posted by Ahijoy on November 9, 2022
Cut Settings For Heat Transfer Vinyl
Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) is quite fascinating. It can transform any plain, monotone fabric into a brilliant work of art – a masterpiece on its own that is sure to win accolades. Whether it is your T-shirt, shirt, bag or a pillow case, HTV can do the magic.
The durable and crack proof design is permanently transferred onto the fabric enhancing its beauty. But getting the right dimensions and a perfectly cut and weeded design is no child’s play. To achieve this it's important to know the right cut settings for HTV beforehand.
What Are Heat Transfer Vinyl Cut Settings?
HTV cut settings are basically the figures that you put into your machine to get sharp cuts on your vinyl. These settings differ from vinyl to vinyl. They can be tricky at first but once you get the hang of it, they become easy. The challenging part is that every blade and cutting device can cut slightly differently. To prevent material waste, make sure to test cut each time you switch vinyl.
HTV Cut Settings For Different Machines
Cricut and Silhouette are the most commonly used cutting machines by the crafters, but there are others as well such as Brother ScanNCut, Graphtec and Roland GX-GS-24 that are quite good. They have different models as well. It all depends on the personal preference and comfort of the crafters which machine they use. These machines have different cut settings for HTV. Below are the details of each.
Silhouette
First things first, you need to prepare your cut file. Once you have your cut file, you can install the HTV vinyl into the machine. HTV has two sides: one that is matte and the other that is shiny. You need to cut on the adhesive side of the vinyl that is the dull, matte side. Additionally, it will be the side that touches the garment when you press it. You should therefore load your vinyl cutter with the glossy carrier side facing down.
Next make sure the settings on your cutter are appropriate for that specific vinyl. You should adjust your cut settings in accordance with the various thicknesses of the HTV. Different vinyl types need different amounts of ‘force’. If you use too much pressure, you risk cutting through the plastic carrier. If you use too little, you won't be able to properly remove the excess vinyl.
Different models have different setting options, for instance, in Silhouette Cameo 3, Silhouette 4 and Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro you need to choose the blade depth, force and speed depending upon the material of HTV.
| Vinyl | Silhouette Cut Settings |
|---|---|
| Standard Gloss and Matte | Blade 3, Speed 8, Force 6 |
| Glow in the Dark | Blade 3, Speed 8, Force 6 |
| Glitter | Blade 3, Speed 5, Force 33 |
| Holographic | Blade 3, Speed 4, Force 22 |
| Patterned | Blade 3, Speed 8, Force 6 |
| Reflective | Blade 3, Speed 8, Force 6 |
| Flock | Blade 4, Speed 5, Force 6 |
| Puff | Blade 3, Speed 8, Force 6 |
These are the recommended cut settings for Silhouette Cameo. They may vary so it's important to do a test cut to find out what works best for you.
Cricut
Cricut is different from the Silhouette Cameo. The HTV cut settings that you use in Silhouette Cameo will not possibly work with Cricut, although the preparation process is the same for both of them - you create a cut file and choose the right settings to cut the vinyl.
You need to load your HTV vinyl into your machine, the shiny side facing down, and here you will see a flashing arrow on the side which you have to press in order to install your vinyl in your machine. Once the mat is installed, press the ‘go’ button to start cutting your vinyl.
As I mentioned above, different HTVs have different cut settings depending on the machine you’re using. For different models of Cricut machine the settings are as follows:
Cricut Maker:
When you connect Cricut Maker to your computer or mobile, the material settings appear as a series of tiles. Select HTV vinyl settings from there and you are good to go.
Cricut Explore Air 2:
This model has a material selection dial with predefined settings for paper, vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, fabric, poster board, and more. You do not have to set pressure, depth, and speed manually. Just turn the dial to your material type and press the ‘Go’ button!
Cricut Explore 3:
This lets you fix the cut settings directly in Design Space software without the need for the smart set dial.
These are the recommended cut settings for Cricut. We would like to reiterate that it's important to do a test cut to find out what works best for you.
Note: Cricut cutters don’t have a built-in test cut function. You will need to make a cut file for your test cut in the software Cricut Design Space.
Brother ScanNCut
Brother ScanNCut comes with a built-in scanner and Blade Sensor technology. As with the other machines, you load the vinyl into Brother ScanNCut. The carrier side of the vinyl faces down. Following are the cut settings on this machine and its other model Brother ScanNCut DX.
| Vinyl | Brother ScanNCut | Brother ScanNCut DX |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Gloss and Matte | Blade: Standard, 2 Cut Speed: 5 Cut Pressure: 1 | Blade: Autoblade
Cut: Speed: 5 Half Cut: Auto |
| Glow in the Dark | Blade: Standard, 2
Cut Speed: 5 Cut Pressure: 1 | Blade: Autoblade
Cut: Speed: 5 Half Cut: Auto |
| Glitter | Blade: Standard, 3
Cut Speed: 5 Cut Pressure: 5 | Blade: 3
Cut: Speed: 5 Half Cut: 5 |
| Holographic | Blade: Standard, 3
Cut Speed: 5 Cut Pressure: 5 | Blade: 3
Cut: Speed: 5 Cut Pressure: 5 |
| Patterned | Blade: Standard, 2
Cut Speed: 5 Cut Pressure: 1 | Blade: Autoblade
Cut: Speed: 5 Half Cut: Auto |
| Reflective | Blade: Standard, 2
Cut Speed: 5 Cut Pressure: 1 | Blade: Autoblade
Cut: Speed: 5 Half Cut: Auto |
| Flock | Blade: Standard, 4
Cut Speed: 5 Cut Pressure: 2 | Blade: Autoblade
Cut: Speed: 5 Half Cut: 4 |
For a test cut, load the vinyl on the mat in the machine and select ‘Test’ on the top. Cut different shapes to see if the cut is proper and the vinyl is weeding out easily.
Graphtec
Graphtec is a professional die-cutting machine which uses the software Graphtec Studio. Following are the cut settings of HTV on it.
| Vinl | Graphtec |
|---|---|
| Standard Gloss and Matte | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 8-9 Tool: CB09U+0 Speed: 30 cm/s |
| Glow in the Dark | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 8-9 Tool: CB09U+0 Speed: 30 cm/s |
| Glitter | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 17-18 Tool: CB09U+0 Speed: 30 cm/s |
| Holographic | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 17 Tool: CB09U+0 Speed: 30 cm/s |
| Patterned | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 8-9 Tool: CB09U+0 Speed: 30 cm/s |
| Reflective | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 8-9 Tool: CB09U+0 Speed: 30 cm/s |
| Flock | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 10 Tool: CB09U+0 Speed: 30 cm/s |
Roland GX-GS-24
Graphtec is a professional die-cutting machine which uses the software Graphtec Studio. Following are the cut settings of HTV on it.
| Vinl | Graphtec |
|---|---|
| Standard Gloss and Matte | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 80-90 Offset: .250 Speed: 30-50 cm/s |
| Glow in the Dark | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 80-90 Offset: .250 Speed: 30-50 cm/s |
| Glitter | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 180-190 Offset: .250 Speed: 30-50 cm/s |
| Holographic | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 150-190 Offset: .250 Speed: 30-50 cm/s |
| Patterned | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 80-90 Offset: .250 Speed: 30-50 cm/s |
| Reflective | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 80-90 Offset: .250 Speed: 30-50 cm/s |
| Flock | Blade: 45°
Gram Force: 80-120 Offset: .250 Speed: 30-50 cm/s |
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Words
Using HTV for customizing garments is always fun and cost effective, but in order to make them look neat and professional, you will need a good quality vinyl cutter with precise setting options for your vinyl. It is important to know how to style and cut your HTV as it will immensely affect the final look of your craft. Once you find the best HTV cut settings that suits your material requirements, it becomes really easy to style and customize your vinyl which saves you a lot of time and effort resulting in beautiful, neat and unique vinyl designs.
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