DTV Archives

Posted on August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 by silhouettesecretsplus — 2 Comments

Summer Days of Downloads!!!

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are seeing some cooler temperatures here and in a short time the kids will be headed back to school. The summer has gone too fast!

Although I do enjoy Fall and the cooler temperatures, maybe we can hang onto that summer feeling a little bit longer….

The Summer Days of Downloads hosted
by Heat Transfer Warehouse

I’m so excited to be participating in this!
Heat Transfer Warehouse sent out a request and I’m so glad I answered the call. I love a good challenge and I love learning new things! I’ve been designing in the Silhouette Studio software for over 10 years now and I love to create things!

Grab free designs on the Heat Transfer Warehouse website that are created by other crafters and influencers like me and have fun!

I love how this turned out!!!

Grab the free SVG file HERE at Heat Transfer Warehouse.

I used Siser EasyColor DTV and print and cut with the Silhouette to create my design, but you can use the SVG file for any materials you want to cut it out of! Adhesive vinyl, HTV, cardstock, and more!

And I have a new video out on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel sharing how I used the file HERE.

I am sharing it all!!! I ran into some issues and things did not go perfect, but I’m going to share how I made it a successful project in the end. From printer issues to user error, I’ll show you how I fixed both!

I love Siser EasyColor DTV and have been using it for over a year now! My shirts have been through 30+ washes and still look awesome! I wear some of them almost weekly. The biggest thing is to follow the directions for Siser EasyColor DTV exactly!
I have several tutorials and updates on my Siser EasyColor DTV results HERE.

Behind-the-Scenes Look

I’ll be sharing a how-to video soon showing the exact steps I took to create this design in the Silhouette Studio software. The hardest part is coming up with the design idea, well…. actually, the hardest part is picking fonts for me. And in this case, I had to use fonts that I knew had a commercial use license and allowed designs to be created and shared.
Make sure to read those terms of use for the fonts and designs you get and know exactly what they can be used for!!!

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at my creation process.

I save my work in many steps along the way in case I mess up or change my mind. Now, this is my working file and I started saving as a back up file along the way too! This way if anything happened, I had something to fall back on and I didn’t lose all the hours of work.

It did take time, but I loved it! I love being able to create things and sometimes I lose track of that in all the hustle and bustle!!! I thrive off of being able to create!

Now, let’s zoom in and did you see these color palettes next to my design?

These color palettes helped me to choose colors for my design! So simple!

Check out this tutorial – Create Custom Color Palettes in Silhouette HERE
I show you exactly how you can use color palettes in your creations!
Want to change up the colors of my SVG file? You can! And you can use color palettes to help too!

Want to create something with this design or simply collect it – grab the file HERE

I would love to see what you create with it!
Feel free to share on the Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae Facebook group HERE.

And stay tuned for a how-to video coming soon! I’ll post the link here when it’s complete!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy !

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Posted on July 9, 2023July 16, 2023 by silhouettesecretsplus — 2 Comments

HTV, DTV, DTF, DTG, Oh my! – What does it all mean?

There are a lot of letters out there floating around in the industry right now and lots of places to get confused about what they all mean.

So let’s take a look at the basics of what each of these terms mean and then you may have a better idea if you want to look into each one a little bit further.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

What is what?

HTV = Heat Transfer Vinyl

Heat transfer vinyl is a product that can be applied to fabric. The adhesive on heat transfer vinyl is heat activated and the adhesive melts into the fabric.

Siser Easyweed HTV Design - Relax Everything is Out of Control

Relax Everything Is Out of Control by Sophie Gallo – Design #436898

There are many brands and types on the market worldwide.
I use Siser Easyweed HTV and other Siser specialty HTV the most in my projects.

The primary purpose of HTV is for fabric and materials, however, you will see some apply it to other surfaces as well. I see mixed results with these methods and it is always good to test what you plan to do.

For more details, tips, tutorials, projects, and classes on HTV
Click HERE

Siser Easyweed HTV White - Cat Mom Design

Cat Mom by Erica Digital Design – Design #377246
Peeking Cat by Erica Digital Design – Design #353053

DTV = Direct to Vinyl

Siser EasyColor DTV is a product that was released in the Fall of 2022. It is a heat transfer vinyl that can be printed on with an inkjet printer.

Siser EasyColor DTV - Sarcasm Loading Printable HTV

Periodic Table Sarcasm design by Suzanne Cannon – Design #298890

I love Siser DTV!!!
I’ve had great success and my shirts have been washed well over 20+ times.

For more details on Siser EasyColor DTV
CLICK HERE

Creators Gonna Create design with Siser EasyColor DTV - printable HTV

Creators Gonna Create design by Jamie Lynn Designs – Design #295352

Siser DTV is great for being able to add graphics or multi-color designs using a home printer without having to cut and layer multiple colors of HTV.
Grab some Siser EasyColor DTV in a variety of sizes at The Vinyl Spectrum HERE.

Make sure to follow the instructions from Siser on printing, pressing, and washing for best results!

DTV is not the same as Heat Transfer Paper.
Heat Transfer Paper was an alternative before Siser EasyColor DTV was released. But it is not vinyl, even though many use the terms interchangeably.
Find more on Heat Transfer Paper HERE.

DTF = Direct to Film

Direct to Film is a printer that prints onto a film that is used to transfer the design to a blank. This can be a great for heavy graphic images that you do not want to layer or if you have a lot of one design that you are using for a project.

Here is a sheet of DTF prints I ordered to test from 143Vinyl.com.
Cut them apart and heat press to your shirt or blank.
Done!

Backside of a DTF print ordered from 143Vinyl

Here is a look at the backside of a DTF print.

This is not your everyday at home printer, but can be useful if you run a business.
If you are interested in investing in a DTF printer, you can find more details on printers and supplies at Heat Transfer Warehouse or Swing Design.

If you are like me and don’t want to invest in a DTF printer or have no need to, then I’d recommend ordering some DTF prints to try out.
Check out 143vinyl.com and order today!
(Note: 143Vinyl is currently upgrading equipment as this post is published and DTF ordering is on hold)

You can either upload your own image or use their image library. I chose to use the Image library for my first round to test it out, but mostly because it takes me forever to decide on a design that I want and even longer to create it.

Make sure to follow all their instructions for submissions if you upload your own images.

I have also seen a lot of mention about DTF “hacks”. Keep in mind that it may or may not have the same results or longevity. It is all a process of experimentation.
The only way to know is to test it, if you decide to go down that road.

DTG = Direct to Garment

Direct to garment is another specialized printer and not your ordinary, average home printer. This printer type allows you to print directly onto a shirt or other blank.

Both a DTF or a DTG printer are a serious investment, so I would recommend doing a bit of research before diving into that, but it can be a great option for a small business that is growing.

Check out more on DTG printers at Swing Design HERE.

For me as an everyday crafter, a DTF or DTG printer are not in my list of must haves for my studio as I do not think they would be utilized enough.

Vinyl

Vinyl is a general term that can be used in reference to many different products.
Often times it is used so generically, that we have to clarify what the user is wanting to do before we can advise on information they are looking for.

There is adhesive vinyl, HTV, specialty vinyl, and also things like sticker paper and heat transfer paper that get lumped into the “vinyl” category.

Oracal 651 Adhesive Vinyl Intricate Mandala Design - Take what you have and use it to build what you want

If you are looking for more on adhesive vinyl, check out these tutorials HERE.

I wanted to keep this very basic in explaining what each meant. It can be very confusing when you see the terms thrown out there and sometimes used incorrectly.

I hope this information helps to give you an idea if you would like to explore more on a certain area that might be helpful to your future projects or business!

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Enjoy !

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Posted on June 11, 2023July 16, 2023 by silhouettesecretsplus — 2 Comments

Show Off Your Team Support!!!

If you have a cutting machine, the possibilities are wide open for being able to show off your team spirit! You could make or embellish anything from shirts, bags, earrings, decals, and so much more!!!

And you can do it without using any trademarked images too!
I see so many trademark infringements daily and it’s such as hot topic that I wanted to share some ways that you can show your team spirit with other design ideas.

I have always been a sports fan and played several different sports growing up. Moving locations across the U.S. over the years we have gotten into supporting the local teams where we move.
When we moved to the St. Louis region, my friends warned me… Don’t become a Cardinals fan! I had no idea what they were talking about. I didn’t really follow baseball.

And then the first thing the Orthodontist told us was,
“The only thing to do around here is watch baseball.”
And that the rest is history!

Now I am a baseball fan. In fact, I’m watching right now as I type this post.

No matter what your team or sport, we can still be friends and you can find designs that you like and will show your team spirit off.

I hope this sparks some creative thinking for your future projects!
Here are just a few that I’ve created.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Siser Easyweed HTV T-shirt with Baseball theme

Supplies used:
Distressed baseball SVG from Franky Design found HERE
White Siser Easyweed HTV
Goodfellow t-shirt from Target

Cardinals Baseball design with Siser Easyweed HTV & Puff HTV

Supplies used:
Baseball Custom Name svg by SVGStoreShop
LW Coach Font by Lori Whitlock – Design #274417
White Siser Easyweed HTV
Wine Siser Easy Puff HTV
Make Market Women’s Tank from Michaels

I am so excited for this one! Like jump up and down, spin around in a happy dance excited!!!
I have tried and tried to get Siser Easy Puff to look good and puff up correctly.
And I did it! Yay! I think my past problems were my press and getting accurate temperature.

This time I used my new Siser Heat Press and it worked! Even when I had to press it a 2nd time, I didn’t lose the puff completely!

Siser Puff HTV with a Cardinals Baseball Design

It would probably be a bit puffier if I didn’t have to press that 2nd time, but I am still doing a happy dance that I got it to puff up. I know what errors I was making and I will continue to “perfect the puff”.

Siser Easy Puff is such a neat texture on blanks and I cannot wait to make more!

Don’t give up! If you’ve had issues with a project, just keep trying. Figure out what might be wrong and then try again. The Siser Easy Puff does require a very specific temperature, time, and pressure. But, I knew someday I would get it, if I just kept trying.

Custom Stadium bag with baseball design using Oracal 651 adhesive vinyl

Supplies used:
Baseball Let’s Do This by Sarah Hurley – Design #440716
Oracal 651 Adhesive vinyl in black and red
Clear Stadium Bag

Custom baseball spirit gear to wear and take to the game

And I’m ready for the game at Busch Stadium!

Oh! One more thing!!!

Earrings to complete the outfit!!!
This is a pair I made last year when we went to the game.

Faux Leather baseball earrings for spirit wear at the game

Supplies used:
Baseball earrings svg by MagicArtLab
Red Siser Easyweed HTV
E6000 glue
White faux leather/leatherette from Craft Chameleon
Fish hook earring hardware
Jewelry Pliers – used 2 pair

Sometimes it is hard to stop once I get doing down the path of creating. There is always something more that I want to do!

Here are a few more designs I have purchased for my future projects as well.

Baseball SVG Template Bundle 2 by SVG Cuttables
This one contains 27 designs that could be customized for your use if you are a baseball fan.

Baseball Patches by Moonlark Designs

I actually have this one already printed on Siser Easycolor DTV but just haven’t settled on what to put it on or how to position it.

Siser EasyColor DTV baseball designs - printable HTV

Anyone else get something cut and then have a hard time committing? Or maybe you get hung up deciding on a design to cut, that’s also what takes me a long time to decide on. I really don’t know what my hold up is. It is just a t-shirt and I could always print and cut more Siser EasyColor DTV. I just have to do it!

If you have not played with Siser EasyColor DTV, I love it! I have made quite a few shirts with it and have had great results.
Find more information on Siser EasyColor DTV
HERE.

And a few more designs I have plans for….
Baseball Distressed svg by Planet of Magic
Baseball Distressed svg by AlexSVGStudio
Distressed Baseball svg by MoveAsBees

I might have a thing for distressed designs.

But you may not like my style or you may find other designs that catch your eye or are looking for a completely different sport!
Check out the list of recommended design sites HERE and search for your topic of choice at each. Add them to your wishlist if you don’t want to buy right now so you can come back to easily find them later.

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Show off your team spirit with custom designs Pinterest

I would love to create!
Feel free to share on the Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae Facebook group or the Creating with Siser – Juliet & Romeo Cutting Machines Facebook Group.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

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Posted on March 9, 2023 by silhouettesecretsplus — Leave a comment

Siser EasyColor DTV UPDATE!!!

Siser EasyColor DTV was released in August 2022 and I have been loving it!

Today I have an update for you on some of the Siser EasyColor DTV projects that I have done and it is now available in larger sizes! Yay!

I wear several of the shirts I made when I first received Siser EasyColor DTV almost weekly.
This means they have been washed over 20+ times and they are still looking great!

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

First, I mentioned above that larger sizes for the Siser EasyColor DTV are now available.
You can grab those HERE at The Vinyl Spectrum.

Supplies used:
Siser EasyColor DTV
Siser TTD Mask (when needed)
Canon TS9521C inkjet printer
T-shirt or blank to apply it to

These are all shirts that I created when I first received my Siser EasyColor DTV in August 2022 and have been washing almost weekly for most of them.
That is 20+ washes for most of them and they still look fantastic.
I can see where the shirts themselves have shrunk or worn, but the DTV is still in great shape!

This is the very first shirt that I made using the Siser EasyColor DTV.
Periodic Table Sarcasm design by Suzanne Cannon – Design #298890

Creators Gonna Create design by Jamie Lynn Designs – Design #295352

Seaturtle Watercolor Printable by La La Shiba – Design #327519

Creativity Takes Courage design by Jillibean Soup – Design #416662

The biggest thing about the Siser EasyColor DTV is we’ve learned new things since it’s first release date.
Check out the instructions from Siser HERE and follow them EXACTLY for the best results.

Here are the biggest things to do for best results
1. Print on plain paper settings.
2. If using TTD Easy Mask, wait 24 hours before masking.
3. After pressing Siser EasyColor DTV, wait 24 hours and wash in cold.
Washing prior to wearing washes out any excess ink that is not soaked into the DTV.
If worn without washing, any contact with water can create water spots in that excess ink and even stain the shirt. It is recommended to wash prior to wearing and I’ve had great results with that!

All printers vary in the amount of ink that is laid down when it’s printing. Test your printer with the specific instructions linked and listed above for the best results.

This new Siser EasyColor DTV has been very, very popular and now with the larger sizes, I know we will see more coming too!

In my experience it has held up well and I am loving it!

Grab yours today HERE and have a play with it!

If you follow me on my Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube Channel or the Swift Creek Customs YouTube channel, you’ll see me wear these often in my videos.

I’ve also put together a quick video update showing up close looks at each of these Siser EasyColor DTV projects on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube Channel.
Check it out HERE or below.

Check out more tips for the Siser EasyColor DTV HERE

I’d love to see what you create!
Feel free to post on the Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae Facebook Group HERE
or on the Creating with Siser Juliet & Romeo Cutting Machine Users Facebook group.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Looking for more in-depth, step-by-step classes, check out all of my online Silhouette classes on my Teachable site HERE.

Posted on August 20, 2022March 9, 2023 by silhouettesecretsplus — 1 Comment

Back-to-School Goody Bags with Siser DTV

Today I wanted to share the Back-to-School goody bags that I made up for my kids friends group! They have been a hit!

This is something that could easily be done for teachers, birthday gifts, girls night out, teenager go bags, a moms gift, or many more ideas!

I loaded these up with a few fun goodies for the kids to enjoy. Not necessarily to take to school with them, but just to have for fun.

Affiliate links may be present in the below and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.

I’ve been having lots of fun with this Siser DTV printable heat transfer vinyl and had to give it a try on the canvas bags.

Siser EasyColor DTV can be used with a home inkjet printer and is vinyl, not paper.
It can be found at authorized Siser Distributors and has been very popular since it’s release a few weeks ago.
Here are a few suppliers that I recommend:
Expressions Vinyl
H & H Sign Supply
Sparkleberry Ink – use code SILSECRETS to save 10%
The Vinyl Spectrum

DO NOT forget to add the TTD Easy Mask to your order also if you are planning to do a print and cut around designs. Solid color designs do not need the mask, but if your design has multiple pieces, you do need the mask to transfer it to your garment.

Check out my YouTube channels at Silhouette Secrets+ & Swift Creek Customs for more information and demos on the Siser EasyColor DTV.

Supplies used for this project:
– Siser EasyColor DTV – printable heat transfer vinyl
– TTDE Mask
– Cotton canvas zipper bags
– PixelCraft Color Font by Illustration Ink – Design #316342
– PickPocket Color Font by Illustration Ink – Design #330129
– Lint roller
– Heat Press or other heat source
– Assorted Goodies to fill the bags

My daughter picked out the Color fonts to use for the boys and girls bags. If you have never used Color Fonts before, they are fun to play with.
Check out the Let’s Explore v4 – Color Fonts tutorial HERE.

I set up the design as a print and cut project and rotated the names to fit as many as I could on the page.

Print and cut is one of my favorite things to do with Silhouette. The color fonts are designed for print and cut projects and are not individual cut pieces.
Grab some and start playing!

For more tips on Print and Cut, check out these new videos I released on YouTube

Print & Cut in Silhouette in less than 15 minutes

I would highly recommend when working with a product such as the Siser DTV which has a white background, that you utilize the Print Bleed feature in the Silhouette software. This adds a bit of color (called a bleed) around the outside edge of the design, so when you cut around the image, you shouldn’t be left with a white edge.
Each design will vary in what print bleed distance works and looks good.

As a note: print bleed is currently broken in the v4.4.9xx series of software versions as of this publishing date. I mention this a few times in the video tutorials above.
You can always create your own print bleed by using the Offset Tool around your design. Adjust the distance of the offset as needed and fill it with color.

I would recommend software version v4.4.554 found under the Legacy section if you do want a version that it works properly in.

After printing, I weeded the designs. The Siser EasyColor DTV weeds so smooth with a good cut – it really is like butter.

Next is to cut apart.

Time to mask and press each of the names to the bags. I used a folded up towel inside the zipper bags to help bump up the area being pressed so the seams did not interfere with the pressure on the DTV.

Then I lint rolled the bags, hung the edge of the zipper off the edge of the heat press platen, pre-pressed the bag, and then pressed the Siser DTV onto the bag using the recommended settings from the Siser website.

I am using a Craft Pro 15″ x 15″ heat press with a slide out bottom platen.
I love this thing!

Ta-Da!

Fill the bag with goodies and gift it to someone!

The Siser EasyColor mask can be reused if no color has transferred from the print or fibers from the garment. I knew to watch for the ink, but the fibers caught me off guard. These black canvas bags, even when lint rolled, left fibers on the mask. These fibers then will transfer over to the next image being pressed.
Just something to keep in mind!

I shared this in my recent
5 Tips for using Siser EasyColor DTV – Printable Heat Transfer Vinyl
video too!

These gift bags could be customized with regular htv, glitter htv, rhinestones, or even a combination of materials too!

Check out the Creating a Rhinestone Design in Silhouette Studio video class HERE.

What would you use these gift bags for?
Leave a comment below or share on the Facebook group at
Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy !

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Or if you are looking for more in-depth, step-by-step classes, check out all of my online Silhouette classes on my Teachable site HERE.

Posted on August 10, 2022 by silhouettesecretsplus — Leave a comment

Printable Heat Transfer Vinyl

Last week Siser announced a new product called Siser EasyColor DTV. This new product is an actual Heat Transfer Vinyl that can be printed with a home, inkjet printer.

Up until now there has been a product on the market called Heat Transfer Paper, which many users get confused by and call printable HTV. But, it’s really not. It is paper, not actual vinyl. I’ve used several brands and had success with it and have even taught classes using it. Each brand may have different results.

Now, there is a new option out there. Siser EasyColor DTV and I’ve been testing it this past week. So far, I am loving it!

I wanted to share a bit about that process so I made up a “quick” video. I say “quick” because it is longer than I intended as I give a lot of tips about print and cut in the video. We troubleshoot thousands of Silhouette issues each week on social media and most times it is something that can easily be fixed to get successful print and cuts. So I shared several of those tips in the video.
I want YOU to be successful and it’s always best to practice the print and cut technique on copy paper or cardstock before using your more expensive materials such as EasyColor DTV.

Check out the new video on the Swift Creek Customs YouTube channel HERE.

Check out the description of the YouTube video for more resources and links to the supplies used in the tutorial.

Grab some of the new Siser EasyColor DTV and if you plan to do a print and cut grab the Low Tack Transfer Mask too! I got mine at The Vinyl Spectrum and had it super fast!

I have so many ideas to use this material with and cannot wait to share more!

I would love to see what you are creating with your Silhouette software or machines!
Feel free to post on my Facebook group at
Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.