Both heat transfer vinyl and heat transfers belong to printing materials, can be applied to clothing, shoes, hats, bags and other textile products. Heat transfers we usually means heat transfer sticker, to tell difference with heat transfer vinyl. They have some difference as follow:

1.Operation process is different
Usually when we use htv we should firstly design on computer and then use a cutting plotter, and then weed off the excess part, and turn the pattern on the heat press machine, tear off the PET release film after heat press. And printable htv is to print the pattern on the printable htv, weed off the excess and transfer onto another transfer film, then heat press and peel the film.
For heat transfers, there is a pattern on the heat transfer stickers, cut off a pattern, then heat press that pattern on clothes with heat press machine and peel off the film finally. It don't need computer and cutting plotter.

2. Different characteristics
1) Appearance: htv is usually in single color, and the surface will appear different effects like metallic, holographic, reflective because of the different technique.
For heat transfers, the pattern is usually determined by customer. After receive the design from customers, we will try to make samples for testing, and finally take mass production. Therefore, the uncertainty of the hot stamping pattern depends on the pattern selected by the customer

2) Properties: htv has a soft hand, can be stretched, high cover, heat press by high temperature without deformation, easy cutting and weed, and have pass SGS (7 types) environmental testing and OEKO-TEX testing. While heat transfers is good elasticity, tensile resistance, good washing effect, strong applicability, good washing durability, fine lines. No deformation after high temperature heat press, can make different colors by screen printing!

The difference between heat transfers and heat transfer vinyl are above. If you have any questions please leave your comment bellow.