The Basics and Benefits of Siser® EasyWeed® Heat Transfer Vinyl
From the freshest beginners to the most advanced pros, they all reach for ol’ reliable EasyWeed. Why has this HTV product been our #1 seller since it’s release? I’ve got 10 reasons to explain just that- keep scrolling to read them all!
#1: Sticky Carrier
EasyWeed is composed of the colored film sometimes referred to as “skin”, the heat-activated adhesive on the back of the skin, and the carrier on the front or face of the skin. Some products have static carriers (which means the material is held on with static) and others come on a sticky carriers.
All products in the EasyWeed Family (as well as most other HTV!) come on a sticky carrier for ease of use.
Weeding is more forgiving with a sticky carrier since fine detail hangs on and anything that gets accidentally removed can be re-stuck. The sticky carrier also enables #2 and #3 on this list so let’s keep going…
#2: One Second Tack
A “tack” is a short press that’s typically 1-3 seconds long. Being able to tack the product is super important when it comes to layering multiple colors since shorter presses will create less garment shrinkage. The less the garment shrinks from the heat the easier it will be to line up your layers of HTV. The more the garment shrinks, the more difficult it will be line up each color.
See this tip in action when you watch the following video:
#3: Heat Press Weeding Trick
The sticky carrier also allows you to do the Heat Press Weeding Trick. To perform this trick, you’ll need your Heat Press to be turned on and heated up. Then close the press to warm up the lower platen. After a few seconds, lift the handle to open the press and place EasyWeed HTV carrier side down on the lower platen. This will immediately warm up the adhesive just enough to make weeding like slicing through butter.
The Heat Press Weeding Trick works on any HTV with a sticky carrier- so Glitter HTV too!
Don’t believe me? See for yourself in the video below!
P.S. You can also do this trick with your Cricut EasyPress and mat or your home iron and a heat transfer pillow. Same concept- different equipment!
#4: The Widest Range of Colors
EasyWeed boasts the most colors out of any Siser product line, so there’s bound to be one to match your project. We recently added 12 more! From classics to cutting edge trends, see every shade of EasyWeed on our website or Siser App.
EasyWeed® products take up more than 2 pages in the Siser Color Guide!
#5: Layering Multiple Colors is EASY
EasyWeed can be layered on top of itself and with other layerable products, so once you’ve mastered 1 color applications it’s an easy transition to mixing materials.
EasyWeed® White, Burgundy, and Orange on a 100% cotton T-Shirt.
We recommend keeping the layers to 3 or less to keep the lightweight feel of the garment, but with some design tricks you can apply way more than 3! Want to learn more about designing cut files to reduce bulk and weight? Then you need to check out this blog post!
#6: Home Iron Compatible
Not all Heat Transfer Vinyl loves your iron like EasyWeed does! If you’ve tried other brands, you may have a few horror stories to hash out, but EasyWeed is anything but scary. It’s simple to apply when you keep these tips in mind…
Tips for Using Siser® HTV with a Home Iron
- Use a Hard, Flat, Heat Safe Surface (ironing board not recommended)
- Use a Setting 1-2 Below Cotton
- Don’t Slide the Iron (lift the iron and press in sections instead)
- Add 1-5 second of Additional Pressing Time If Needed
More of a visual learner? Joe goes over these tips in the following video….
#7: Machine Washable
Garments decorated with EasyWeed can go right into your home washing and drying machines without much additional care. We recommend waiting 24 hours before laundering, using a warm/cold washer setting with mild detergent, and drying on a normal to low heat setting. As long as the HTV was applied with the proper time, temperature, and pressure no peeling should occur.
In fact, EasyWeed is more likely to last longer than the fabric itself after 30 washes. Check out the EasyWeed® Glow cat shirt in the video below that Lily’s been wearing and washing for over 5 years and it’s still holding on strong!
One word of warning however: We recommend avoiding liquid fabric softeners since they deposit a residue on to the fabric that is not conducive to HTV application. Dryer sheets are totally fine to use though!
Side Note: We get a lot of questions about pre-washing garments before applying HTV. Pre-washing is not necessary nor recommended, so go ahead and skip it.
#8: Fabric Compatibility
Cotton, polyester, and so much more! EasyWeed can be applied on a myriad of materials thanks to the adjustable settings. While the standard 305°F, medium pressure, 10-15 seconds will work on the majority of projects, you can use the lower temperature application method (280°F, medium pressure, 15-20 seconds) to apply HTV on heat sensitive fabrics like rayon, modal, and satin.
Gold EasyWeed® HTV on a Satin Eye Mask.
#9: The Perfect Thickness
At 90 microns, EasyWeed is thick enough for easy cutting and weeding, yet thin enough for a soft hand and lightweight feel once applied.
#10: CPSIA Certified = Safe for Kid’s Items
CPSIA is The Consumer and Product Safety Improvement Act. This law restricts levels of hazardous materials in products imported or made within the US, especially those for children. In the case of HTV, CPSIA is concerned about the amount of phthalates and lead present. Pronounced th-al-ates, this chemical is used to soften plastic, but several have been banned through the CPSIA Act of 2008 after it was discovered certain phthalates were linked to developmental issues in young children. Parents Magazine warns parents about the risks of phthalates and lead in their article, Top 10 Chemicals to Avoid.
It’s vitally important that infant and children’s garments are made with phthalate and lead free materials to not only comply with the law, of course, but also for the safety of your child’s development. We make it easy to know which materials are CPSIA Certified here at Siser by displaying the shield symbol on each certified product page of our website. We’ve also compiled this handy list….
If your material falls on the right of this list and is not certified, be extra cautious about what and where you apply those materials if they will be in direct contact with an infant or child. But in most cases you’re good to go because almost all Siser Heat Transfer Vinyl are CPSIA certified- so you can worry less and decorate more! If you ever need to prove your CPSIA compliance, please reach out to Support@SiserNA.com and we can provide CPSIA Certificate documents for the qualifying materials.
Keeping your kids safe, stylish, and chemical free is easy with EasyWeed!
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