Hey! welcome to the Press N Wear blog.  It’s been a while trying to get all of this up and running so we apologize for not getting content out here.  What is there to know about starting off with HTV?  There’s quite a bit, actually, that we have learned over time through experience and through listening to other people.  We’ll take a minute to go through some of them.  Hopefully as we go we can answer some questions that you may have running through your heads. What’s the difference between Heat transfer Vinyl (HTV) and iron on vinyl? Nothing.  Nada, zero, zilch.  These are the same thing, they are cast on plastic or paper backing and are meant to be used to cut designs out of and press to your garments. Not all HTV’s are created equal. Depending on the brand you get there will be many differences that you should be aware of.  Some HTV’s are glossy, some are semi-gloss, and some have a matte finish.  Often times they will feel different to the touch on your finished garment, and some you may not like.  Some will have a sticky backing and others have a non stick backing.  Colors will vary based on brand, as will the instructions for applying them.  Some will be made of PVC and others will be made of polyurethane components.  We encourage you to try different brands in order to find one that you like.  Is working with HTV easy? Not necessarily.  We read about users who got in to using htv thinking that they would master it the first time, who then become frustrated because it’s nowhere near as easy as they thought.  Take your time as you go through the steps, and go easy on yourself.  Like anything else, it’s a skill and it takes time, patience and practice. Don’t be fooled in to thinking that you can’t do it.  Many designers and crafters out there have been working with vinyl for years and make it look easy.  Remember they were once beginners too.  As a final piece of advice I would recommend going on to Facebook and  join some of the cricut and/or silhouette crafting groups.  There is a wealth of knowledge out there for people at all skill levels.

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.