Yes you can heat press on acrylic..but the real question is how to you stop the heated acrylic from curling and warping?!
I have a little hack that I use that will keep the acrylic flat when you're trying to sublimate on acrylic or apply white toner transfers and the acrylic has to be heated.
When acrylic is heated, which is needed to apply transfers with a heat press, it gets pliable. In order to cool the acrylic so it hardens again, it needs to be removed from the heat. But in doing so, it quickly wants to curl and bend as it re-cools.
Curling acrylic can crack and wrinkle any transfer on the acrylic and it can cause issues when laser cutting.
After trying many, many ways to keep my acrylic sheets flat including heavy boxes and bins I have resorted to an extra heat press with firm pressure and no heat! And winner winner chicken dinner no more bent acrylic sheets.
For this tutorial I'm making some adorable Christmas acrylic earrings using a few of the designs in this holiday set that's part of the So Fontsy Cozy Christmas SVG & Font Bundle.
By the way they turned out SO cute so you're not going to want to miss this!
After printing the hard surface transfers on the iColor 560 white toner printer, peel off the film from one side of the acrylic.
This will be the back.
Use high temp tape to tape the transfer sheet into place so it doesn't move while you're applying them.
I use my slide out 15x15" heat press to apply the hard surface white toner transfers on to the sheet of clear acrylic at 290-300 degrees for 60 seconds.
I have a spare heat press - in this case my swing-away style xTool 3 in 1 heat press nearby with firm pressure and no heat!
When the time is up on applying the transfers I quickly move the sheet of acrylic to the spare heat press and close the top platen. This press should not be turned on..just a cold press.
Work fast the acrylic will cool and re-harden quickly.
These hard surface transfers need to be peeled hot so after about 30 seconds in the cold press, quickly lift the lid and peel off the transfer sheet.
Then set the sheet back on top to protect the transfers and re-close the press. Let the acrylic completely cool for another 5 or 10 minutes.
Once it's completely cool you can remove the acrylic sheet.
If you're going to laser cut acrylic earrings, like I am, move the printed acrylic sheet into your laser.
I use an xTool P2 CO2 Laser which can easily cut clear acrylic. For extra security and to make sure the sheet continues to stay completely flat, use a few clips on each side of the acrylic sheet while laser cutting.
When they're done just pop them out of the acrylic sheet and peel off the protective backing.
Flip them over ..and OMG!!!
These turned out so stinkin' cute...and completely flat!!!
Check out this video tutorial on the basic process of printing on acrylic and then learn how to add the contour cut lines for laser cutter in this video!
Soon you'll have more earrings than you know what to do with so grab the design set and get crafting!
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