TIL I was scorching my book cloth with the iron for years

Last month at a workshop in Portland someone asked why my backing fabric was so shiny, and I realized I'd been pressing the iron flat like laundry instead of a quick 2-second lift and set. Has anyone else had that 'wait, that's not how you do it' moment with a basic tool?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret_taylor421mo ago

Oh wait, hold on. You mean you were putting the full iron down flat the whole time? Like how you'd iron a shirt? I just figured everyone knew to do the quick lift and set thing but I guess not. My mind is blown right now because I can't even picture how that works without burning or melting the cloth. I've only been doing this for like 3 years but I learned the lift method from a tutorial video on youtube day one. That must have been so frustrating when you figured it out.

walker.max1mo ago

Oh man, I gotta jump in here real quick. The quick lift and set method is actually not the standard way to do it, at least not for most heat transfer vinyl. With most HTV, you actually do want to press down firm and flat, not lift and set, because the heat needs to soak through the whole design evenly. If you're lifting and setting, you're probably letting heat escape and ending up with a weaker bond, which could lead to peeling later. I'm not saying your method is wrong if it works for you, but I'd double check the brand's instructions because a lot of them specifically say to press down with steady pressure for the full time.