3 Ways to Fix Your Heat Transfer Vinyl Mistakes
Mistakes happen! Keep your cool when working with vinyl- there’s almost always a way to fix things. Today we’re sharing our top three different ways to come back from an HTV mistake.
Fix #1: Remove It
Some mistakes (such as spelling errors) just have to be removed. Use a product like Vinyl Lettering Remover (VLR) on the inside of the shirt to break down the HTV adhesive and make it easier to remove. Many Siser® Authorized Distributors offer VLR or a similar product. For example, Pro World goes over the steps to removing HTV with VLR in their blog post here.
Without VLR, you can use the heat of your home iron to warm and loosen the adhesive then peel away the HTV with tweezers. However, this method does not remove the adhesive residue, so be sure to protect your iron plate with some kind of cover sheet (or you might be cleaning it later!) and plan to apply new HTV over that area. Melissa from Silhouette School shows how you can use heat and tweezers to pick off a small problem in her blog post here.
Fix #2: Cover It Up
Use the same color as the fabric or HTV in the project to hide the mistake. Or cover it with a different element in the design.
Want to know more about this heat transfer vinyl mosaic project? See how it was made on IGTV then try it out for yourself with the FREE CUT FILE from Caluya Design.
Fix #3: Incorporate It
Embrace the mistake with creativity and incorporate it into your design. As Tim Gunn would say “Make it Work!” Sometimes the best results come from mistakes and more often than not people won’t even notice unless you point it out. Other times, you have to find the humor in the situation like Joe did when he improvised and turned part of the StripFlock® Pro Fluorescent unicorn mane into a mustache and goatee on Facebook Live.
Keep these 3 fixes handy by pinning the image below to Pinterest. Have you fixed your heat transfer vinyl mistake another way? Tell us about it in the comments!
What is the Crescent moon and star pattern on the black clothing item used for the main image of this article? It looks really pretty!
Thanks Kit! That’s a sample garment that was created for the video at the bottom of the EasyWeed® Adhesive page on our website.
Thank you! I wanted to design my shirt but missed a piece of weeding. But thank god my problem was solved.
My iron settings were too hot when I applied the HTV to 100% cotton. Some of the pieces look over-heated/melted and other parts are lifting up at the edges. How can I fix the parts that are lifting up? Can I re-iron them?
Hi Caryn! You can to recover the area with a heat transfer cover sheet and press for 5 second increments (with a lower heat setting) until the lifting edges are stuck down.
thank you so much!
i used the iron the back method multiple times and i really works!! its soo cool!!
but now im stuck with a Siser Metal HTV that I cant get off!! Any ideas?
Hi Vivian! Glad to hear the iron method worked for you. If there’s still Metal HTV on the fabric then you may need to run it through the washer and repeat the iron method or use VLR to remove the remaining pieces. If you meant that Metal HTV is stuck to your iron now, then you may need to clean it off with one of these methods.
Hi I used the iron on the top of the hybrid and pulled away the vinyl, I am left with a glue patch in the shape of the letter on the fabric how do I get rid of that ? Thanks
Hi Mona! In some cases, Goo Gone will work to remove the remaining adhesive or another solvent product like the one mentioned here may do the trick.
Hi! I layered my iron on vinyl and it now has excess glue around the image. How do I correct that or remove the excess glue and not damage the image? Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth! Unfortunately, once the excess glue has been pushed to the edge it cannot be restored to it’s original location. You could try removing it with VLR or another type of HTV Remover, but you will run the risk of removing the HTV as well in the process. I would suggest using lighter pressure in the future to avoid the excess glue.
I used the right setting on the heat press, but 2 very smal parts of the siser easyweed didn’t stick down. Im unsure as to what to do to rectify the situation..all the rest of the t shirt is well adhered to the garment.
Hi John, if the 2 small parts are near a seam, collar, button, or anything similar that could cause uneven pressure that is most likely why the HTV is not sticking. I’d suggest putting a heat transfer pillow under the application area and re-pressing with a cover sheet on top for 5 second increments until applied. You could also isolate the area with a home iron if that is easier.
Thanks for your speedy reply..I will try your suggestions…thanks again
Can u apply the HTVs to wood or plastic? And if so. How?
Hi Kris! You can apply HTV to unfinished wood. We’ve also had success with painted and stained wood, but suggest testing a small piece of your own first since there are so many paints and stain brands available. Check out this video on unfinished wood and this blog post on painted wood for more info.
I’m a quilter. Can I use the Easy Color vinyl on my quilts, sewing through the images?
Yes you can, Janet!