What is Siser EasyColor DTV Exactly? Everything to Know About the Inkjet Printable HTV

The newly released Siser EasyColor DTV is the latest inkjet printable heat transfer to hit the market. 

If you're familiar with Siser EasySubli you can think of EasyColor DTV as its sister product - for inkjet printers rather than sublimation printers.  Read on to learn more about Siser EasyColor DTV including how and when you might want to use it and the differences and similarities between it and other inkjet printable heat transfers on the market.

What is Siser EasyColor DTV?

Siser has dubbed their new inkjet printable heat transfers "Siser EasyColor DTV".  The "DTV" stands for Direct to Vinyl and is a clever play off DTG and DTF which are common acronyms in the custom garment world for printing Direct to Garment (DTG) and Direct to Film (DTF).

Siser EasyColor DTV allows you to print direct to vinyl with an inkjet printer.  The print and cut process to use it is similar to Siser's EasySubli printable material which is compatible with sublimation printers.

Among the benefits of EasyColor DTV - like other inkjet printable materials like JetPro, Starcraft and Neenah - is inkjet printers are a lot less expensive than DTG, DTF, and sublimation printers. In fact it's likely you already have one. 

EasyColor DTV allows you to print a full color design directly onto vinyl using water-based inkjet ink rather than spending time cutting multiple layers of heat transfer vinyl and then layering bulky designs on a shirt, bag or other garment. Instead you can print, cut, and press in a single layer. 

What Garments Can EasyColor DTV Be Used On? 

EasyColor DTV can be used on a wide range of materials including cotton and all color materials.  That means where sublimation won't work due to cotton or dark color fabrics - you can use EasyColor DTV. 

While most inkjet printable heat transfers on the market have two different versions: one for lights and one for darks Siser EasyColor DTV works with both. In my opinion this is both a benefit and a drawback.  More on that later.

How Do You Use Siser EasyColor DTV with Silhouette CAMEO or Portrait? 

Siser EasyColor is a print and cut product so you set it up that way in Silhouette Studio with registration marks. 

With a sheet of EasyColor in your inkjet printer, you send the design to print from Silhouette Studio.  Then load the sheet onto a Silhouette cutting mat and cut around the design.  

The excess material around the design can be weeded away before a mask is placed over the design to transfer onto the shirt before pressing. 

Once pressed, the mask is removed leaving the printed transfer on the shirt. 

What Are the Pros and Cons of Siser EasyColor DTV?

There is a lot I like about Siser EasyColor...but as always there are some things I think it's important to consider before you decide if it's the right product for you. 

Siser EasyColor DTV definitely has a very soft hand. It's buttery, stretchy and matte when applied to the garment, which means it doesn't add extra bulk and it's not stiff. The colors are bright and vibrant and it washes well. 

While it cuts easily with the Silhouette CAMEO and Portrait the backing is a static instead of adhesive - like HTV -  which can cause small areas of the design to curl up during cutting and weeding making masking challenging if you're not careful. 

You definitely want to make sure you refine the cut settings because any areas that are not fully cut through will stretch and curl if there's any resistance against them when you weed.  

The best Silhouette cut settings for Siser EasyColor DTV that I have found are a Blade 3, Force 6, Speed 8, Passes 2. 

Reverse weeding by applying the mask before weeding may help if you have a delicate design. 

You will also want to add a bleed to your design in Silhouette Studio to avoid any slightly white edges that can occur with print and cuts. 

My biggest con - and some won't find this as a downside (given the tradeoff of only needing one product for two different color textiles) - is the process for lights.  While being compatible with lights and darks means you only need a single product to tackle both color garments - it means half the time you're actually taking additional time-consuming steps than other inkjet printable products on the market that have differing products for lights and darks.  

Other inkjet printable materials for lights on the market require no cutting or weeding - you simply print in reverse, flip onto the shirt, press and peel away the transfer paper. But with the Siser EasyColor DTV there are several additional time consuming steps when preparing to apply to light color garments.  

However...there is a noticeable difference in the results when compared side by side.

The process for darks is the same to other inkjet printable heat transfer materials on the market. Compared to those, I would say given the hand and stretchability of Siser Easy Color DTV to others inkjet printable for darks on the market - it outshines them. 

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