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After I setup my cutter and did the first test cut, I figured I might as well jump right into the practical application stuff: making a custom t-shirt!
INTRO
Since the setup process was outlined for me step by step in the instruction booklet, I was confident that cutting t-shirt vinyl would be just as easy
LOADING THE VINYL INTO THE CUTTER
I pulled out some Orange (my favorite color) Neon vinyl from the Spectra Sample Pack that Imprintables sent me with my heat press/cutter package.
MY FIRST PROBLEM
I was getting ready to load it into the cutter, when I realized I didn't have any "step by step" instructions to follow for loading the vinyl (which side is up?), length of the blade extension (how far should the blade be out of the blade holder), blade force (will the same settings from my test sheet work for this t-shirt vinyl?).
I was spoiled by the step by step But I wasn't foiled.
I searched the forums for some tips, checked out the Imprintables website and found some tips for the applying the vinyl to the shirt, and then broke down and contacted Josh for help.
MY NEWBIE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q: Which side of the vinyl should be facing UP when I load it in the cutter?
A: Load the vinyl with the dull/matte side facing up. Press with the matte site facing down. Don't forget to mirror your image in your graphics program.
Q: How much should the blade be extended (and how much force) for the new vinyl?
A: The same extension can be used, but you may need to adjust the force for the different types of vinyl. It's good practice to go through the test cut procedure (press the test button on the Roland cutter) each time you switch different types of vinyl or even different colors.
Q: Is there a place where I can read all the cutting instructions for the different types of vinyl (detailed loading instructions, which blade to use with which types of material, etc)
A: Nope. You sort of get the hang of it pretty quick.
(I'll probably record that info here for future reference. I like having something I can refer back to in case my memory fails. This was probably explained in the free training offered by Imprintables, but I didn't take it, so most people probably already know this stuff. It would be nice to be included with all vinyl shipments along with the pressing instructions though).
BTW: The neon vinyl (and other thicker vinyl like supersuede/flock) require a 60 degree blade. The cutter came with a 45 degree blade, so if I wanted to start with the neon vinyl, I'd have to do a blade switch.
Needless to say, I decided to start with a vinyl I could cut with the 45 degree blade I already installed. I was feeling adventurous, but not THAT adventurous
Out with the orange neon vinyl, in with the glittery blue megatallic .
![]()
It only took one test cut to see that the depth and pressure were already perfect for the new vinyl. No adjustments needed...woo hoo!
CREATING THE DESIGN
Warning! Warning! I am not a graphic design. I repeat, I am not a graphic designer. I don't play one on TV, I'm not even going to try to pretend.
But still...I wanted to at least create a shirt I would actually wear. No need to waste vinyl.
So I headed over to a place with a lot of great royalty free vector graphics: Stock Photography: Search Royalty Free Images & Photos | iStockphoto.com
I browsed around looking for clean, but slightly complex shield/crest type graphic that I could type some text on. After looking at a few thumbnails, I decided on this graphic called "Panel 5c"
I clicked on the "Download" link and was taken to the page where you get to choose what type of "license" you'd like to buy. The graphics there are "royalty free", not "free free"
I opened the file in coreldraw x3 and mucked around with it, trying to
figure out what word to type on it. I was thinking "fancy", since the glitter looked fancy, but I probably wouldn't wear a t-shirt with the word fancy on it. Then I found a few synonyms for the word fancy, and I liked "swanky", but it sounded a bit too fancy of a word for fancy. I ended up with "vinyl" for a couple of reasons:
![]()
CUTTING THE DESIGN
After I had it all nice and perfect, I clicked on the handy dandy CutStudio button that showed up on coreldrawX3 after I installed the upgrade from Roland:
![]()
That button sent the graphic to CutStudio where it was cut ready. I drew a box around it because that's what they did in the test cut instructions and it seemed to make the graphic easier to weed. I also think I saw Josh do it on his vinyl transfer video tutorial (I had several browser tabs open while I was doing my first press):
![]()
From there I just clicked on the "Cutting" button in CutStudio which sent the design to the cutter.
After some speedy slick slicing, the Roland cutter gave me this:
![]()
If you put your face REAL close to the monitor, you can see my design cut out of the vinyl. A bit closer. There you go.
WEEDING THE DESIGN
I removed my vinyl piece from the cutter and removed the rectangle from around the design:
![]()
Then I got to know the "joy of weeding" I probably should have tried a simpler graphic my first time out...but hey, what fun is that!
To be honest, the weeding wasn't that bad. It was actually a bit relaxing.
It took me about 10 minutes to get to this:
![]()
Flip it around, and you can see the sparklies:
![]()
(sorry for the bad photo there)
Then I turned on my heat press to use it for the first time. The LED screen was pretty self explanatory, but I pulled out the manual to make sure I was setting the temperature and time properly according to the tech sheet.
MY SECOND PROBLEM
Right about then, the power in my office blew out!
The lights dimmed a bit when I started the preheating of the heat press, but I figured that was just because the heat press used a lot of electricity.
I kept plugging along, trying to line up the t-shirt on the press while it was heating up (I probably should have done this BEFORE I turned the press on). As I was looking back on my computer to see what happened next in Josh's video, everything went out. Poof.
Off to the garage, fixed the breaker, back in the office. Turned on the press again, set the temp and time and I was back in business. The press started heating up:
![]()
I did my best to line up the vinyl transfer on the t-shirt (should I have trimmed more of the clear vinyl backing off?)
![]()
THE T-SHIRT
Before the holidays last year I bought some fashion blank samples from Article 1.
If you haven't tried Article1 blanks, and you're looking for a super soft "fashion" blank t-shirt (similar to AmericanApparel, AlternativeApparel, Continental Clothing), you should check them out.
I bought a few different styles from them. I'm not sure if their regular basic style tee (111A) is made from different cotton than their eurofit tee (111B) that I used for my first vinyl t-shirt, but this euro fit t-shirt is VERY soft.
The basic shirt was soft as well, but I think this euro fit shirt is either equally as soft or almost as soft as the Alternative Apparel shirts (used in the t-shirtforums shirts from last year). The neckline is more structured (not tight, just more structured than the Alternative Apparel) and it's a bit heavier weight than Alternative's AA05 t-shirt that I love.
HEAT PRESSING THE SHIRT
So according to the instructions for the Megatallic Glitter Vinyl, I was supposed to prepress the blank t-shirt by itself for 4 seconds at 302 degrees Fahrenheit. This is to get rid of the moisture in the t-shirt and to iron out the wrinkles. Then I was supposed to apply the vinyl with the heat press for a period of 10-15 seconds at medium pressure.
I did that, and then I watched Josh's video again to see what he did to minimize my mistakes (I think he was using Megatallic in his video). He said that the megatallic required a press (dwell) time of 10-15 seconds at 305 degrees. I decided to go for the extra 3 degrees and do it at 305.
After I prepressed for 4 seconds, the shirt still seemed like it had moisture, so I prepressed it again for another 8 seconds. Then I prepressed it again for another 8 seconds for good measure
Then I lined up my transfer:
![]()
And pressed it down for 12 seconds. I waited a bit to let the transfer cool since it's supposed to be a "cold peel" transfer. Then I peeled of the clear backing to reveal my finished product:
![]()
Here's a closeup:
![]()
Ahh, what the heck, you've followed along this far...here's another that shows the glitter a bit better
![]()
MY THIRD PROBLEM: TOO MUCH PRESSURE?
![]()
At first I thought I scorched the t-shirt by my many pre-presses. As you can see by the above photo, there is a distinct 16 x 20 rectangle on my nice garment. Luckily it wasn't a burn (it went away after I washed the shirt).
I probably should have read this post with pressure adjustment tips from Don and Josh: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t4942.html
I think pressure is probably the thing I'll have the hardest time with. But I'm sure I'll figure it out. If I was smart like Jose, I could add a pressure gauge to my press (I still think they should come with them standard).
But all rectangles aside, I think it turned out to be a pretty nice first t-shirt!
![]()
VINYL TRANSFER WASH TEST
Why stop at just the application? We've come too far to stop now. Might as well read on to see how the wash test turned out...
First Impressions
So far I really like working with the Roland cutter. There's something about the LCD screen, USB connection and software use that appeals to the geek in me. Geek technology + making shirts turns out to be a fun combo
Oh yeah, the wash test photos. It was worth the wait (I was actually stalling until my card reader started working again).
See, no rectangle. This is after one wash, I think in the cold cycle and dried on medium high heat (I think the Permanent Press setting on the dryer):
![]()
Here's a closeup of the washed design. Whaddaya think?
![]()
Thanks for hanging in there. Any questions, feedback, answers?
INTRO
Since the setup process was outlined for me step by step in the instruction booklet, I was confident that cutting t-shirt vinyl would be just as easy
LOADING THE VINYL INTO THE CUTTER
I pulled out some Orange (my favorite color) Neon vinyl from the Spectra Sample Pack that Imprintables sent me with my heat press/cutter package.
MY FIRST PROBLEM
I was getting ready to load it into the cutter, when I realized I didn't have any "step by step" instructions to follow for loading the vinyl (which side is up?), length of the blade extension (how far should the blade be out of the blade holder), blade force (will the same settings from my test sheet work for this t-shirt vinyl?).
I was spoiled by the step by step
But I wasn't foiled.I searched the forums for some tips, checked out the Imprintables website and found some tips for the applying the vinyl to the shirt, and then broke down and contacted Josh for help.
MY NEWBIE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q: Which side of the vinyl should be facing UP when I load it in the cutter?
A: Load the vinyl with the dull/matte side facing up. Press with the matte site facing down. Don't forget to mirror your image in your graphics program.
Q: How much should the blade be extended (and how much force) for the new vinyl?
A: The same extension can be used, but you may need to adjust the force for the different types of vinyl. It's good practice to go through the test cut procedure (press the test button on the Roland cutter) each time you switch different types of vinyl or even different colors.
Q: Is there a place where I can read all the cutting instructions for the different types of vinyl (detailed loading instructions, which blade to use with which types of material, etc)
A: Nope. You sort of get the hang of it pretty quick.
(I'll probably record that info here for future reference. I like having something I can refer back to in case my memory fails. This was probably explained in the free training offered by Imprintables, but I didn't take it, so most people probably already know this stuff. It would be nice to be included with all vinyl shipments along with the pressing instructions though).
BTW: The neon vinyl (and other thicker vinyl like supersuede/flock) require a 60 degree blade. The cutter came with a 45 degree blade, so if I wanted to start with the neon vinyl, I'd have to do a blade switch.
Needless to say, I decided to start with a vinyl I could cut with the 45 degree blade I already installed. I was feeling adventurous, but not THAT adventurous
Out with the orange neon vinyl, in with the glittery blue megatallic .
It only took one test cut to see that the depth and pressure were already perfect for the new vinyl. No adjustments needed...woo hoo!
CREATING THE DESIGN
Warning! Warning! I am not a graphic design. I repeat, I am not a graphic designer. I don't play one on TV, I'm not even going to try to pretend.
But still...I wanted to at least create a shirt I would actually wear. No need to waste vinyl.
So I headed over to a place with a lot of great royalty free vector graphics: Stock Photography: Search Royalty Free Images & Photos | iStockphoto.com
I browsed around looking for clean, but slightly complex shield/crest type graphic that I could type some text on. After looking at a few thumbnails, I decided on this graphic called "Panel 5c"
I clicked on the "Download" link and was taken to the page where you get to choose what type of "license" you'd like to buy. The graphics there are "royalty free", not "free free"
Note: Since this was for a promotional item/personal project, I was able to purchase the "standard license" for 5 credits (about $5). If this was for an actual run of t-shirts that I was going to sell, I would have needed to purchase an Extended License for 50 credits (50 bucks), which covers a t-shirt run of up to 2000 shirts.
I downloaded the vector file (this file was a .ai file, but most are in 3 different vector formats, including .eps).
I opened the file in coreldraw x3 and mucked around with it, trying to
figure out what word to type on it. I was thinking "fancy", since the glitter looked fancy, but I probably wouldn't wear a t-shirt with the word fancy on it. Then I found a few synonyms for the word fancy, and I liked "swanky", but it sounded a bit too fancy of a word for fancy. I ended up with "vinyl" for a couple of reasons:
- As a sort of "captain obvious" badge proclaiming that the design was made with vinyl
- As a little double entendre - a nod to old school vinyl records
CUTTING THE DESIGN
After I had it all nice and perfect, I clicked on the handy dandy CutStudio button that showed up on coreldrawX3 after I installed the upgrade from Roland:
That button sent the graphic to CutStudio where it was cut ready. I drew a box around it because that's what they did in the test cut instructions and it seemed to make the graphic easier to weed. I also think I saw Josh do it on his vinyl transfer video tutorial (I had several browser tabs open while I was doing my first press):
From there I just clicked on the "Cutting" button in CutStudio which sent the design to the cutter.
After some speedy slick slicing, the Roland cutter gave me this:
If you put your face REAL close to the monitor, you can see my design cut out of the vinyl. A bit closer. There you go.
WEEDING THE DESIGN
I removed my vinyl piece from the cutter and removed the rectangle from around the design:
Then I got to know the "joy of weeding"
I probably should have tried a simpler graphic my first time out...but hey, what fun is that!To be honest, the weeding wasn't that bad. It was actually a bit relaxing.
It took me about 10 minutes to get to this:
Flip it around, and you can see the sparklies:
(sorry for the bad photo there)
Then I turned on my heat press to use it for the first time. The LED screen was pretty self explanatory, but I pulled out the manual to make sure I was setting the temperature and time properly according to the tech sheet.
MY SECOND PROBLEM
Right about then, the power in my office blew out!
The lights dimmed a bit when I started the preheating of the heat press, but I figured that was just because the heat press used a lot of electricity.
I kept plugging along, trying to line up the t-shirt on the press while it was heating up (I probably should have done this BEFORE I turned the press on). As I was looking back on my computer to see what happened next in Josh's video, everything went out. Poof.
Off to the garage, fixed the breaker, back in the office. Turned on the press again, set the temp and time and I was back in business. The press started heating up:
I did my best to line up the vinyl transfer on the t-shirt (should I have trimmed more of the clear vinyl backing off?)
THE T-SHIRT
Before the holidays last year I bought some fashion blank samples from Article 1.
If you haven't tried Article1 blanks, and you're looking for a super soft "fashion" blank t-shirt (similar to AmericanApparel, AlternativeApparel, Continental Clothing), you should check them out.
I bought a few different styles from them. I'm not sure if their regular basic style tee (111A) is made from different cotton than their eurofit tee (111B) that I used for my first vinyl t-shirt, but this euro fit t-shirt is VERY soft.
The basic shirt was soft as well, but I think this euro fit shirt is either equally as soft or almost as soft as the Alternative Apparel shirts (used in the t-shirtforums shirts from last year). The neckline is more structured (not tight, just more structured than the Alternative Apparel) and it's a bit heavier weight than Alternative's AA05 t-shirt that I love.
HEAT PRESSING THE SHIRT
So according to the instructions for the Megatallic Glitter Vinyl, I was supposed to prepress the blank t-shirt by itself for 4 seconds at 302 degrees Fahrenheit. This is to get rid of the moisture in the t-shirt and to iron out the wrinkles. Then I was supposed to apply the vinyl with the heat press for a period of 10-15 seconds at medium pressure.
I did that, and then I watched Josh's video again to see what he did to minimize my mistakes (I think he was using Megatallic in his video). He said that the megatallic required a press (dwell) time of 10-15 seconds at 305 degrees. I decided to go for the extra 3 degrees and do it at 305.
After I prepressed for 4 seconds, the shirt still seemed like it had moisture, so I prepressed it again for another 8 seconds. Then I prepressed it again for another 8 seconds for good measure
Then I lined up my transfer:
And pressed it down for 12 seconds. I waited a bit to let the transfer cool since it's supposed to be a "cold peel" transfer. Then I peeled of the clear backing to reveal my finished product:
Here's a closeup:
Ahh, what the heck, you've followed along this far...here's another that shows the glitter a bit better
MY THIRD PROBLEM: TOO MUCH PRESSURE?
At first I thought I scorched the t-shirt by my many pre-presses. As you can see by the above photo, there is a distinct 16 x 20 rectangle on my nice garment. Luckily it wasn't a burn (it went away after I washed the shirt).
I probably should have read this post with pressure adjustment tips from Don and Josh: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t4942.html
I think pressure is probably the thing I'll have the hardest time with. But I'm sure I'll figure it out. If I was smart like Jose, I could add a pressure gauge to my press
(I still think they should come with them standard).But all rectangles aside, I think it turned out to be a pretty nice first t-shirt!
VINYL TRANSFER WASH TEST
Why stop at just the application? We've come too far to stop now. Might as well read on to see how the wash test turned out...
First Impressions
So far I really like working with the Roland cutter. There's something about the LCD screen, USB connection and software use that appeals to the geek in me. Geek technology + making shirts turns out to be a fun combo
Oh yeah, the wash test photos. It was worth the wait (I was actually stalling until my card reader started working again).
See, no rectangle. This is after one wash, I think in the cold cycle and dried on medium high heat (I think the Permanent Press setting on the dryer):
Here's a closeup of the washed design. Whaddaya think?
Thanks for hanging in there. Any questions, feedback, answers?
