Ironing On Heat Transfer Vinyl: Temperature, Time and Care
are explained briefly when you hover over or tap them.
Heat transfer vinyl, also called iron-on vinyl, transfer film or HTV, is the simplest way to a shirt design of your own. It consists of a coloured film with heat-activated adhesive on a glossy carrier. The plotter cuts only the film, you remove the rest and press the design onto the fabric with heat.
1. Load and mirror correctly
- Glossy side down: The glossy side is the carrier. It lies at the bottom on the mat when cutting, and the matt side faces the blade.
- Mirror: Because the film is turned over when applied, the design has to be cut mirrored. In Design Space you select “Mirror” in the mat preview, and for iron-on materials Cricut also shows a reminder. Siser also writes “Cut the material mirrored” in its data sheet.
- Choose the material in the software: The cut setting for HTV is designed for a thin film. For P.S. Film, the European EasyWeed, Siser gives a 45° blade angle, 60 g cutting pressure and 30 cm/s.
If the blade does not cut properly, Plotter does not cut properly helps.
2. Weeding
With a weeding hook you pull off everything that is not part of the design. What remains is the design on the carrier. Siser gives a tip for this: on a warm surface, weeding is quicker and easier.
Afterwards, trim the carrier closely around the design. This saves film, and with several colours the carriers do not lie on top of each other.
3. Temperature, time and pressure
The values come from the film manufacturer, not from the plotter or the press.
| Film | Temperature | Time | Pressure | Peel carrier | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siser P.S. Film (EasyWeed) | 150 °C | 15 s | medium, 2.5 to 3.5 bar | hot or cold | Siser data sheet 03/2025 |
| Siser EasyWeed (US version) | 150 °C | 10 to 15 s | medium | hot or cold | Siser via Stahls |
| Siser StripFlock Pro (flock) | 155 °C | 15 s | medium, 3 to 4 bar | warm | Siser data sheet |
| Cricut Iron-On | depending on film and fabric | per guide | per guide | per guide | Cricut Heat Guide |
Cricut does not publish a fixed table. According to Cricut, time and temperature depend on the fabric and the film; you get the values from the Cricut Heat Guide or the Cricut Heat app.
This is how to proceed with a press:
- Pre-press the fabric briefly, which smooths it and drives out moisture.
- Place the design with the carrier facing up.
- Cover with protective paper, baking paper or a Teflon sheet.
- Press with the film’s values.
- Peel the carrier as the film requires: hot, warm or cold.
More on presses, pre-pressing and peeling is in Using a heat press correctly.
Iron or heat press?
Both work, but not equally well. Cricut explains the difference like this: with an iron, the heat comes from the middle, the temperature is uneven across the surface and lower at the edges. A heat press heats evenly right to the edge, and temperature and time can be set precisely. Siser’s bar figures assume a press; for the iron, the data sheet gives no values.
With the iron, following Cricut:
- Select the cotton/linen setting, usually the hottest. Steam off.
- Preheat the spot on the fabric for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Place the design with the carrier facing up.
- Press for 25 to 30 seconds with medium pressure.
- Turn the fabric over and press once more from the back for 25 to 30 seconds.
- Peel the carrier cold.
The right surface: Cricut recommends a firm, level table at hip height with a fluffy, plain cotton towel on it, folded so that it is about 7.5 cm thick. According to Cricut, an ironing board (uneven, not stable enough for pressure), corrugated cardboard (becomes uneven) and silicone baking mats or aluminium foil (do not insulate and become dangerously hot) are not suitable.
If you make shirts regularly, a press is the more reliable solution. You will find presses with data and prices in the device overview, for example the Cricut EasyPress SE as a hand-held press or the Cricut AutoPress 2 as an automatic press.
Washing and care
| Cricut Everyday Iron-On | Siser P.S. Film | |
|---|---|---|
| First wash | after 24 hours at the earliest | after 24 hours at the earliest |
| Washing | inside out | inside out, up to 80 °C |
| Tumble dryer | inside out, low to medium setting according to the Cricut blog | yes, cotton programme |
| Ironing | from the back only | yes, inside out |
| Bleach | no | no, no aggressive agents |
| Durability according to manufacturer | over 30 washes | no figure for the number of washes |
If you combine different films, Siser says the lowest washing temperature of all the films used applies. Always follow the care instructions of the textile as well.
Typical mistakes
- Design appears mirrored on the shirt: Mirroring was forgotten. The film is then lost.
- Film comes off after washing: According to Siser, both pressing too briefly and pressing too long can cause this. Stick to the film’s values and wash after 24 hours at the earliest.
- Film shrinks: pressed too long. Siser warns that too much heat makes the film shrink.
- Imprint of the carrier on the film: Siser advises lowering the pressure or peeling the carrier after a brief tack-on and finishing the pressing with protective paper.
Pressing several colours on top of each other is a topic of its own, see Multicolour plotting and Print then Cut. When HTV, sublimation or DTF suits better is covered in Plot, sublimation or DTF?.
Sources
- Siser: P.S. Film (EasyWeed), P.S. Film data sheet, as of 03/2025, StripFlock Pro data sheet, 5 tips for layering
- Stahls: Siser EasyWeed (retailer)
- Cricut: Everything about iron-on, Which temperature and time, Heat Guide, Everyday Iron-On