How to apply everything we make you.
Three different products, three different methods. Find yours below — each one's a short list of steps, no experience needed.
Applying an adhesive vinyl decal.
Your decal arrives with the design on a backing sheet, covered by a layer of transfer tape. Here's the dry-application method — no water needed.
Clean the surface thoroughly
Wipe the area with isopropyl alcohol or warm soapy water and let it dry completely. Any dust, wax or grease under the decal will stop it from sticking properly or cause bubbles later.
Position it and hinge one edge
Hold the whole decal (backing paper and all) where you want it and tape one edge down to the surface with masking tape — this becomes a hinge so it can't shift out of place while you work.
Peel back the paper backing
Flip the decal open along the hinge and gently peel away the paper backing, leaving the design stuck to the clear transfer tape. Lay it back down flat against the surface.
Squeegee from the centre outward
Using firm, overlapping strokes, work from the middle of the decal out toward each edge. This pushes out any trapped air and bonds the vinyl properly to the surface.
Peel the transfer tape away slowly
Pull the clear tape back on itself at a low, shallow angle — almost flat against the surface, not straight up. If any piece of the design lifts with it, lay the tape back down and squeegee that spot again before retrying.
A stiff plastic card (an old gift card works fine) or a soft cloth wrapped around your finger can stand in for a squeegee in a pinch — just keep the pressure even.
Heat-pressing a transfer onto a garment.
Works the same whether you're using a heat press or a household iron on its highest setting — a heat press just gives more even pressure and results.
Pre-press the garment for 2–3 seconds
This removes moisture and wrinkles from the fabric so the vinyl bonds evenly, without air pockets underneath it.
Position your design carefully
Lay the vinyl shiny-carrier-side up, design-side down against the garment, and centre it. For a t-shirt, roughly two to three finger-widths below the collar is the usual placement.
Press at the temperature and time from your order
Every order's confirmation lists the exact °C and seconds for that vinyl — it varies slightly by colour and finish (glitter, for instance, usually runs a little hotter). Cover with a heat-resistant sheet first if you're using a household iron, and press with firm, even pressure — don't just rest the iron on top, lean into it.
If your design has more than one colour, work in numbered order
Multicolour pieces are cut as separate layers and numbered specifically to guide this step. Press piece 1 fully first, let it cool if instructed, then place and press piece 2 on top, and so on — always in that order. Pressing them out of sequence is the most common way a multicolour design ends up misaligned, and it's on the customer to get this part right, so take it slowly.
Peel the carrier sheet
Most vinyl peels warm, straight after pressing — a smaller number of specialty finishes need to cool fully first. If you're not sure which type you've got, let it cool completely before peeling; that's the safer default either way.
Let it cool fully before wearing or washing
Give it a few minutes to set. For the first wash, turn the garment inside out and use a cold, gentle cycle — it'll hold up far longer.
We number every piece of a multicolour design to make correct placement as easy as possible, but the actual pressing and layering happens in your hands. Go slowly, double-check the order against the numbers, and do a test press on scrap fabric first if it's your first time.
Pressing a sublimation print onto a blank.
Sublimation only works on sublimation-coated or high-polyester-content blanks (mugs, certain shirts, some metal or ceramic items) — it won't transfer onto plain cotton.
Trim the paper close to your design
Cut away as much of the blank white margin as you can — any uncut paper edge will leave a faint rectangular "ghost" mark on the blank once pressed.
Place it face-down on your blank
The printed side goes against the surface, not facing up — sublimation ink transfers as a gas under heat, so contact with the printed face is what matters.
Tape it down securely
Use heat-resistant tape on at least two opposite edges so the paper can't shift while the press is closing — any movement mid-press will blur or double the print.
Press at the temperature and time from your order
This is listed on your order confirmation and varies a little by blank type — a mug press and a flat garment press run differently, for example. Apply firm, even pressure for the full time; don't lift early to check.
Peel the paper immediately, while it's hot
Unlike vinyl, sublimation paper comes off right away — don't let it cool first. Peel in one smooth motion to avoid smudging the still-warm print.
If your item isn't sublimation-coated or doesn't have enough polyester in it, the ink simply won't bond — the print will wash or wipe straight off. When in doubt, check with whoever you bought the blank from before pressing.
Pressing a printed transfer onto fabric.
Unlike sublimation, this works on regular cotton and most fabric blends — light or dark. It's one full-colour piece, no colour-cutting or layering involved.
Trim close to your design
Cut away as much of the surrounding blank paper as you can. Any uncut edge can leave a faint rectangular outline on the fabric once pressed.
Pre-press the garment for 2–3 seconds
This clears moisture and wrinkles so the transfer bonds evenly. Light and dark fabric transfer paper apply slightly differently — check the sheet your transfer came printed on for whether it goes face-up or face-down, as this varies by paper type.
Press at the temperature and time from your order
This is listed on your order confirmation. Apply firm, even pressure for the full time — cover with a heat-resistant sheet first if you're using a household iron, and don't just rest it on top, lean into it.
Peel the backing sheet
Most printable transfer paper peels warm, right after pressing. If you're not sure which type you have, let it cool fully first — that's the safer default either way.
Let it cool before wearing or washing
Give it a few minutes to fully set. For the first wash, turn the garment inside out and use a cold, gentle cycle.
Light fabric paper is for white or pale garments. Dark fabric paper has a built-in white base layer so the design shows up properly on black or coloured fabric — it's applied slightly differently, so always check the instructions on the specific sheet you received.