- Go to Mom's Break Birthday to get the free printable birthday iron-on transfers.
- Print the iron-on transfer onto transfer paper (which is available in stores like Target and Wal-Mart, as well as office supply stores like Office Depot and Staples).
Note: You should read the instructions that come with the transfer paper that you buy before you print the iron-on transfer. The transfers provided by Mom's Break have already been reversed (or mirrored). However, some transfer papers do not require that the transfer be reversed prior to printing (especially the transfer paper used for "dark" shirts). If you have that type of transfer paper, you will have re-reverse these transfers. For a brief tutorial about how you can do that, go to How to Re-Flip an Iron-On Transfer.
If you need blank T-shirts, sweatshirts, baby onesies, or other garments, you will find a link to this and other blank shirts at Mom's Break.
Trim around the image, just inside the dotted lines.
Position the transfer on garment. You might want to use a rule to make sure that you have it positioned evenly on the garment.
As shown here, the image is face down. However, please be sure to follow the instructions that come with your transfer paper.
Refer to the instructions that come with your transfer paper for the proper amount of ironing time.
As you iron, apply steady and even downward pressure. Continually move iron in a circular pattern or in up and down, back and forth motions. Do not allow the iron the remain in one place for more than a second or two, as this might scorch the garment.
When the ironing is complete, allow the garment to cool.
You will notice here that the paper is slightly scorched---but not the garment. This is normal.
Once the garment is completely cool to the touch, you can begin to peel off the backing.
It is easiest to start in a corner. I like to put one or two fingers underneath and push up as I start to peel away the paper. This prevents me from "picking" at the actual iron-on image.
Peel the paper very slowly.
As you peel, try to peel the paper as uniformly as possible so that you don't pull or distort the image.
The iron-on transfer is now complete and the garment is ready to wear.
To launder, I suggest that you turn the garment inside out, and place inside a laundry bag (such as you would use for delicates or lingerie) or put it in a pillowcase and then close the pillowcase with a couple of safety pins. This will prevent the iron-on image from being "agitated" during the wash and rinse cycle.
It is best to hang-dry the garment instead of putting it in the dryer. However, if you prefer to put it in the dryer, use a low heat setting and remove the garment as soon as it is dry (do not allow to over-dry).
This completes the tutorial for the iron-on transfer.