a good
place to set it up. Another extra you
may want to consider is a protector for the lower plate. These are designed to help reduce wear and
tear on the lower platen pad, as well as help make it easier to load and unload
garments. You may also want to consider
getting a cover for the top plate.
Q: Once I’ve bought my cutting machine and heat
press, where should I go to get good quality vinyl, transparencies, and other
supplies at inexpensive prices?
A really great place to
check out is The Vinyl Spectrum. They
carry adhesive (sticky) vinyl, and heat transfer vinyl (HTV), as well as
accessories.
Q: What about inventory?
That depends on what you
mean by inventory. What do you want to
do…clothing, acrylic items such as cups and more? One great place to start is RCS Blanks. Another
place you can check out is Discount Embroidery Blanks. You may want to decide whether to stock up on
items or order as you go. If you decide
to stock up on items, it may be a good idea to put off order a large quantity
of something until you see how well that item sells.
Q: Once I’ve decided on what I want, how do I go
about learning how do work with my equipment?
There is always YouTube and
FaceBook groups. I have found that the
vast majority of FaceBook groups have members who are absolutely great at
helping answer any questions a newbie may have.
When looking for FaceBook groups to join, I suggest putting in various
key words in the search area.
Example: Put in such words as
vinyl heat transfer, heat press, and name of the cutting machine you bought,
etc.
After talking back and forth
with Bethany, we went with the Silhouette Cameo 2 and the Siser 11x15 heat press. We purchased both from Ken’s Sewing Center so
that we could finance it. We didn’t buy
the stand for the heat press because I have a large table in my crafting room
we can set it on. Also, if necessary,
our husbands can make us a stand just for it.
The software for the Silhouette Cameo was not included; however, a free
download for the Silhouette Studio Basic is available from the manufacturer’s
website. After we receive the cutting
machine, I will be checking into what other tools I will need for it. Amazon will probably be the place I’ll visit
to order what we need.
Below are some links you may
be interested in visiting. Each link will open in another window.
