How To Print On Transfer Paper For T-shirts? Learn Step by Step

Transfer paper is usually referred to as t-shirt paper because it’ mostly used to used transfer letter, numbers, images (or a combination of these) onto fabrics.

Application of this transfer paper is however not limited to t-shirts only. You can use it to transfer your desired images on other fabrics such as cotton bags, aprons, tablecloths, pillowcases, and even on hard surfaces- like wood.

If you’ve never used a transfer paper before, you can learn to do that in minutes. Follow our handy guide below that explains how you should print your image on a transfer paper correctly.

Should You Use a Specific Printer Ink For Your T-Shirt Transfer Paper?

For many beginners, they’re often confused on the suitable ink to use with their t-shirt transfer papers. Unknown to them, this concern is unfounded as any ink can just work fine. The top secrets to successful transfer process lie in the paper you’re using and not the ink.

So, there is no suitable ink for transfer paper- as long as you’re using an inkjet printer.

The Different Types of Transfer Paper:

There are two main variations of Transfer papers, namely the light and dark papers. It’s crucial that you pick the correct paper, depending on the color of the substrate you wish to print on.

As a general rule, images printed on the light transfer paper tend to provide a vibrant and more accurate image when used on white and other light colored fabrics. The ink is translucent and not visible unless you lay it on white or extremely light colored backgrounds.

Dark fabrics, on the other hand, require the dark transfer paper. In such a paper, a white background is transferred with the ink and actually blocks out the color of your fabric from coming through the ink.

Subsequently, the ideal images tend to act as block pictures or images the white area can cut away since they will appear on your shirt when the transfer process is complete.

How To Use The Transfer Paper:

Your artwork is ready. You've got a functional inkjet printer. You’ve got the right transfer paper for the job. What’ next?

Printing the image on the paper should be the next step…

Reverse Your Artwork First!

You should start by mirroring or reversing your image (in cases it contains numbers or text). Most people tend to forget this step, and you can guess what happens to the end product they print. You’ll need to reverse your image and then print it in mirror mode.

The image will be placed facing down on your garment and when heat transfer pressed, it will appear the correct way.In case you’re using the dark transfer paper, you should place your image facing upon your shirt before transferring it. This way, there will be no need to reverse your image.

The reversal process is pretty simple and can be achieved directly from your printer’s settings or by employing a simple image editing software.

Printing On Your Transfer Paper

You want to be 100 sure that your image is ready for printing and will appear the way you want it to when printed on the shirt. So, make sure you print a sample of the image on a standard piece of paper before you can print it on your transfer paper.

When you’re fully satisfied with your image, go ahead and print it on the right side of your transfer. This part is usually marked, but in case you don’t see any marks, make sure you print on the coated side.

Once you’ve successfully printed the image, you can now transfer it to your garment using a heat press t-shirt printing machine.

Important Note: Remember to place the transfer paper (with the image) facing down your garment so that the final product appears as expected.Also remember to position your paper correctly to ensure you transfer the image to the right part of your shirt.

Final Thoughts:

The guide above walks you through the basics of a transfer appear and how you can successfully print your image on the right paper.

If you follow this guide, you’ll have an easy time transferring all your artwork to your transfer paper and preparing it for printing.

Bookmark this post now and visit again and again before you start your project to ensure you follow all the necessary aspects.