HTV Transfers: Why Using a Cold Laminator is Key

Want to avoid bubbles when you're masking HTV transfers? The key is a cold laminator.  

Read on for how I use a cold laminator to avoid bubbles in my HTV transfers! 

I love using a thin printable heat transfer vinyl when printing and cutting HTV transfers with my Roland BN2-20A or BN-20A. But there's no faster way to ruin them than with bubbles. 

So here's my process to avoid bubbles when masking ready to press heat transfers.  By the way, the design I'm using here is a full color vector from So Fontsy's Made for DTF and Sublimation Design Bundle. 

After weeding away the excess HTV around my design, I cut a piece of heat transfer mask about the same size as the transfers. 

Peel the back off the transfer mask - but keep it close. You'll need it again.

With the HTV transfer on a flat surface and the printed vinyl side up, hold the mask with two hands so it falls into a "U" shape. 

Let the middle of the mask hit the middle of the transfer first, then lay down the sides. 

Now grab the masked HTV and run it through a cold laminator. The one I have is a 14" hand crank laminator that I got from Amazon. 

I love the popping sound it makes while the transfer runs through the laminator getting the mask pressed tightly on top. 

I run it through two or three times to squeeze out any air bubbles and get a tight seal. 

Then .. the really fun part. You're going to grab a corner of transfer sheet in one hand and the mask in the other and rip as fast as you can like bandaid. 

Don't be scared...just do it. 

The transfer will leave it's soul.. I mean the backing and be stuck to the transfer exposing the adhesive side.  

Now .. you can immediately press it on the shirt or bag like I did here.  I am obsessed with the quality of the HTV transfers the Roland BN2-20A can print and cut. 

Or you can put send the ready to press t shirt transfer directly to a customer now that it's safely on the backing sheet. 

 

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