If you want to print out your own design and have it be on a t-shirt or other piece of clothing, the best way to do it is by using a heat transfer paper.
Heat transfer paper is usually coated with wax and pigment, and it can be used to digitally print off a design through a printer, and can then be heat transferred onto a piece of fabric, usually by using an iron. It’s super easy to use and it allows for many DIY creative projects!
Whether you want to create your own cool t-shirt or create a personalized item of clothing for your friends and family, heat transfer paper is super accessible and budget-friendly, and it can provide you with really high-quality prints!
There are plenty of heat transfer paper options available in today’s market. Especially as it’s becoming increasingly popular to engage in DIY projects and self-made items of clothing.
Besides, it’s a lot cheaper to personalize your own, rather than pay for a company to personalize it for you, right?
However, to ensure that your cool designs are well-printed onto the clothing and that they are able to withstand being worn and washed on a regular basis for as long as possible, you need to buy a high-quality heat transfer paper.
The better the heat transfer paper is, the longer the print will last and the higher quality it will look on your clothing.
It can be tricky to find the best possible products with so many options available, so we’ve compiled a list with our top five picks for the overall best heat transfer papers!
All you need to do is look through them and choose the one most suitable to your needs, preferences, and budget!
In a hurry?
Whether you’re wanting to print a cool design onto a piece of clothing for yourself, or you’re attempting to create a DIY shirt with a printed design for friends or family, you’re going to need some heat transfer paper to do the job.
If you’re in a hurry to get the best possible quality, then we recommend you check out our number one top choice: the Avery Printable Heat Transfer Paper for Dark Fabrics.
The Avery Printable Heat Transfer Paper for Dark Fabrics is our favorite product when it comes to heat transfer paper, and its quality is backed by a great number of positive reviews and ratings from all the satisfied customers.
The sheets are 8.5-inches x 11-inches in size, and they can be used with an inkjet printer to get the design. They are best suited for black and dark fabrics, made from 100% cotton, but they can be used on all colors regardless.
They’ve been formulated to provide a soft finish, highly stretchable, and with a professional result.
Here are the main features:
- Incredibly popular and highly recommended product
- Sheet size of 8.5-inches x 11-inches
- Especially suited to black and dark fabrics of 100% cotton
- Soft finish, highly stretchable, fade-resistant, and machine washable
- Can be used with an inkjet printer - instructions included with the product
- Professional finish and results at a highly accessible price
OUR TOP PICK
Avery Printable Heat Transfer Paper for Dark Fabrics
EDITORS CHOICE
PrintWorks Dark Fabric Transfers for Inkjet Printers
BEST VALUE
Avery Printable Heat Transfer Paper for Light Fabrics
OUR TOP PICK
Avery Printable Heat Transfer Paper for Dark Fabrics
The Avery Printable Heat Transfer Paper for Dark Fabrics is an excellent option, very reliable and high-quality, and incredibly popular amongst customers, with an overwhelming number of positive reviews and ratings that place it right at the top of our list.
The transfer sheets have a size of 8.5-inches x 11-inches, and they are ideal for personalizing all sorts of clothes, such as t-shirts, aprons, pillowcases, face masks, and many more.
They can be used on fabrics of all colors, but they are especially suited on black and dark-colored clothes, and 100% cotton fabrics.
They’ve formulated to bond with fabric once the heat is applied, and they have a soft finish that is highly stretchable, fade-resistant, and completely machine washable.
You can transfer the printed design onto the clothing with a household iron or a professional heat press, and the heat transfer sheets come with full instructions to ensure you know exactly what you’re doing.
They can be used with an inkjet printer to get the design, and they can then be cut with scissors and placed onto the piece of fabric to be heat transferred on.
They are absolutely perfect for DIY projects, and they provide you with a great and professional finish, allowing for the best results possible.
The product is available as a pack of 5, or as a pack of 30, so you can choose how many heat transfer sheets you need.
With a very accessible price and the incredible quality that it offers, it is truly the best product on the market.
PROS:
- Incredibly popular and highly recommended product
- Sheet size of 8.5-inches x 11-inches
- Especially suited to black and dark fabrics of 100% cotton
- Soft finish, highly stretchable, fade-resistant, and machine washable
- Can be used with an inkjet printer - instructions included with the product
- Professional finish and results at a highly accessible price
CONS:
- No significant downsides
EDITORS CHOICE
PrintWorks Dark Fabric Transfers for Inkjet Printers
The PrintWorks Dark Fabric Transfers for Inkjet Printers is another excellent option of product and a close second on our list of top picks, thanks to how high-quality it is and how amazingly popular it is becoming amongst customers.
It is available in different packs that are suitable for either dark fabrics or light fabrics, so you can choose whichever suits your needs the most!
It works extremely well on 100% cotton and poly-cotton blend fabrics, able to transfer on the designs by using a normal iron.
Ideal for all of your DIY clothing projects, these heat transfer sheets are super easy to use and super accessible in price. In fact, you can be fully done in less than 10 minutes, that is how easy they are to use!
They feature a fade-resistant coating that allows you to print out vibrant photo-quality designs on the inkjet printer and transfer it onto the clothing without it losing any of its quality.
They can also withstand being worn often and being machine washed and will remain high-quality and vibrant.
The brand itself, Premium Printworks, has been manufacturing heat transfer sheets since 1964, so they have been more than time tested and are certainly one of the most reliable.
They offer a full satisfaction guarantee and will help you out if you have any issues with the product whatsoever.
PROS:
- Suitable for different color fabrics, 100% cotton, and poly-cotton blends
- Super easy and fast to use - the entire process can be completed in under 10 minutes
- They feature a fade-resistant coating for enhanced vibrancy and durability
- Experienced and highly reliable brand
- Ideal for DIY clothing projects - very accessible
CONS:
- No significant downsides
BEST VALUE
Avery Printable Heat Transfer Paper for Light Fabrics
The Avery Printable Heat Transfer Paper for Light Fabrics is another amazing product option, and it’s actually a counterpart to our top favorite choice, by the same brand but suited to light fabrics instead of dark.
These heat transfer sheets measure 8.5-inches x 11-inches, and they are absolutely ideal for being transferred onto any piece of fabric but are especially suited to light colors.
They can be used on 100% cotton fabrics, and on poly-cotton blends.
They have been formulated to provide a soft finish, and they are highly stretchable, fade-resistant, and completely machine washable.
They are super easy to use, and they can be used with an inkjet printer to then be heat transferred onto the clothing with a normal iron or a professional heat press.
Just in case it’s your first time, the product includes a manual with instructions and tips.
They are very accessible in price, and they offer an amazing professional finish that is high-standard and very durable, so you can proudly wear your creations without anybody realizing they’re a DIY.
And if you’re out of ideas, the Avery brand has some free templates and designs on their website, so you can keep creating!
Overall, they will 100% provide you with amazing results, and they’re super easy and convenient to use!
PROS:
- Highly reliable and recommended product
- Heat transfer sheets measuring 8.5-inches x 11-inches
- Better suited for light fabrics - 100% cotton and poly-cotton blends
- Formulated to provide a soft finish, highly stretchable, fade-resistant, and machine washable
- Manual of instructions and free online template designs included
CONS:
- Not as good as their counterpart for dark fabrics
RUNNER UP
Neenah Paper Jet-Pro Soft Stretch Heat Transfer Paper
The Neenah Paper Jet-Pro Soft Stretch Heat Transfer Paper is another great option that you can go for, as it upholds a good level of quality and is quite popular amongst customers.
It comes in a pack of 100 sheets of heat transfer paper, and it can be used on both dark and light fabrics equally well, which is super convenient and handy.
Each heat transfer sheet measured 8.5-inches x 11-inches, and it can be used with inkjet printers to obtain the design, to then be transferred onto the fabric of clothing of your choice by using an iron.
It can be used with 100% cotton fabric, and with different cotton blends, providing high-quality results that remain vibrant and unfaded even after a long time of regular usage.
The finish has been formulated to be extra soft, and the designs are fully stretchable on the clothing without losing their quality.
Overall, they are super easy to use and are ideal for all of your DIY clothing projects, whether it’s for yourself or as a gift to family or friends.
PROS:
- Comes as a pack of 100 heat transfer sheets
- Each sheet measured 8.5-inches x 11-inches
- Suitable for both light and dark fabrics, on 100% cotton and cotton blends
- Usable with inkjet printers, and easily transferred onto the fabric with an iron
- Soft and stretchable finish
CONS:
- Some customers claim that the design begins to fade after being machine washed a few times - not as durable as other product options
RUNNER UP
Koala Paper Store Light T-shirt Transfer Paper
Last but not least on our list of top picks, we have the Koala Paper Store Light T-Shirt Transfer Paper, which is ideal for fulfilling your DIY clothing projects in a fast, easy, and highly accessible way.
The product comes in a pack of 10 sheets, and each heat transfer sheet measures 8.5-inches x 11-inches. They have been formulated to provide a soft finish, that is also stretchable and machine washable.
The design also remains vibrant and beautiful, withstanding regular use without fading. It’s compatible with inkjet printers, and it can then be transferred onto any fabric as long as it has over 50% cotton.
These sheets are very easy to use and the entire process is quite fast, but just in case, the product comes with manual instructions to guide you through all the steps.
The Koala Paper Store is known for its excellent customer service, so if you have any issues or questions about the product, they are sure to help you and guide you so that you reach a satisfactory resolution.
Overall, it’s a very accessible option that will provide you with what you need for a cool-looking item of clothing, whether it’s for yourself or for a friend.
PROS:
- Pack of 10 heat transfer sheets
- Each heat transfer sheet measures 8.5-inches x 11-inches
- Formulated for a soft and stretchable finish
- Compatible with inkjet printers and fabrics with more than 50% cotton
- Manual of instructions included - an easy and fast process
CONS:
- The design might begin to crack and wear off after some time
Best Heat Transfer Paper Buying Guide
Heat transfer paper is the easiest, fastest, and most accessible way to print your own unique designs onto a t-shirt or other piece of clothing, so you have your own DIY item.
They’re used by using an inkjet printer to get the design onto the paper and can then be ironed onto the fabric of your choice.
However, it’s very important to use heat transfer sheets that are as high-quality as possible, otherwise, the designs will begin to fade and crack after just a few uses, or as soon as they’re washed.
A high-quality heat transfer sheet, on the other hand, will ensure the design remains vibrant and professional-looking, no matter how many times you wear or wash it.
But, how can you determine which heat transfer sheets are the best? If it’s your first time purchasing some, it can be quite tricky.
We like to take a few basic factors into consideration, comparing different products, and paying close attention to the features, to determine which heat transfer sheets are truly the best. Here is a summary:
Size and quantity of sheets
Heat transfer sheets can come as packs with different amounts of quantities. If you’re planning on creating multiple DIY clothing projects with your own designs, then it’s best to bulk buy the sheets in big packs.
As for the size, the standard heat transfer sheet will measure around 8.5-inches x 11-inches. However, if needed, you can look for larger heat transfer sheets.
If you need smaller pieces, there’s no need to look for smaller sheets, as you can simply cut out the design from the sheet when it’s been printed, by using normal scissors.
Fabric suitability
You should always make sure that the heat transfer sheets that you’re using are suitable for the fabric and clothing that you’re wanting the design on.
A lot of heat transfer sheets will be better suited to either light or dark fabrics, but if you’re going to use a mixture of both then you can get sheets that are equally suitable for both.
You also need to check what type of fabric they’re compatible with. Most heat transfer sheets require the fabric to be at least 50% cotton, but some might only work with 100% cotton, so it’s very important to check.
Finish and durability
For the best possible results, you should look for heat transfer sheets that have been formulated to offer a soft finish, and that is highly stretchable, fade-resistant, and machine washable.
The more vibrancy they are able to retain, the more professional the result will look too, so always check the coating and finish that they can provide.
As for durability, the higher-quality the heat transfer sheet is, the longer the design will last, that’s all there is to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the heat transfer paper last?
The answer to this question depends on the heat transfer paper that you’ve used, and how you’ve applied it.
The better quality that the heat transfer paper is, the longer it will last and the higher quality it will remain. However, bad quality heat transfer sheets will probably last no longer than a wash or two.
It also depends on how you’ve applied the heat transfer paper. When using an average quality heat transfer paper: if applied with a house iron, it will usually last around 7 to 10 washings. If applied with a professional heat press, it will usually last around 10 to 15 washings.