One Step Foil Heat Transfer with Silhouette CAMEO

Is it just me or do you guys also love the look of foil, but not necessarily the two step process it requires when cutting with your Silhouette CAMEO?

This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own

Well, I just stumbled across a foil that's cuttable, adhesive backed, and stretchy! It's pretty much the best thing since the original craft foil!

Before I tell you all about this Stretch Metallic Soft Foil you need a little background to understand why it has such an advantage over the traditional craft foil.  Most craft foil is not adhesive backed and can't be cut with the Silhouette cutting machines. That means you need to purchase something like Easyweed Adhesive - which is cut and then applied and in a separate, second step, the foil is applied over top. That type of foil can be laundered, but only a limited number of times before it begins to break down.

BUT with this PerfecPress HTV foil - which I got at JSI Signs - you get not only the foil and adhesive in one product, but you can apply in one step.  Plus it's soft and stretchy so you don't get crinkles and wrinkles.

You're literally going to cut the Stretch Metallic Soft Foil just like heat transfer vinyl. In Silhouette Studio the design should be mirrored and the material should be placed on the cutting mat with the colored side down - gray side/adhesive up.

The best cut settings for this foil on Silhouette CAMEO are actually found by using the default cut settings for Heat Transfer Vinyl, Smooth.

Even the tiniest details cut cleanly on this foil heat transfer!

Once the cut is complete, weed the excess heat transfer vinyl.

The key to this material is how it's applied.  Set your heat press to between 285 and 310. I had mine at 305.

First you want to make sure that you pre-press your shirt for about 2 to 3 seconds. That just gets any moisture (and wrinkles) out.  Since I know you'll ask what types of fabrics this can go on, this PerfecPress soft foil can be applied to cotton, cotton blends, poly, lycra, acrylic and 100% (uncoated) polyester materials.

Place the foil design onto the shirt, or in the below case - tea towel - where you want it to be applied and then place it on the heat press. Cover with a teflon sheet and then press with medium to firm pressure no more than 10 to 12 seconds.

Remove the textile from the heat source and wait about 10 seconds so the foil decal cools a bit before you peel off the carrier sheet. If any of the foil starts to peel up with the carrier sheet, wait until it cools further before removing the carrier.

And look how stretchy it is!!

You can actually layer multiple layers of this soft one-step foil HTV on top of each other.  The foil has some type of coating on it so if you want to layer re-press it, without a teflon sheet, for about 3-5 seconds.  The re-press also helps with better washability.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!

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