Fabric
Hi-vis
A hi-vis vest is usually polyester, and it usually has reflective tape. The tape and a hot platen do not belong together. Press the fabric, not the stripe.
| Transfer | Temperature | Time | Pressure | Peel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold-peel standard | 145–150°C (293–302°F) | 10–12 seconds | Light to medium | Cold |
| Warm peel | 145–150°C (293–302°F) | 10–12 seconds | Light to medium | Warm |
| Hot peel | 145–150°C (293–302°F) | 8–10 seconds | Light to medium | Hot |
| Glitter | 145–150°C (293–302°F) | 10–12 seconds | Light to medium | Cold |
The packet supplied with your transfers wins over this table. Where a named film publishes a different press, the lookup shows that example beside the starting point.
There is no hi-vis row on the Xpres page this site uses. The starting point here is cooler than their general 150–160°C band, because the garment is polyester and the tape is the part you cannot easily replace: 145–150°C (293–302°F) for 10–12 seconds, light to medium, cold peel, with a cover sheet, then a short second press.
Place the transfer on plain fabric. Thread or slide the vest so the reflective bands sit outside the platen. A short pre-press, covered, is enough to flatten the panel. A long uncovered pre-press can glaze the polyester and dull a stripe before you have pressed a design.
Hot peel only if the packet says hot, and still clear of the tape. Glitter near a reflective band is rarely the right finish. Workwear labels often want a cool wash. Follow the cooler of the garment label and the transfer sheet, and read washing and care. The wider polyester notes are on the polyester page.
Common questions
Can I press across the reflective band if the logo is large?
Better to shrink the design. Heat can dull the tape, and a dulled stripe is not a wash fault. If the logo must sit near the band, keep the platen off the tape and test a spare vest before a batch.
Is 145°C hot enough for the adhesive?
It is a cautious start at the bottom of the temperatures people use on polyester. If the packet says 160°C and the vest can take it away from the tape, the packet wins. If the fabric shines or the tape dulls on the test, stop and ask the supplier rather than adding time.
Sources
- Xpres, how to DTF — common press 150–160°C for 10–15 seconds, medium, cold peel