When you have a heat press at hand, you are always wondering what you can and can’t press with it. Nylon is one of those materials that always has people pondering whether vinyl can be heat-pressed to it or not.
As impossible as it seems, the simple answer is yes. You can easily heat press vinyl stickers on nylon. However, the entire procedure needs to be done very carefully, as one wrong move can cause the entire project to melt.
There are a couple of guidelines and precautions that will make sure that your project delivers the perfect result you require without any burning incidents. For your convenience, I have shared the list of dos and don’ts regarding nylon below.
Can You Heat Press Vinyl On Nylon
Nylon can be heat-pressed, but only if the below-stated conditions are being followed.
Picking The Right Temperature
When it comes to nylon, the temperature of the heat press is of the essence. Nylon is a very heat-sensitive material; therefore, the temperature of the heat press needs to be set carefully. Make sure that the temperature setting does not exceed 275°F.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you should never start heat pressing vinyl on nylon directly at 275°F. Start with a low temperature such as 250°F to 260°F to find out whether your project can handle the heat or not. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should always do a couple of test presses on nylon before doing your final vinyl press.
Adjusting Time Settings
Similar to the temperature, setting the right time on your heat-press is also a critical step. A few seconds extra will cost you the project and only a melted and damaged fabric will come out of the heat press. The single press time should not exceed 5 to 6 seconds.
Another factor to keep in mind while pressing vinyl is to do double presses. Even if you are transferring a single layer of vinyl, do it in two presses of 5 seconds each, instead of a single press of 10 seconds. Two presses will make sure that the vinyl gets transferred properly, without the fabric getting scorched. The same goes for multiple layers of nylon. Transfer each layer in two presses, instead of a single press.
Protective Sheets
Considering the heat-sensitive nature of nylon, it is of utmost importance to use a protective sheet. When you place your nylon project between the two platens of your heat press machine, make sure to cover it with a sheet of parchment paper or Teflon. This protective sheet will make sure that the nylon, as well as the vinyl stickers, stay safe from burning.
Peeling The Vinyl
Nylon is not a hot peel like many other fabrics that you heat-press, it is a cold peel. Therefore, when you heat press vinyl on nylon, you need to let it sit for a couple of minutes. Once the fabric has cooled down, then you can peel off the transfer sheet from the vinyl on your project.
Vinyl Stickers
Nylon has a very peculiar nature. So, you need to be extra careful in picking out vinyl stickers for heat transferring on your nylon project. Make sure that the vinyl you pick out is specifically created for nylon fabric. Otherwise, it will not get pressed properly, which will only cause you disappointment.
Conclusion
It seems difficult to heat press vinyl on nylon, due to the delicate nature of the fabric. However, you can heat press different designs of vinyl to this material and create beautiful projects. Make sure to follow the guidelines that have been shared above to get the perfect result every time.
I’m Henry Collins and living my happy life. I’m a professional businessman and I own and run 6 Heat Pressing Services stores where I provide my clients with custom Designs on hats, mugs, T-Shirts and a lot more using Heat Press Machine. Been using a heat press for the last 4 years and people love my work. As I’ve got enough information on Heat Press I decided to make a blog on it and share my knowledge with the world. I hope, the world will appreciate it.