# Weeding Heat Transfer Vinyl Versus P/S Vinyl?



## LUV DEM TIGERS (Jul 25, 2008)

I am looking at getting into heat transfers for shirts and getting a heat press. I am extremely familiar with what it takes to weed pressure sensitive vinyls as I have been in that business for over 20 years now. Looking at videos on youtube, it looks harder to weed the heat transfer vinyl for shirts. Is that the case? How much longer does it take an experienced person versus pressure sensitive vinyl? Twice as long? My first job will probably be 75 sets of shirts with number inside a football and 4 shirts per set for a total of 300 shirts. Cutting time won't be the problem, I was wondering about weeding time.


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## John S (Sep 9, 2006)

You will get different results with different types of vinyl.
One style uses a sticky mylar carrier. (ie. Eco from imprintables)
I like it because you can reposition any parts that may come off during the weeding, you save a lot of time pressing since you can hot peel right on the press. The only down side is if you let the weeded material touch the mylar, you have to peel it all over again. Sometimes I feel like a fly on fly paper trying to detach myself from the carrier.

The other style of heat press vinyl has a non sticky backing. (ie spectra from imprintables) 
If a piece comes off, it stays off. You have to do a second press to position the stray piece. It also requires you to let the garment cool and re-press, doubling your time. It is nicer to weed when your arms and fingers don't keep getting attached to the sticky mylar of the other vinyl.

Weeding will be much the same, but with more detail than outdoor vinyl. Get a weeding pick, it will be worth it.
You might want to order a sample pack of a few different vinyl types before you jump off the cliff with 300 sets.


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

I can weed heatpress vinyl and sign vinyl about the same time on non-detailed stuff. On detailed it is ALOT faster with heatpress vinyl then sign vinyl. 

I use and recommend multicut from www.jotopaper.com it has a sticky backing and it is 20" wide which will really come in handy on those numbers you're going to do if you do them 9" wide.


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## cookiesa (Feb 27, 2008)

I do a lot of letters and have used both the sticky back type and none.. I would say if you are doing lots of small intracite stuff I prefer to use the sticky! but for large letters where you can "hold" the letters under your finger the other is quick and easy to weed


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## R1Lover (Jun 7, 2008)

I have found that it's easier to weed the heat press vinyl for detailed items, but takes longer because of the stickyness of the backing paper, also the vinyl is very stretchy so it's not like weeding sign vinyl at all. Sticking your hands to the backing paper is a pain too, but I prefer this type of vinyl though.


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

For me i use oracle 651 for signs,decals,etc..and HPU garment vinyl from heatpressvinyl also thermoflex plus, and i find garment vinyl easier to weed out.


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## Robin (Aug 28, 2006)

> Looking at videos on youtube, it looks harder to weed the heat transfer vinyl for shirts. Is that the case?


I think its a personal thing. I find it easier than sign vinyl. My husband finds it absolutely easy to weed, he'll actually offer to help weed this stuff. Its just tedious when you have lots of lettering, and fiddling things to weed out.


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## treadhead (Jul 26, 2006)

I find it easier to weed heat press vinyl over sign vinyl. With sign vinyl, if the vinyl gets stuck to itself...it's all over. Don't have that problem with heatpress vinyl.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

i agrre with John heat press vinyl is much easier.i have had real issues with sign vinyl. I would love to know the secret to not get the vinyl stuck to itself. .... JB


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## R1Lover (Jun 7, 2008)

COEDS said:


> i agrre with John heat press vinyl is much easier.i have had real issues with sign vinyl. I would love to know the secret to not get the vinyl stuck to itself. .... JB


Insert weeding lines into your cut, then you can pull apart once section at a time. normally a fast quick pull on most things works great if you have the proper conditions. Temperature, blade type, sharpness, pressure, speed of cutting.... and on and on all effect how easy or tough it is to weed sign vinyl. I have fought through some tough jobs and have had some that were too easy as well. 

One thing that will surprise most is sometimes a quick pull will give you a better weed job then being careful lol

When I first starting cutting vinyl I was doing an order for 100 decals (lettering only) I was weeding one at a time and taking about 15-20 seconds per decal to weed them. I then messed one of the up and just ripped the vinyl off real quick in anger. To my surprise this worked wonders and I was finished in no time at all.


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## treadhead (Jul 26, 2006)

R1Lover said:


> Insert weeding lines into your cut, then you can pull apart once section at a time. normally a fast quick pull on most things works great if you have the proper conditions. Temperature, blade type, sharpness, pressure, speed of cutting.... and on and on all effect how easy or tough it is to weed sign vinyl. I have fought through some tough jobs and have had some that were too easy as well.
> 
> One thing that will surprise most is sometimes a quick pull will give you a better weed job then being careful lol
> 
> When I first starting cutting vinyl I was doing an order for 100 decals (lettering only) I was weeding one at a time and taking about 15-20 seconds per decal to weed them. I then messed one of the up and just ripped the vinyl off real quick in anger. To my surprise this worked wonders and I was finished in no time at all.


LOL...I can relate!!

Actually, I have started doing the weeding lines / boxes and it does help.

Have you tried this technique yet JB? It has made it easier when we use the sign vinyl so that you don't have to manage large sections of that sticky vinyl


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## mystysue (Aug 27, 2006)

I actually find sign vinyl faster and easier to weed .. for one thing you can see the lines better.. but I am with the person above that says.. in most cases you just grab and yank fast for better results.. always remembering to go from left to right weeding letters and right to left weeding numbers, helps.

I think the part i find easier with sign vinyl is when im picking out out middle of letters.. as i have that down to an art form on sign vinyl and use the fact that the vinyl sticks to its self to help in my weeding process.. using the middle of the first O persay on my pick to help get the vinyl from the middle of several of the next letters.. and also use my fingers alot to hold onto the little pieces i have weeded.. I find when im weeding shirt vinyl there is more steps as i cant do a bunch in a roll.. and i have to move the vinyl that was removed over to a pile on the side rather than letting it stick to my fingers lol..


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

R1Lover said:


> Insert weeding lines into your cut, then you can pull apart once section at a time. normally a fast quick pull on most things works great if you have the proper conditions. Temperature, blade type, sharpness, pressure, speed of cutting.... and on and on all effect how easy or tough it is to weed sign vinyl. I have fought through some tough jobs and have had some that were too easy as well.
> 
> One thing that will surprise most is sometimes a quick pull will give you a better weed job then being careful lol
> 
> When I first starting cutting vinyl I was doing an order for 100 decals (lettering only) I was weeding one at a time and taking about 15-20 seconds per decal to weed them. I then messed one of the up and just ripped the vinyl off real quick in anger. To my surprise this worked wonders and I was finished in no time at all.


Thank's for sharing it with us, i'll be trying that soon.


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