How-to guide
Iron-on embroidery transfers: how they work, and when to use them
An iron-on embroidery transfer puts a design on fabric with heat. You either iron on a ready-printed transfer, or trace the design in reverse with a transfer pen or pencil and iron that on. The marks usually don't wash out, so your stitches have to cover every line.
Two kinds of iron-on transfer
Ready-printed iron-on transfers vs transfer pens and pencils
| Ready-printed transfer | Transfer pen or pencil | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A design printed in transfer ink, sold on a sheet | A pen or pencil whose marks transfer with heat |
| The design | Someone else's, already reversed | Any design you trace or draw |
| The mirror image | Already done for you | You trace the design in reverse |
| Use it again? | Often, a little paler each time | Go over the lines again before each pressing |
| Best for | Repeating one design on towels or quilt squares | Your own design, on fabric that suits heat |
Needle 'n Thread found a ready-printed transfer could be pressed a second time if the iron stayed on a little longer, and that a third pressing came out very pale. Paler isn't bad: a lighter line is easier to cover.
How to iron on a transfer, step by step
- Wash and press the fabric. Pre-wash it so it won't shrink later, then press it smooth. Heat transfers best onto flat fabric.
- Reverse the design (pens only). Trace a mirror image of your design onto plain paper, then go over the lines with the transfer pen or pencil. Lettering is the giveaway: skip this step and every word comes out backward.
- Test on a scrap. Press a small piece of the design onto a scrap of the same fabric. It shows you how dark the line comes out, and how long to hold the iron.
- Pin it in place. Lay the transfer ink side down, center it, and pin it around the edges. An unpinned transfer can slide under the iron and print a double line.
- Press, don't slide. Use the right iron setting for your fabric, and press with firm, gentle pressure. Lift the iron and set it down again, rather than sliding it across the paper.
- Peek before you lift it off. Carefully lift one corner and check the lines. If they're faint, lay it back down and press a little longer.
- Stitch right on the line. Every bit of the transfer has to end up under thread. Stitch exactly on top of each line, not beside it.
Do iron-on transfers wash out?
Plan as if they won't. Needle 'n Thread says plainly that iron-on transfer pencils don't wash out well, and transfer ink is made to bond with fabric. Some products may say otherwise on the package. If yours does, prove it on a scrap before you trust it with a real project.
That makes the line itself important. Choose a fine line, press it as pale as you can still see comfortably, and pick a stitch and strand count thick enough to cover it. Two strands of back stitch covers a fine line well.
When iron-on is a good fit, and when it isn't
- Good fit: one design repeated on tea towels or quilt squares, bold outlines, and children's projects where a little line showing doesn't matter.
- Poor fit: a dot-per-stitch pattern. Each dot would be a permanent mark that has to sit exactly under a needle hole. Our dog patterns are printed on stick and stitch for exactly this reason.
- Poor fit: satin shapes with bare highlights. The bare spot in a satin-stitched eye has to stay clean linen, and any transfer line inside it would show.
- Poor fit: very fine work in 1 strand. A single strand can't hide a transfer line.
- Never on stick and stitch. The sheet dissolves with moisture and is never ironed. Heat and stick and stitch don't mix.
Problems and fixes
- The transfer came out faint.
- Press a little longer, check the heat setting for your fabric, and peek at a corner before you lift the whole sheet.
- The lines are doubled or smudged.
- The paper moved under the iron. Pin it all the way around next time and lift the iron instead of sliding it.
- My lettering came out backward.
- The design wasn't reversed before you traced it with the pen. For a fix, cover the letters with a patch or start on fresh fabric.
- Lines show beside my stitches.
- Stitch right on the line, and use 2 strands so the thread is wide enough to cover it. More in pattern lines showing after stitching.
Questions people ask
Do iron-on transfers wash out?
Usually not well. Plan on your stitches covering every line, choose a fine line, and test the transfer on a scrap of the same fabric before you use it on a real project.
How many times can you use an iron-on transfer?
A ready-printed transfer can often be pressed more than once, holding the iron a little longer each time, but each pressing comes out paler than the last.
Do you need to trace the design backwards?
With a transfer pen or pencil, yes. The design flips when you iron it, so trace a mirror image first. Ready-printed transfers are already reversed.
Can you iron a transfer onto stick and stitch?
No. Stick and stitch is never ironed. If you want to use stick and stitch, print the pattern on it instead.
Is iron-on good for a pet portrait?
Not for one with a dot at every stitch. Each dot would be a permanent mark to hide. A printed stick and stitch sheet rinses away completely.
Sources: Needle 'n Thread: General information about iron-on transfers · Needle 'n Thread: Using iron-on embroidery patterns · Needle 'n Thread: Embroidery design transfer methods