Heat transfer is a t-shirt printing method where a design is transferred from a special paper or vinyl onto the fabric using heat and pressure. In this process, the artwork is either die-cut from colored vinyl or printed with specialty inks on transfer paper, then applied to the garment with a heat press. Heat transfer materials have a heat-sensitive adhesive on one side, which activates when heat is applied, allowing the design to bond to the fabric.

This printing technique is becoming increasingly popular in the textile and apparel industry, particularly for t-shirts, as it allows for high-quality, full-color images to be printed on garments. While advancements in heat transfer technology have improved efficiency and ease of use, the process still takes time—typically around three minutes to print a single shirt.

There are various types and sources of transfers. Generally, a transfer consists of vinyl, carrier paper, and ink. When heat and pressure are applied, the ink is transferred from the paper to the fabric. Some transfers remain on the surface of the material (topical transfers), while others penetrate the fibers—these are known as sublimation transfers.