Updated By TeckWrap Craft On September 9, 2024
How To Use Transfer Paper With Vinyl
Transfer paper is an indispensable tool when working with adhesive craft vinyl. It helps apply designs and lettering onto compatible surfaces flawlessly, making the process easier. To use transfer paper with vinyl, cut it slightly larger than your design and apply over it with a squeegee to ensure crease-free adhesion. We present a comprehensive guide to mastering the use of transfer paper with vinyl, providing you with tips and techniques for achieving the best results.
What Is A Transfer Paper?
Transfer Paper, also known as Transfer Tape, is a clear or translucent material used to apply adhesive vinyl designs to any hard, smooth, clean, and dry surface. You can use it to assist in decorating drinkware, treated wood, mirrors, and so on.
Equipped with an adhesive backing, it carries all components of the pattern and applies them to the substrate accurately, making the process time-efficient. It allows for easy placement and alignment, ensuring effortless and robust adherence. It only works with craft vinyl. You cannot use it with HTV. Heat transfer vinyl has a carrier sheet as the top layer that helps design the garment, hence transfer paper is not needed.
Different Types Of Transfer Paper
As mentioned, transfer tape comes in different types. So before you buy a transfer tape, make sure you picked the right product. It’s important to read this part because you need to know the product specification you need before buying it. Here’s what you need to know:
With Grid Lines Or No Gridlines
Do you use transfer tape with grid lines or no gridlines? The choice is totally up to you. But if you want an easier workflow and placement, later on, it’s easier to work with transfer tapes with grid lines. When working with transfer tape with gridlines, you can place it over the entire vinyl and if you’re not an expert with proper alignment while placing the vinyl, transfer tapes with grid lines can be of big help.
Medium Tack Vs High Tack Transfer Tape
Transfer tapes differ in their ‘tack’ or stickiness as well. What it means is the strength of grip the adhesive side of transfer tape has. There are two common transfer papers categorized into tackiness — medium tack and high tack.
How will you choose between the two? This depends on the type of vinyl you’re working for. To give you an idea, here’s a suggestion:
- Medium Tack: Holographic, oval, and all other regular vinyl
- High Tack: Holographic, specialty, and glitter vinyl
Why does this matter? When you use medium tack on specialty vinyl like glitter, the tackiness is not sticky enough for the vinyl to adhere to the vinyl transfer tape. Meanwhile, if you use high tack transfer tape on regular vinyl, the vinyl will adhere strongly to the transfer tape, and the entire design may get ruined.
What Transfer Tape Should I Use?
That is why it’s important to read this part so you can make a decision on which type of transfer tape you have. If you’re into the vinyl crafting business or see yourself making a lot of DIY projects, a suggestion is to have both medium tack and high tack transfer tape on hand.
The same goes with choosing between a transfer tape with non-grid and grid lines. If you think you’ll have a hard time with the proper alignment, it is better to use transfer tapes with grid lines. If you’ve become a craft expert or the grid lines get in the way of your work, then using the TeckWrap Craft Matte Transfer tape without the grid lines is an excellent option for you.
A great suggestion is to have on hand a transfer tape with grid lines and no grid lines. So a great combination you can have in your workshop is the matte transfer tape from TeckWrap Craft (no gridlines and has medium tack) and the Gray Grid High Tack Transfer Tape (with grid lines and is a high tack transfer tape).
How To Use Transfer Paper With Vinyl?
So here’s the part you’ve been waiting for, how do you use the transfer tape on a permanent vinyl? Let’s keep this short and straightforward, we’ll focus on the transferring of the vinyl to the transfer tape part. What you have to do is gather your supplies list first:
- Transfer tape
- Squeegee or scraper tool
- Weeding tool
- Your merchandise of choice (mug, cups, or tumbler)
Cut The Design Or Cut File
The first thing you need to do is to cut your design. You can create a design on your Silhouette or Cricut design space. Or if you found cute designs online, you can download the SVG files. Don’t forget to place the shiny side of the permanent vinyl up on the cutting mat.
Also, do not mirror the design when you’re using permanent vinyl. Once the vinyl has been cut, weed the excess vinyl. If you want, you can do a test cut before weeding the excess vinyl. To make the weeding easier, especially for intricate designs, you can use a weeding tool or tweezer.
Apply Transfer Tape
The next step is to apply transfer tape over the decal. Cut a piece of transfer tape slightly larger than the vinyl decal (at least 1cm bigger) so the transfer would be much easier. Peel off the paper backing of the transfer tape, and place it over the vinyl decal.
You might want to slowly start with one corner and work your way to the middle. Using a squeegee or a used credit card flatten the transfer tape over the vinyl. The goal is to transfer the vinyl piece to the transfer tape. Flatten it out using a squeegee until the whole decal has completely transferred and all bubbles are removed.
Transfer The Decal To The Item
Once you’re confident the cut vinyl has transferred completely to the transfer tape, it’s time to place the decal on the merchandise. Don’t forget to clean the merchandise with alcohol and a cotton pad before placing the vinyl decal.
Start sticking the transfer paper on the one upper corner and work your way to the middle. It’s like placing a sticker, it’s just that you have to do it slowly. Once the vinyl design is transferred to the merchandise, it will be hard to remove it.
Use a squeegee to flatten the vinyl cutter to make sure it transfers well to the item. Once you’re confident it has transferred, peel off the transfer tape and there you have your final project! That's easy!
Kinds Of Transfer Tapes Available At TeckWrap Craft
If you’re looking for premium-quality transfer tapes in various tack levels, TeckWrap Craft has the perfect solution for you. Here’s what we offer:
- Low Tack Transfer Tape: For those who prefer matte transfer tape without grid lines and a low tack, this is the best option. It is perfect for layered permanent vinyl designs.
- Medium Tack Transfer Tapes: These are transparent with grid lines in purple, red, and black. They are used with adhesive vinyl films that do not have any texture such as glossy, matte, holographic, and so on. We have matte transfer tape without any grid in medium tack as well.
- High Tack Transfer Tape: Our yellow grid transfer tape has a high tack. It is best for glitter adhesive vinyl or other types of specialty films.
What Projects Can I Work On With A Permanent Vinyl?
There are plenty of projects you can create with permanent vinyl and a transfer paper. You can place prints on glass, ceramic, plastic, or acrylic surfaces. What does this mean? You can print on wine glasses, flower vases, notebooks, and many more.
TeckWrap Craft has many craft vinyl you can choose from. With the vast design collections, not only can you give personalized gifts to your loved ones and friends, but make this a profitable business as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts
There you have it! You now know how to use transfer tape when you’re making crafts. In no time, you’ll be an expert in making any personalized project that you want. One last reminder though, that the right transfer paper is your secret weapon in becoming the best vinyl crafter. The Cricut transfer tape is fine and all, however, they don’t have many options compared to what TeckWrap Craft has to offer. While you’re shopping around the vast collection of TeckWrap Craft’s permanent vinyl, make sure to add to your cart their transfer tapes as well. Enjoy crafting!
