Adhesive and HTV labels

New to working with vinyl? Here we are going to cover most of the basics of working with both types of vinyl and what is needed.

Just starting with vinyl, the cutting machine is ready, the design space is downloaded, and now it is time to cut images and let the creativity flow.

Whether it is Cricut Explore or Silhouette Cameo both companies give access to a design space for the creator to be able to upload images, create images, and pay a membership fee for special access to premade designs. As Cricut users, we will learn how to navigate the design space together.

Labels can be created with either Adhesive vinyl or Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV). Both vinyl can give the desired look and appeal, it is just a matter of which is easier for the creator. Using adhesive vinyl be sure to have transfer paper/vinyl. This will allow you to adhere the design to the canvas regardless of the material. Deciding to use HTV having a mini heat press or heat gun will come in handy.

Adhesive vinyl is easier to work with however it is stickier than HTV.

Once the design is made and sized accordingly before the mat is loaded be sure that the vinyl paper is placed straight down on the mat. Cutting the vinyl to match the design size is not necessary, however, it is a good practice. Most adhesive vinyls usually have a paperback, so you want to be sure that the paper side is placed on the sticky mat. Load the mat by pushing it against the rollers and pressing the load button on the cut machine. Once the mat is loaded proceed to cut the design. After the design is cut, unload the mat from the machine.

Weeding the design is removing the excess. Weeding can be done on the mat or off the mat. If the vinyl was not cut to the design size before cutting there are one or two things that can be done.

Remove the vinyl from the mat cut it accordingly and place it back on the mat for weeding.

Take a precision knife and cut the design on the mat. Be careful not to go too deep and cut the mat.

Once all the excess has been removed from the design, take some transfer paper and place it on the design. There are plenty of methods to get the perfect peel. The best way to get a perfect or almost perfect peel is to make sure that the transfer paper you are using is not old. Transfer paper can be used more than once, however, it is not recommended to use more than three times. Doing what is called the peel and roll will ensure a perfect or almost perfect peel each time.

Take a scraper and smooth out the transfer paper as it is being placed on the design. Once it has been completely smoothed out, flip the design and scrap the back a couple of times. Pick a corner and begin to peel and roll. When doing the peel and roll, be sure to flatten the paper and pull it in a flat downward motion.

Now that the design is on the transfer paper, it can be placed on the canvas. If placed on a jar, wall, or container, place the center of the design in the designated spot and smooth one side with the scraper. Repeat the same for the other side. Let it sit for a couple minutes then peel in a downward motion. If a piece of the design is not sticky properly, simply go back over it with the scraper and try using the peel-and-roll technique. This will encourage the part of the design that did not stick the first time to stick to the canvas.

HTV can be a little trickier.

Most of the steps and procedures used when making adhesive labels are applied when making HTV labels with a few adjustments.

The design has been created and is ready to cut. Before loading the mat be sure to mirror the design. This is important if the design is not mirrored before it is cut. Once the cut process is finished, weeded, and placed on the canvas it will be backward. It is best to mirror the image before loading the machine, however, it can be applied after loading the machine.

Now that the design has been mirrored, cut, and unloaded. Whether the weeding process is done on or off the mat is solely up to the creator. If there is a lot of excess material be sure to cut it away as it can be used for a later project. During this process, if using a Cricut heat press it is a good practice to go ahead and turn the heat press on to give it time to heat up. Typically the heat press should be ready a little before or after the weeding process is done.

Once the design has been weeded, it is time to place it on the clean canvas. Placing the design on a jar or container, and taking a heat gun or blow dryer to warm up the area will help with the peeling process. Once the design is on the canvas, take the heat gun, heat press, or blow dryer and begin to heat the design. Using a heat press is easier and highly recommended. If a heat gun or blow dryer must be used then do so. To make sure that the design is sticking to the image with a heat gun or blow dryer there are a few things to pay attention to. Small little bubbles in the design is a good indicator that it is adhering to the canvas. Certain vinyl and certain colors will begin to look faded after a while; this is a good indicator that it is sticking or starting to stick to the canvas. Using a heat gun or blow dryer will be time-consuming and may require multiple rounds, however, once the design has been fully and properly heated to the canvas allow time to cool. Take a towel and begin to press firmly on the design helping the cool down process. When the design paper is either completely cooled down or is able to be touched, it begins to peel in a downward motion. If parts of the design are not adhering to the canvas simply go over it again with heat, allow it to cool down, and peel.