What are thermo stickers and how to stick them on clothes?

In order to decorate or repair any clothes, today there are a number of popular products that not only cope with their main task, but also be able to transform and improve the usual thing. Thermal stickers belong to the category of similar products, so today are represented in a wide variety.

Additional decor on women's, men's and children's clothing is again relevant, in the light of which thermo-glues and thermo-patterns are in demand and in great demand. Such accessories are actively used by world designers and ordinary needlewomen, fashionable women and young moms to create a unique image, as well as minor repair of clothing.

Thermotransfers, or simply stickers and applications, are, in fact, a picture, the main feature of which is the ability to easily and quickly transfer the image to the fabric with the help of available tools, most often an iron. This technology is very popular due to the fact that it does not require significant financial investments, and by sticking a product on clothes, you can avoid the need to purchase a new piece of clothing.

Thermal adhesive and thermoapplication - accessories whose names reveal the essence of the productSince during the exposure to high temperature and location from the front of any clothing, the image is transferred or simply glued to textiles. You can buy them at any hardware or clothing store, and a large selection of images makes it possible to choose the right sticker for each occasion, considering who owns the thing that requires such décor, as well as the true purpose of the sticker - only a decorative function or clothing repair.

Today, thermo glues are most in demand, where the image is transferred by thermal printing. Such products contain a special film on the base, where a drawing or inscription is printed using ink. This component can be made of polyflex or polyflock. The peculiarity of the first material is the transfer of more subtle, but rather dense lines, the latter type allows you to get velvety and soft reliefs.

Before you buy a heat-seal, you should clearly define its main function, as well as take into account the type of material with which to work. Otherwise, even the highest quality and attractive accessory will not be able to cope with the task, for example, it will sag too much or it will completely ruin the appearance of the wardrobe item. For light fabrics such as silk, a flock patch will not work, this also applies to satin and other summer items. In this case, use more simple accessories.

But still, the main advantage of the stickers is their versatility, because with proper selection of the combination of the base and the application itself, they can be successfully glued to the down jacket, jacket, pants or jeans, shorts, blouses, etc. In some cases, needlewomen and designers use thermal stickers for decorating shoes, backpacks, hats and other everyday things.

As advised by professionals, stickers are most likely to be glued to fabric products.to be made of dense material.In this case, the risk that the patch will fold into an “accordion” will be minimal. Despite the versatility of the product and the simplicity of work, the process of fixing thermal shakers still has a number of its features, which, first of all, relate to the heating temperature of an iron or other device for thermal effect on the product. As practice shows, the optimal value is in the range of 120-130 degrees. But when working with a sticker and a heated iron, it is also necessary to take into account the possibilities and resistance to heating of the textile base of the decorated product, so as not to spoil it by carelessness.

Since the choice of thermo-stickers presented in the accessories and sewing department is quite extensive, there are several signs by which these products can be classified. First of all it concerns the material used for manufacturing. There are the following types of labels:

• from flex;
• from flock;
• from velvet;
• from satin;
• from sateen.

You can also select two more varieties:

• accessories containing adhesive base;
• products without it.

Products differ on those that contain reflective elements (such stickers are purchased for clothing, for athletes and children), as well as stickers without phosphorescent applications. Also stickers can be divided into two main types.

The product is a conventional non-volumetric pattern, the application of which was made on the transfer film. Such products have their own characteristics, first of all it concerns the impossibility of working with all types of fabric, since such stickers are intended only for cotton clothing and other products from this raw material. Quite often, such products are offered in photo-salons for transferring a photo of a person to a T-shirt or creating some memorable inscription, initials, brand names, etc. The image transfer technology also implies high temperature effects on the product. The main feature of transfer films is their strong attachment to the main fabric, so over time it will be difficult to remove the sticker. If only short-term use of an inscription or a picture is planned, then you should purchase a thermal film on a temporary adhesive basis.

Such products are universal in nature, so you can work with them on any type of fabric, including delicate and light, as well as dense and coarse options. Due to this feature, applications are successfully fixed to the skin, jeans and synthetics, performing a decorative function and helping to hide existing defects, including holes. Externally, the sticker is not much different from embroidery. Based on the purpose, thermo glues can be divided into:

• children's products, which can be performed in the form of images of cartoon characters, animals or toys, bows, flowers, machines, etc .;
• stickers for women's things that can imitate not only hand embroidery, but also lace, contain rhinestones, stones and sequins;
• Men's accessories are most often logos, emblems of famous sports teams, numbers, as well as inscriptions made in various techniques.

In order to independently decorate or repair clothes at home, you will need an appliqué and an iron for work. The technology of carrying out manipulations with heat-transfer stickers directly depends on the type of product chosen for fixing to the fabric.

But before you start gluing, you need to study the information about the product located on the label, because not every fabric can withstand heat, and also conduct a small test on the very edge of the product by touching the iron heated to the required temperature. If the fabric has successfully passed the test and retained its original appearance, you can safely proceed to the transfer of the selected pattern to the specified area.

To determine how to act with the label, a visual review of the purchased accessory is sufficient. Thermal stickers with a film are transferred to the fabric in a mirror image. This must be considered before starting work. The specifics of the location of such a sticker on the fabric suggests that it should be placed with its face to the product. To glue it follows, adhering to the following step by step instructions.

• The basis, thing or any other product must be laid out as smoothly as possible, without any creases or bends of the fabric on a solid horizontal surface. For these purposes, you can use a table or floor, under a material in the area of ​​the intended placement of the stickers to put a sheet of cardboard. Such a measure is necessary to prevent re-printing the image on the second side of the product, if any.
• Heat the iron to the required temperature in accordance with the type of fabric, first disable the steam generation mode. Arrange the application in the chosen place with the image to the fabric, and the film - up.

• Place a plain white sheet on top in order to protect the textiles from damage during thermal action, using the iron, press the sticker to the base and fix the iron in this position for 10 seconds. Then remove it, let the sticker cool down a bit.
• After that, remove the substrate from the figure with slow and smooth movements. In the case when the image is badly moved away from the upper layer and is removed from the fabric along with the film, the algorithm of actions must be repeated in the same sequence.
• Having achieved the desired result, the clothes need to be turned out and walked with a heated iron in the place of the transferred image from the wrong side.

It is important to select even areas on the product for transferring the image, as this will provide a more secure fit. As for such areas as fasteners, seams or loops, there is no sense to use thermo-glueing, as the drawing will not be printed or only its fragments will be transferred. In order to decorate clothes using appliqué on fabric, it is necessary to act by analogy with the instructions for working with the film. However, during the fastening of the fabric sticker it should be borne in mind that the adhesive substance in such a product is located on the wrong side. Proceeding from this feature of placement, patterns, inscriptions or images should be laid face down to the iron.

As practice shows, working with such applications, in the process of fixing the product to clothing, it is best to cover it with a tracing paper, a simple piece of cloth or a white sheet of paper, so as not to spoil the fabric itself from contact with the iron. As for leather products, for example, jackets, hats or trousers, in order to hold the sticker as tight as possible before pressing it to the product with an iron, apply a small amount of the usual universal superglue to the side with adhesive, then press the applique with iron through paper or fabric .

Another effective way to firmly secure the image is to sew an accessory along the edge. Thanks to the additional thread, even during the washings in the typewriter and the active use of the product, the appliqué will be securely fixed in place. And in order that the additional plating does not catch the eye, it is necessary to choose the color of the threads to match the image. And to highlight a sticker like a patch, you can sheathe the edge with large stitches in a contrasting color or with a thick thread.

How to glue on the heat-seal on the clothes, see the next video.