The Different Types of Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)

There are many types of heat transfer vinyl (HTV) available. With so many options, deciding which type and brand is right for your project can be hard. In this blog post, we will discuss the different types of HTV and their characteristics and provide information on some of the most popular brands and types available today.

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What is Heat Transfer Vinyl?

Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) is a material used to transfer a design or graphic onto another surface with heat. This type of vinyl is available in both matte and gloss finishes, as well as a variety of colors and types. HTV can be applied to fabrics like cotton, polyester, and blends, and it’s also great for creating detailed designs. Cricut’s brand of HTV is called “Iron-On.”

Types of Heat Transfer Vinyl

Standard HTV

Regular heat transfer vinyl is the main staple of the HTV world. There are many brands and colors available at different price points. This type of vinyl is great for a base, layering, sentiments (sayings), and design.

Stretch HTV

Stretch heat transfer vinyl is a great choice for projects that need flexibility and durability. It’s made for activewear, so it’s a good option for performance-type apparel, from shirts to spandex. It’s available in different colors and patterns, including metallic and neon, from a number of brands. Cricut also has Sportflex, which is a stretch HTV.

Glitter HTV

Another popular type of heat transfer vinyl is Glitter HTV. This type is made with a special adhesive that helps the glitter stay in place. It comes in a variety of colors, including metallic and neon. Glitter HTV/Iron-On is also available in other subtypes, such as stretch. It is more expensive due to its makeup, but it makes for beautiful and fun projects.

Holographic HTV

Holographic HTV is a color-changing vinyl that has a special effects look. It gives your project a beautiful shine and looks amazing, alone or layered. It can even look like rhinestones! Holographic HTV is available in different colors, including silver, gold, and pearl.

Flock HTV

Flock heat transfer vinyl is very popular. Used in place of embroidery, it feels like textured suede in 3D. It’s great for an old-school look from the 70s and works great with layering.

Fluorescent and Neon HTV

Many brands carry fluorescent or neon heat transfer vinyl in several colors. They look fabulous while adding brightly colored designs to shirts, socks, and other fabrics and blanks. Like other HTV, they come in various widths and lengths depending on the brand.

Metallic HTV

Metallic heat transfer vinyl is a type that gives colors a touch of shiny chrome. It’s flashy and fantastic for celebrations, cheer and fandom, and other types of high-energy events. Some are stretchy, and most are soft. There are a few that are matte if the shiny look doesn’t work for your design.

Glow-in-the-Dark

Siser EasyWeed Glow is a glow-in-the-dark vinyl. It’s white in the light and glows green in the dark. It cuts and weeds as easily as regular Siser EasyWeed, and needs to be “charged” in the sunlight. It’s great for night identification (dog collars, leashes, vests) or Halloween costumes!

Patterned

Patterned HTV is common in HTV/Iron-on and adhesive vinyl. This type of heat transfer vinyl can be printed in holiday themes, your favorite team’s colors and designs, animal prints, and vacation themes, you name it! Pattern vinyl can be found at almost all online and physical retail stores, and each shop carries lines that you may not find at other shops. So look around. You will definitely find quite a bit of patterned vinyl out there!

These types of heat transfer vinyl are some of the most popular. There are many other types out there. Expression Vinyl’s patterned HTV has a ton of options. There are so many to choose from and experiment with.

Brands of Heat Transfer Vinyl

Siser Easyweed

Siser EasyWeed is easily the most popular and used heat transfer vinyl brand out there. It is thin, easy to weed, and cuts nicely. It adheres well and is long-lasting. Much of my stock is Siser EasyWeed in one of its various types.

Cricut Iron-On

Cricut Iron-On is Cricut’s brand of heat transfer vinyl. It comes in several different types and is available through its website. If you have a Maker 3, Explore 3, Joy Xtra, or Joy, you can also choose Cricut’s Smart Iron-On. If you buy through Amazon, ensure you get genuine Cricut products from a reputable seller.

WALAKut

WALAKut is a brand of heat transfer vinyl that comes in many different types. It’s a low-temperature application HTV, and its regular HTV has a matte finish. It comes in rolls and sheets and can be found at Heat Transfer Warehouse.

Thermoflex Plus

Thermoflex is touted to be stronger than the garment it is applied to. It comes in sheets and rolls, and it has a lot of different colors and types. Many people really like it. It’s available at Heat Transfer Warehouse.

Other Brands

HTVRONT is a popular brand for craft vinyl and HTV. They are a fun brand that includes affordable heat presses, tumbler presses, and other types of crafting gear. HTVRONT is available on Amazon.

TekWrap is an energetic brand that sells fun craft adhesive vinyl and heat transfer vinyl in great colors and patterns.

There are many other brands to choose from. These are just a sample of a few higher-quality brands. It is worth knowing that Siser EasyWeed is the most popular, and for good reason. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider other brands of heat transfer vinyl to practice with use for projects. However, I would test them out thoroughly if you plan on selling products with any of them that are unknown to you. You can also read up on other makers’ testing; make sure they’ve done wash testing if you are looking for fabric HTV recommendations.

As with craft adhesive vinyl, what you choose to practice with comes down to personal preference and what you can afford. Each HTV works differently. Therefore, if you can, practice with what you plan on using. If you can’t, practice with less expensive HTV, but know that the heat transfer vinyl you will most likely use in your final products may behave differently.

I hope this information has helped you with the different types of heat transfer vinyl. If you’d like to learn about adhesive vinyl, check out my guide on The Different Types of Adhesive Vinyl. If you have any questions or if I’m missing information, please leave a comment. I always love hearing from you!

Happy, happy crafting!

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