HTV Won't Stick...Here's Why (And How to Fix It)

Do you ever struggle with HTV not sticking? The large majority of the time, it's NOT your vinyl and it's NOT your shirt - it's a pressure problem!

This is a common issue when you're working with sweatshirts, baby onesies, bags, or anything with thick seams, pockets, zippers, or hoods. These create what I call a "pressure barrier" that prevents your heat press from getting the full pressure it needs to properly adhere the HTV. Read on for the fix!

When you try to press HTV on items like this, the top platen of the heat press gets stopped before it can fully hit the HTV.

The trick is to use a pressing pillow. The pressing pillow gives you an added layer of pressure and allows your blank to sink into the soft surface instead of fighting against the hard platen. 

Whenever possible you also want to make sure that the thickest areas - the straps of a tote back, a hood, thick seam with snaps - are hanging off the heat press. 

Basically, if possible, position your shirt or bag so that nothing with a thick seam is under the pressing area.

You also want to test the pressure by closing your heat press. If it won't close or is extremely difficult to close, then adjust the pressure knob. 

While the pressing pillow and positioning tricks above will solve your pressure problems, there's another common issue that can ruin even a perfectly pressed design: crooked or off-center placement.

I demonstrate my fail-proof centering technique in an exclusive video tutorial on Silhouette U. In that video, I show you the exact method I use to get perfect placement every single time - even on hooded sweatshirts and other tricky items where it's hard to find the true center. 

You can preview the video here even before you join Silhouette U.

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