Some have vinyl transfers if you have a few t-shirts or sweatshirts in your closet. Suppose you are about to launch your own custom online sweatshirt store and have chosen to use a heat press to adhere vinyl transfers to customize your products; good for you. However, there will be times when an error occurs, slowing down the process of completing orders. There are ways to correct this, but first, you must understand how vinyl works before learning how to remove it. We will cover all of that in this article.
The Two Main Reasons For Removing Vinyl From Sweatshirts
There are only two reasons you should remove the vinyl from a crewneck sweatshirt. Either you are trying to update an old garment with vinyl or remove it because you have made a mistake. Regardless of the reason, the process is the same. After all, if you have spent good money on sweatshirts from a supplier like Bella + Canvas, the last thing you want to do is toss that item in the garbage because of something wrong with the vinyl.
The Advantages of Removing Vinyl
It’s just a piece of vinyl and a sweatshirt. Tossing the odd one out won’t cost you much, will it? Consider these advantages of removing vinyl before you start walking that sweatshirt over to the trash bin:
Removing the vinyl will,
- Help you salvage some of the work you have completed to this point
- Reduce your stress level knowing you can save a project from the trash
- Save you money and the need to purchase additional supplies
- Give you the confidence to keep customizing sweatshirts with vinyl
Plus, once you learn how to remove vinyl successfully, you will gain a new skill to enhance your business offerings. For example, you can promote updating old sweatshirts by removing old vinyl and giving that garment a new look with something current and contemporary.
Here’s how you do that:
Step 1: Learning How Vinyl Transfers Work
Vinyl is available in three main formats. It comes in sheets, packs, or in a roll. The back of the vinyl contains a thin layer of heat-activated adhesive. Lay the sweatshirt flat on a heat press surface, position the vinyl where you want it to go, and lower the heated iron onto the vinyl. The press applies both heat and pressure to the vinyl. A successful transfer occurs when the right amount of pressure, heat, and time align.
Step 2: Prepare The Damaged Sweatshirt
Use heat to remove the vinyl; set up an ironing board. Then lay the damaged sweatshirt flat on the ironing board surface, giving you a better vantage point for assessing the damage. Using chemicals to remove the vinyl, use a different work surface, like a large flat metal or wood surface near a sink.
Step 3: Find Out What Kind of Sweatshirt You Are Working With
It is essential at this point to know what type of material you are dealing with, as that will have an impact on your removal method. The easy way to figure this out is to check the tag attached to the sweatshirt in the collar. A cotton sweatshirt will handle either heat or chemical removal. Chances are high that the crewneck sweatshirt you are working with will be made of cotton, as it is the material of choice for vinyl heat transfers.
Step 4: Collect All The Supplies You Need For This Project
There will be a few things you will need before you tackle the removal of vinyl from a sweatshirt. They include a heat source such as a blow dryer or iron, an ironing board, a towel or a piece of thick cardboard, scissors or a knife, tweezers, and, if you are using an iron, a piece of paper.
Step 5: Preparing The Sweatshirt For Removal of the Vinyl
Plug in the iron and set the temperature giving it time to warm up. Place a towel or scrap piece of cardboard inside the sweatshirt to keep the vinyl transfer from moving into the back of the garment. Position the towel or cardboard directly underneath the area you will focus your efforts on with the vinyl. Lay the piece of paper over the damaged vinyl to keep it from sticking to the iron.
Step 6: Applying Heat To The Vinyl
Once the iron has heated up, slowly move it across the paper sheet. To help the vinyl to heat up, add some pressure as you pull the iron over the area. If you have chosen to use a hair dryer as the heat source, sweep it back and forth close to the vinyl without touching it.
Step 7: Check Your Progress
Every 30 seconds or so, stop what you are doing and examine the edges of the vinyl. If they are starting to peel or curl, use the tweezers to pull the vinyl. Use gentle pressure and carefully remove what you can.
Step 8: Repeat The Heat Application
You are likely to need more time to pull off the vinyl completely. Once you have removed what you can, repeat what you did with heat to get to this point. Stop and pull some more. Add more heat if needed, and keep repeating the process until the vinyl comes entirely off the sweatshirt. You may need a knife or scissors to assist with cutting away some of the vinyl.
Step 9: After The Vinyl Is Removed
It would be best if you had a sweatshirt without a vinyl decal. However, you may discover small bits of it still attached, and the easy way to remove them is to toss the garment into a clothes dryer. Once the sweatshirt heats up, remove it from the dryer, and you should be able to pull off the tiny fragments of vinyl with tweezers.
Final Thoughts
It is easy to remove the vinyl from a crewneck sweatshirt. Heat is the most reliable removal method. Provided you have all the supplies you need and a clear work area. You should be able to finish this project in the afternoon.