I know, I know some of you are saying the title is almost self evident, one goes on light garments, one goes on dark garments. Yes it's true, that is evident but what I am speaking of is the difference in the process of doing a light and dark heat transfer. First of all, you will never find a dark heat transfer that has the same soft hand as many light transfers, specifically our Jet-Pro SofStretch; this is due to the fact that when manufacturing a dark heat transfer an opaque layer is needed which adds additional weight and hand to the eventual heat transfer. The opaque layer is necessary in order for the dark inks that you may be using to show up on the dark garment, without this layer the colors would appear muted or be almost impossible to see in some cases.
The above manufacturing process also explains the difference in doing the transfer. With a light transfer you merely print in the reverse image, put the transfer after you have printed on the shirt with the image face down and the back of the backing sheet facing you, (you'll see the back print which for example will say Jet-Pro SofStretch facing you) and you press. Remove the backing sheet and you'll have your image on your garment.
When doing a dark heat transfer, the image is printed in the positive, the way you would print on normal copy paper. Once the image is printed, the coatings with the image are peeled off and placed on the garment where you want the image to appear on your shirt. The image will be facing you as it will appear on the garment when you're finished. You then take the slippery parchment sheet which comes with your paper and place it over the image then press or iron. After applying heat for the prescribed time, let the parchment cool for 30 seconds, remove it and you have your dark heat transfer.
A couple mistakes people make who are new to heat transfer papers, 1.) the print in the reverse on the dark transfer and then try to transfer as they would a light transfer, it will not work. The backing sheet will not release and even if it did, the image would be hindered by the white coatings as you would be pressing the ink against the garment leaving that opaque layer more visible- DO NOT DO THIS. 2.) they do everything correclty but forget to use the parchment sheet thereby melting the coatings to their heat press or iron. YOU REALLY DON"T WANT TO DO THIS...you will ruin a heat press or iron.
If you have any questions, read the instruction sheets, watch our video and if that still has you a bit confused, call us at 1-877-85-PAPER, we're always here to help you at www.tshirtsupplies.com