Step 3: Cut EasySubli HTV with the Brother ScanNCut SDX125

1. Ensure the area is well lit so the ScanNCut can easily process the image and position EaySubli HTV horizontally on the standard grip cutting mat.

2. Load the cutting mat into the ScanNCut and select “Scan”. The optical eye is located under the blade carriage (indicated by red arrow) and can be seen as a white light when in use. Before cutting, the machine will scan the entire mat so you want to make sure there’s ample space in the front and back of the ScanNCut so the mat can feed back and forth without disruption. The new SDX125 has extra supports located in the back in addition to the front.

You will want to select “Direct cut” and set your “Recognition Mode” to black and white. Setting your recognition mode to color is sometimes necessary, but if you only want to cut around the edge, I suggest using black and white so the scanner doesn’t create additional cut lines within the artwork.

Once the scanner has processed the image, crop it closely. The SDX125 is so powerful it can see little hairs on your cutting mat and the edge of the sheet of HTV, but we don’t need those extra cut lines, so it’s best to crop them out and hit “OK.”

After that, you can preview your cropped image and set an outline distance. Creating a negative outline distance of -0.02 basically creates a bleed. You’re less likely to end up with white space where the blade didn’t cut quite precisely, if you use a bleed.

Pro Tip: Limit the scan to 1 large design or a few medium designs. Many small designs will be too much for the machine to process and you’ll get an error message.

3. Use the Auto Blade. Pressure: 1, Speed: 5 , Half Cut: On. Prior to cutting a full design, we always recommend performing a test cut. It’s especially important if you’ve been using the same blade for a while and it’s gotten dull or if you’re using a brand new blade that’s very sharp. In these cases, it’s likely you’ll have to stray from our recommended settings. Check out this post for instructions on test cutting and how to determine a good cut and setting.

Step 4: Weed and Mask EasySubli HTV

1. Use a weeding tool to separate a corner of the EasySubli HTV from the static backing. Weed carefully because the static backing is not sticky like an EasyWeed® carrier!

2. Grab a sheet of EasySubli Mask and separate it from it’s aerated backing.

There’s several methods to masking and you can do whatever feels most natural to you. Some prefer to lay the mask on top of the HTV and others prefer to lay the HTV on to the mask. Some like to start from the center and some like to start from an edge. It’s all up to you as the end result is always the same.

3. Apply firm pressure with a squeegee to bond the heat transfer vinyl to the Mask so the static backing can be removed. Once the backing is removed, EasySubli is ready for heat application. If your image has dark colors like black or red, you may experience EasySubli Inks resisting the mask. That’s because blacks and reds are heavily saturated and may still be damp, so you definitely don’t want to skip the final step on the previous page.

Step 5: Apply EasySubli HTV with a Heat Press

1. Set the heat press temperature to 311°F, the timer to 15 seconds, and pressure to medium. These are the standard settings for EasySubli. However, some tri-blends are heat sensitive, so you may need to use the lower temperature application method of 270-280°F for 15-20 seconds.

2. Pre-press the tank top for about 5 seconds. This removes wrinkles and moisture from the shirt as well as pre-shrinks the cotton slightly. A pre-press helps prep the fabric for the best possible bond with EasySubli HTV.

3. Center EasySubli HTV and place parchment paper on top.This step is especially important if you’re not using EasySubli Mask. Since EasySubli Inks are still sublimation inks, they will go through the process of turning into a gas and coming back to a solid. This process sometimes results in a light ghost image transferred to the Mask. Parchment paper is a cost effective way to block the ghost image from transferring to the top platen or heat transfer cover sheet (and every project thereafter…)

This design doesn’t necessarily need EasySubli® Mask for heat application, but will need parchment paper.

EasySubli® Mask keeps the thin hair and tail pieces in place without having to position them by hand.

4. Heat Press EasySubli heat transfer vinyl for 15 seconds.

5. Peel EasySubli Mask warm if it’s there. Otherwise, your newly sublimated tri-blend tank top is ready for a winter getaway (preferably somewhere tropical)!

For long lasting color and quality:

• Wait 24 hours before first laundering
• Turn garment inside out
• Machine wash cold with mild detergent
• Machine dry on a low heat setting
• Do not dry clean or use bleach

Let’s take a moment to appreciate that color development one more time…wow!

Questions, comments, concerns? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments down below!

For those who learn better from videos, we’ve got you covered! Click here to watch EasySubli HTV in action.

I know we covered a lot more information in this post than usual, so make sure you can come back and easily find it again by pinning the image below to your Pinterest boards.