Layering HTV Tutorial with free “Life’s a Beach” cut file for all cutting machines.

Hello there!

Welcome to another week’s blog! We decided to keep up with the recent popular theme of T-shirts again this week.  Of course this file can be cut from a variety of mediums, including HTV, Self adhesive, sublimation, papercrafts, even embroidery should you wish. Whatever you decide we would love to see!

Have you found our  You Tube channel yet? The video showing this and all of our other tutorials are available on there, as well as exclusive demos, inspiration and more!  Join us on Facebook , Instagram or Tiktok or  send us an email to [email protected] we would love to hear from you!

You are free to use our files to make, create, and even make items to sell, all we ask is you don’t pass the files on.  Instead, if you wish to share them, please ask your friend or acquaintance to download them from our website themselves from within this blog. No reselling or passing on, of any part of the cut file is permitted, and no using the cut files to create other files to sell or pass on is allowed. But we do hope you enjoy them, and we hope your makes earn you a little extra with them too.

 

What you’ll need:

• Cricut maker . Available Here
• Cutting Mat. Available Here
• Or Silhouette Cameo 4. Available Here  (Instructions for the cameo and Brother machines at the bottom!)
• We used Holographic Blue and Gold HTV  found by clicking here
• We used Neon Green, Orange, and Pink with Holo Black Pearlshine HTV  found by clicking here
• Cricut Easypress and Easypress Mat Here
• LED  Cricut Bright pad Go Available Here
• Squeegee.  Available Here
• GM Vinyl Scrap Collector. Available Here
• Weeding tweezers . Or Weeding hook. Available Here
• Scissors from the tool kit. Available Here.
• Tote bag, T-shirt or bag etc of your choice. The blue Striped one shown is Available Here
• Silicone Paper, this is like the baking paper you can buy in the supermarket on a roll for the kitchen- DO NOT USE TEFLON
• Cut files Download link below, for all machines, Silhouette and Brother instructions are at the bottom of the page

 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD LIFE’S A BEACH CUT FILE FOR ALL MAHINES

 

Instructions;

1. Before you start you will need to download the cut files for your chosen machine, link above. Unzip the file to use it by right clicking it in your downloads.

2. Upload the SVG into the design space. Click “Upload Image” on the left-hand Design Panel, and navigate to the  files you want to open. Select ‘Insert image’ and select cut images. Click save. When it has been uploaded, Insert the images onto the canvas and resize to suit your project, I then right click and ungroup, before I delete any parts I don’t want if appropriate, Recolour each part you wish to cut from a different vinyl differently, so I can cut the different Colours of  Vinyl for each layer, which means I don’t have to keep returning to the design page, see below.

Weld any parts that you wish to keep in place – I welded the Yellow and then Blue and Black, as they needed to be cut together. See below.

When you are ready click make it to move on to the next screen. On the next screen, If using the Cricut Maker 3 then you will need to choose to cut on the mat (unless using smart media) Click done, and then continue on the next screen.

3. When on the next screen above,  if using HTV only ensure you MIRROR the design. Click continue in the bottom right on the next screen. In the next window make sure your settings are all set to the successful settings from your test cut and ensure your machine is linked before proceeding to cut. Cut settings: (**please test cut) Press the flashing Cricut symbol on your maker to cut, after loading the sheet into the machine. Apply the settings needed for your chosen Vinyl, we made it with our Holographic HTV and Pearlshine HTV on the maker 3, and used the Holographic Sparkle on setting on the Cricut maker 3 with More pressure with the holographic, and less pressure with the Pearlshine.

**A reminder that these settings, including the blade setting, are specific to the materials and machine we’re using, adjustments may be necessary if using different materials and machine**

We always recommend before proceeding, you test cut your materials when first using so if you have not recently used this product in your machine. Please test cut for your chosen machine found on our Application guide, and also Blog.  Load the Vinyl chosen individually for each layer.

4. We always recommend checking the corner of your HTV before putting onto your cutting mat, to ensure the correct side is placed on the mat, some vinyls are very shiny on the adhesive side, and this can be confusing, to check , please peel the corner using your tweezers. Place the Vinyl for the First layer you are cutting on the mat, clear sheet side down, vinyl facing up. Press the up arrow to load the mat, and press the flashing light to proceed to cut on the machine. Once cut repeat to cut with the remaining layers.

5. Once ALL your colours are cut, switch on your LED pad cut individual design from the sheet and remove the waste vinyl surrounding the designs (weeding) I use a pair of weeding tweezers to do this as shown below, with our weeding waste collector.

6. Switch your Easy press on, and set the temperature to 150’C and the timer to 10 seconds, (Please note settings for these when pressing a single layer only are different this should be 15 seconds if only applying one layer ) For all Vinyl please refer to our  Application guide,

Place the easy press Mat under the garment and preheat once the press is ready for 10 seconds to remove any moisture, please note  ensure the neck or sleeve opening and seams are off the pressing mat so not to interfere with the pressure needed during application.

When Layering it is important to reduce the layering times so not to over heat the vinyl. If any of your layers lift, repress for a few seconds only.

Check our guide here for more information on applying and using HTV successfully.

7. Lay the design already on the transfer tape in the correct place on your chosen item, facing up, and ensure it is on a hard surface, or Cricut Easy press matt and on a hard surface.  Check our guide here for more information on applying and using HTV successfully.

We placed the Blue circle on first, then the trees with the wording, then the surf boards and then the Gold sun layer to complete the design, ensuring no transfer tape got stuck under any we were applying so they all applied correctly. if in doubt, trim where needed to fit them without overlapping,

 Applying firm pressure so that your arms are locked and pressing hard into the garment, apply the press to the design ( Usually for 15 seconds if pressing one layer at 150′)  covering each area once only to not over heat the vinyl. Because we are layering, we have reduced the press time for this step to 10 seconds and let it cool slightly before the next layer. Be sure to protect any parts already pressed with Baking sheet or silicone paper NOT TEFLON.

Once all areas have been pressed firmly, wait a few seconds to peel the carrier sheet away from the garment, if any areas have not stuck quickly repress firmly for 2 seconds on that area only, firmly, then remove the carrier sheet. Press the last layer for the full 15 seconds.

8. If after removing the sheet the T-shirt or design is looking a bit untidy then recover with a sheet of Silicone Paper or baking parchment and quickly repress smoothing over it like an iron would, but quickly so not to over heat.  Don’t forget your finished design can be matched by using any material cut using a cutting file, card, self adhesive vinyl or even HTV. We’d love to see your makes on our social media pages! Or email them in!

Silhouette Cut File

Instructions:

Before you start, you need to download the cut file,  Upload the cut file into Silhouette Studio, click the file and choose release compound path to separate each layer, and resize or regroup as necessary,  (when resizing bring all  layers into the design software and select all  at once to get the correct offset layers and save the adjusted file, so you can cut layers individually at the correct scale you have chosen) Remember to test cut if necessary and cut settings are found here along with test cut guidelines for every machine.

Brother Cut File

To import these files into the Brother Canvas Workspace:

After downloading, please log in as usual to your design space account, open a new project mat, then left click on the SVG  icon in the top left bar in canvas, this will then allow you to import your files. Once you left click this icon, a pop up box appears with you to choose where to import file  from, choose to import the file from your downloads list or where you have chosen to save when unzipped.

Cut settings are found here

Just in case you need the link CanvasWorkspace (brother.com)