To apply one of our plastisol heat transfers, set your iron or heat press to 350°F with no steam, pre-press the garment, and lay the transfer face down under parchment paper. Press firmly for 15 to 20 seconds with an iron, or 10 to 15 seconds at medium pressure in a heat press. Peel the backing while it's still warm, then cover the design and press it once more.
Key takeaways
- Our transfers go on at 350°F with no steam, using a household iron or a heat press on a hard, flat surface.
- They work best on 100% cotton or cotton blends with up to 50% polyester. Skip nylon, 100% polyester and performance fabrics.
- Peel the backing while the transfer is still warm, after it has cooled for 10 to 15 seconds, then give it a final press.
- Wait 24 hours before the first wash, then wash it inside out in cold water and tumble dry on low or hang it to dry.
A plain hoodie from the back of your closet can turn into your favorite rink layer with one good transfer. You don't need a craft machine or any special skills to put one on. A household iron, a sturdy table and a sheet of parchment paper will do the job, and the whole thing takes a few minutes.
This page walks through the instructions that come with every Adults Skate Too plastisol heat transfer, with a little more detail on the parts people ask about most. If you're using a transfer from somewhere else, follow the instructions that came with it, because temperatures, times and peel methods vary from one kind of transfer to another.
What a plastisol heat transfer is
A plastisol transfer is a design printed in plastisol ink, the same kind of ink used for screen-printed T-shirts, onto a backing sheet. When you press it, heat and pressure move the ink onto your fabric, and the design stays on the garment once you peel the backing away. Because it's already printed, there's nothing to cut or weed, unlike the heat transfer vinyl people cut at home with a craft cutter.
Our designs are made for skaters, from Toepick and Rink Rat to Bend Your Knees, and you can see the whole range in our heat transfers collection. Each one comes ready to apply, with the application instructions included. They make a nice gift for a skating friend, too.
Choosing what to put it on
Our transfers work best on 100% cotton or on cotton blends with up to 50% polyester. That covers most cotton T-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts, which is why they're the most popular things to customize. The transfers aren't recommended for nylon, 100% polyester or performance fabrics, so check the care label before you start.
That rules out a lot of skating-specific clothing. Skating leggings, dresses and technical tops are usually made from stretchy synthetic fabrics, so they aren't a good match for these transfers. If you want your design on the ice, a cotton or cotton-blend hoodie or long-sleeved tee over your practice layers is the easiest way to get it there. Our guide to what to wear ice skating covers the layers underneath.
What you'll need
You only need a few things, and you probably have most of them already. The instructions call for a hard, flat surface, because the transfer needs firm, even pressure all the way across the design. A sturdy table or countertop works well, as long as it can take the heat of the iron.
| What you need | Notes |
|---|---|
| A household iron or a heat press | Set to 350°F with no steam. On most household irons, that's a medium-high setting. |
| A hard, flat surface | For firm, even pressure across the whole design. |
| Parchment paper or a Teflon sheet | Goes over the transfer, so the iron never touches it directly. |
| Your garment | Clean and dry, in 100% cotton or a cotton blend with up to 50% polyester. |
| The transfer | With the instructions that came with it, in case they differ from this page. |
Applying a transfer with a home iron
These are the steps that come with every one of our transfers. Read them through once before you plug the iron in. The peel has to happen while the transfer is still warm, so there isn't much time to look things up halfway through.
- Heat your iron to 350°F, which is a medium-high setting on most household irons, and turn the steam off.
- Pre-press the garment for 2 to 3 seconds to get rid of moisture and wrinkles.
- Place the transfer face down on the fabric, exactly where you want the design.
- Cover it with parchment paper or a Teflon sheet.
- Press down firmly and evenly for 15 to 20 seconds, moving the iron in a small circular motion so every part of the design gets heat.
- Let it cool for 10 to 15 seconds, then peel the backing away slowly while it's still warm.
- Cover the design with parchment paper again and press for another 5 to 10 seconds.
Firm really does mean firm. Pressing a transfer is closer to leaning your weight onto the iron than to ironing a shirt, so stand over the table if you can. Make sure the whole design gets the same pressure, including the edges and any small details.
Using a heat press
A heat press gives you steadier heat and pressure than an iron, so it's worth using if you have one or can borrow one. Set it to 350°F and press at medium pressure for 10 to 15 seconds. The rest works the same way as with an iron: let the transfer cool for 10 to 15 seconds, peel the backing while it's still warm, then cover the design and press again for 5 to 10 seconds.
| Household iron | Heat press | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 350°F, no steam | 350°F |
| Pressure | Firm and even, in small circles | Medium |
| Pressing time | 15 to 20 seconds | 10 to 15 seconds |
| Peel | Warm, after 10 to 15 seconds of cooling | Warm, after 10 to 15 seconds of cooling |
| Final press | 5 to 10 seconds, covered | 5 to 10 seconds, covered |
Placing your design
Once a transfer is pressed, it can't be moved, so take your time with placement. Lay the garment flat and smooth, put the transfer face down where you want it, and step back to check it's straight before you cover it. Trying the garment on and marking the spot with a pin can help, especially for a design across the chest. Just remember to take the pin out before you press.
Popular spots are the center of the chest, across the back and down a sleeve. If you're putting a design on the back of a hoodie, lay the hood flat and out of the way so it doesn't get pressed into a crease. And if you're adding more than one design to the same garment, give each one its own spot rather than layering them on top of each other.
Washing and caring for it
Wait 24 hours before you wash the garment for the first time, so the transfer has time to set. After that, wash it inside out in cold water, and tumble dry on low or hang it to dry. Never iron directly on the design. If the garment needs ironing, put parchment paper over the transfer first.
It's easy to forget there's a transfer on a favorite hoodie and throw it in a hot wash with everything else, so it can help to wash your customized pieces together. If you're giving one as a gift, pass the care steps along with it. A little care in the wash keeps the design looking good for a lot longer.
If something goes wrong
Most problems come down to heat, pressure or timing, and the table below covers the ones people run into most. Find the one that matches yours and try the fix before you give up on the design. If a transfer still won't behave, email us at contact@adultsskatetoo.com with a photo.
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| Part of the design lifts with the backing | Stop peeling, lay the backing back down, cover it and press again for a few seconds before you try again. |
| The edges didn't stick | Check that the iron is at 350°F with the steam off, then cover and press again with firm, even pressure, paying attention to the edges. |
| The design peels after washing | Next time, don't skip the final press, wait 24 hours before the first wash, and wash it inside out in cold water. |
| It ended up in the wrong place | Once a transfer is pressed, it can't be moved. Check placement carefully before you press the next one. |
Using our designs
Our heat transfers are for your personal projects only, so please don't use them commercially or resell them. All of the designs are © Adults Skate Too LLC. If you have a question about using one of our designs, email us at contact@adultsskatetoo.com.
Sources
The settings and steps on this page come from the application instructions we include with every Adults Skate Too plastisol heat transfer, which are also printed on each product page.
- Adults Skate Too, application instructions for our plastisol heat transfers, on each product page in the heat transfers collection (checked October 2026).
