Introduction

Welcome to my tutorial, I have been designing and printing T-shirts for over 5 years now. I'm glad to show you how you can cut and heat press your very own Happy Halloween t-shirt using Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV).

The Overall Steps

Printing t-shirts requires an eye catching design that you will cut out of HTV vinyl sheets. Once cut, you will need to remove the excess material that you do not need, this process is referred to as Weeding. Once design is ready, you will then proceed to heat press the design onto your t-shirt.

What you will do in this Tutorial:

Step 1: Download the Happy Halloween svg file

Step 2: Cutting your design using Xtool Create Space

Step 3: Weeding your design

Step 4: Heat Press your design onto a t-shirt.

Let's get Started

Download the Happy Halloween svg file

Attached to this tutorial is the Happy Halloween SVG file.

To do:

• Click on HappyHalloween.SVG to start the download
• Save the svg file in a location on your computer.

Cutting your design using X-tool Create Space

For this step we will be cutting out our design using the X-tool Create space.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For this tutorial we will be cutting the same Happy Halloween design for both the Yellow and Orange vinyl sheets.

You will need:

• 1 Yellow sheet of HTV Vinyl cut to 12" X 12" (dimensions are in inches)
• 1 Orange sheet of HTV Vinyl cut to 12" X 12"
• The xTool M1 machine set to Blade Cutting mode with the blade attachment installed. Make sure you are using a 45 degree blade.
• The blue blade cutting matt loaded onto the build plate

To do:

• Open the X-tool Create Space application
• Connect your device for the XTool M1

• Load your HTV vinyl sheet, the shiny side down, onto the blue cutting matt (See Example 2.1).

Example 2.1 Placing your HTV vinyl sheet onto the blue cutting mat

• Refresh your screen to make sure your vinyl sheet is showing on the screen (See Example 2.2)

Example 2.2 Displays your vinyl sheet loaded onto the M1.

Set up your design in XCS

• Import the Happy Halloween svg into x-Tool Create Space. On the top menu, click File and select Import image....
• Select the svg file in the location where you saved it from Step 1. Click Open
• Click and drag the design to fit onto your vinyl sheet. (see Example 2.3)

Example 2.3 design placed on the vinyl sheet.

• Draw a rectangle outline around your design. On the Left side tool bar, click on Insert and select Rectangle. Click and Drag to draw a rectangle around your design. This step will help you for the weeding process (See Example 2.4).

Example 2.4 Rectangle surrounding the design.

• IMPORTANT, before cutting your design you must reverse your design in the design space. This will ensure your design will be shown correctly on the garment.
• Click on your design to select it.
• Go to the top tool bar and click on Reflect and select reflect horizontally.
• Your design will be reverse (See Example 2.5)

Example 2.5 the design displayed in reverse.

Set the Blade Cutting Settings

• In XCS, go to the right side tool panel. The drop down box that is set to Laser flat by default. Click on the drop down box and select Blade Cut.
• Select the Happy Halloween design to open the material settings (See Example 2.6)
• Leave the settings are the default value as shown in the example.
• Blade Cut
• User Defined Material
• Cut
• Output Turned On
• Cut Pressure = 45
• Speed (mm/s) = 40
• Pass = 1

Example 2.6 Design displayed with the blade cutting settings

• Repeat the same settings on the outline Rectangle. Click on the Rectangle object you drew to select it. Apply the Same cut settings.

Start the Cutting Process

Once your settings are in place, click on the Process Button located at the bottom right corner in XCS (See Example 2.7).

Example 2.7 Click on the Process Button

The Preview Screen will appear (See Example 2.8) and shows you the following:

• Displays a preview of your design
• Displays Estimated time to cut your design
• Framing will execute the M1 to show you where it will cut on the vinyl sheet.
• Click the Start Button to begin cutting

Example 2.8 of Preview Screen

The Sending File Succeeded Screen Displays (See Example 2.9)

• The following screen informs you that your design has been sent over to the M1
• Click the Complete Button

Example 2.9 Sending file succeeded screen

Press the Start Button on your M1 Machine

Cutting Job Complete

• Once the cutting job has completed. Carefully remove your vinyl sheet from the M1 and set it aside.
• Click Done (see Example 2.10) to return to XCS Design Space

Example 2.10 Complete Screen

Repeat the same cut to your next vinyl Color

• For this Tutorial we are cutting the same design on both the Yellow and Orange vinyl sheets. It is easier to remove what you do not need on the vinyl sheet than try to remove objects in design space. All you need to do is the following:
• Load your next vinyl sheet onto the blue matt in the M1
• Return to the XCS work area.
• Adjust your design in XCS to fit the vinyl sheet.
• Click Process and continue the cutting process

Weeding your Design

Now it is time to remove the excess material from your design.

You will need:

• Weeding tool
• Scissors

To do:

• Using your weeding tool begin to peel the excess vinyl starting from any corner of the outline rectangle you drew in the previous.
• Carefully remove and peel any other excess vinyl (see Example 3.1)

Example 3.1 Weeding your design

Layered Design

For this tutorial we are doing a layered design with two different colours. Simply keep the sections of the design you want to be yellow and only keep the sections you want to be orange (see Example 3.2)

Example 3.2 the completed weeding for both Yellow and Orange

Cut the border out of the transfer sheet

Using scissors cut around the design to remove the border (see Example 3.3)

Example 3.3 Cutting out the border surrounding the design

Heat Press your Design onto a t-shirt

You will need:

• A heat press set to 150 degree celsius (302 degree fahrenheit)
• Black Cotton T-shirt
• Sheet of parchment paper
• Heat Transfer Tape

Note: if you do not have a heat press you can also use an iron.

To do:

• Prepare your garment by setting your t-shirt flat onto the heat press. Set your parchment paper on top of your t-shirt to protect your garment. Press the t-shirt for 5 seconds. This removes moisture and wrinkles from the t-shirt (see Example 4.1).

Example 4.1 of pressing your shirt to remove the moisture.

Find the middle of your T-shirt

To find the middle of your t-shirt by folding the two corners of the collar, followed by the shoulders and continue to align the sleeves together. Place the folded t-shirt onto the heat press, set your parchment paper back on top, and press for another 5 seconds. This will make a folded line in the middle of your t-shirt (See Example 4.2)

Example 4.2 of pressing the shirt to find the middle line

Set your design and press onto the t-shirt

• Set your t-shirt flat onto the heat press
• Align the Yellow Layered design in the middle of the t-shirt
• top of the design should be 3 inches below the collar (see Example 4.3)
• Set the Parchment Paper on top of the design
• Press the design for 10 seconds

Example 4.3 Design placement

Peel the Transparent film

After 10 seconds remove the plastic transparent film. The vinyl that I am using is a Hot Peel that can be removed right away. Check the instructions that comes with your vinyl as some vinyl peel cold which means you have to let it cool down before you peel.

Align the Orange Layer

Now you can align the orange layer to fit with the yellow design with the following:

• Set and align the Orange Layer design to fit (see Example 4.4)
• Set the parchment paper back on top of the design.
• Now Press for a full 15 seconds
• Carefully peel the transparent

Example 4.4 Placing and pressing the orange layer



Done

There you have it, your very own Happy Halloween design printed onto a t-shirt.