Troubleshooting: Under Applied Transfers

There are two main ways you can under apply your screen printed heat transfer; using too low of an application temperature, using too little pressure, or a combination of the two. To demonstrate what these two applications look like, we used our Howard Multi-Purpose screen printed heat transfer.

Temperature Too Low

Temperature too low during application

Here, we applied our transfer using a temperature below the recommended settings. Way below. Truth be told, with a dependable heat press, it's difficult to under apply this transfer. So, we applied this at 290°F.

As you can see, most of the transfer is still on the carrier. What did transfer onto the garment should easily peel off, a sign the transfer has been under applied using too low of a temperature.

If you think the temperature of your heat press is inaccurate, you can purchase a heat gun to measure the surface temperature of your upper platen.

The recommended application temperature of Howard Multi-Purpose is 350°F on cotton/polyester garments.

download our application instructions

Pressure Too Low

Not enough pressure during application

Here, we used little to no pressure when applying the same Howard Multi-Purpose transfer. At the lowest possible pressure setting on our Insta Heat Press, you can see areas of the transfer left on the carrier. You can also notice parts of the transfer on the garment that are lifting at the edges.

learn how to check your heat press for even pressure

We recommend using medium pressure when applying our Howard Multi-Purpose heat transfer.