Everything You Need to Know Before Using Siser® EasyReflective®

Looking for a subtle way to stand out? It might sound like an impossible task, but we have the solution for you! EasyReflective® heat transfer vinyl appears understated until the light shines on it- then you're met with bounced back vibrancy! Want to know the secret to this stellar reflective material? I'll tell you that and more if you stick around!  

Jiamei Labels supply professional and honest service.

But first, let's take a look at your options. Silver has always been a standard for Siser®, but now we have 3 more colors to consider: Aqua, Rainbow Black, and Dark Gray!

While cutting and application settings are the same for all 4 colors, it's been a while since we walked through an EasyReflective project together, so let's start from the top! First things first- round up the following supplies' 

Supplies

• Sheets or Rolls of EasyReflective 
• Cutter of Choice: We prefer the Romeo® or Juliet® of course
• Computer with Design Software of Choice: Leonardo' Design Studio for us!
• EasyWeeder® or EasyTweezers®
• Heat Press or Home Iron
• Heat Transfer Cover Sheet or Parchment Paper
• Garments and Accessories that are: 100% Cotton, 100% Polyester, Cotton/Polyester Blends, Nylon, or Spandex

How to Cut EasyReflective

Tip #1: Cut with the Carrier Side Down

Now don't be fooled by EasyReflective's frosted carrier! Cutting on the shinier side of this material may seem wrong, but it's right. If you're unsure which side to cut on, simply separate a small section at the corner of the material and you will quickly see which side is the frosted carrier that appears cloudy and which side is the soft, reflective material itself. 

Tip #2: Skip the Cutting Mat

Now that you know which side should face up, load the material into your cutter. Did you notice I didn't list a cutting mat in the supply list? That's because with Romeo and Juliet, a cutting mat is not always necessary! When working with sheets and rolls, you can simply place the material under the pinch rollers and you're ready to rock! Need a little more clarification on that part? Check out this Romeo blog or this Juliet blog for the scoop on matless cutting.  

Tip #3: Use a New Blade

You can use a 45° or a 60° Blade with EasyReflective, but if you have the choice I would suggest using a new blade because the secret to its reflectivity is also a culprit for causing a dull blade. What's the secret? I promise I'm almost ready to share it with you!  

Tip #4: Test Cut

Before I spill the beans, be sure to select your cut settings (easily find our suggested starting point on our website or app!) and perform a test cut. A good cut makes all the difference with EasyReflective, so take advantage of that handy dandy t-shirt shaped test cut option to see if your blade is slicing and dicing as desired.  

Tip #5: Mirror Design Before Cutting

When you're satisfied with the test cut, you can send your cut file. Make sure it is mirrored (flipped horizontally) before sending though! Otherwise when you go to weed the material and press it on, the design will appear backwards. 

How to Weed EasyReflective

After cutting, remove the reflective material from the cutter and trim off any excess to save for later projects. A little goes a long way with EasyReflective, so you'll want to save any scraps you can. Now you can use your EasyWeeder or EasyTweezers to get rid of the last of the excess material.

As you weed, you'll probably notice a few things: 

1. Weeding is smooth and hassle free- unlike other brands out there!
2. The carrier is sticky (just like EasyWeed®) so if you accidentally weed out part of your design, you can easily stick it back in place.
3. The face of the material winks and wows with something shiny. That something shiny is the secret to EasyReflective: teeny, tiny, but oh so powerful glass beads! 

Now just because there's glass doesn't mean this product is sharp! In fact it's quite the opposite. Soft, smooth, and surprisingly stretchy- the glass beads embedded beneath the surface create a super shine when the light catches them without compromising the other great qualities. This reflective HTV is also safe! Safe to cut with your laser and CPSIA certified safe for children's items, so you can use it in so many ways! I have 5 that ways that I will share in just a moment, but first let's cover the final step in any EasyReflective project- heat application.

How to Apply EasyReflective

Set your Heat Press to 305°F/150°C and the timer anywhere between 10-15 seconds. If you're using a home iron, select the Cotton/Linen setting and be sure you have a flat heat-resistant surface to work on. Place the garment on this surface or on the lower platen of the heat press. Pre-press/iron the garment to remove any wrinkles or moisture. With a heat press, this also gives you the chance to check your pressure. EasyReflective requires medium/firm pressure to apply properly so you may need just a little bit extra oomph than usual.  

Once you're prepped, position the EasyReflective on the garment and make sure you're looking at the cloudy carrier side before covering everything with a heat transfer cover sheet or piece of parchment paper.  

Applying 1 Color Designs

1. Press for the full 10-15 seconds and peel the carrier warm (ie. wait a few seconds after heat application before peeling).

Applying Multicolor Designs

1. Position and press the first color for 3-5 seconds and peel the carrier warm.
2. Repeat this process with each color in the design until all have been applied.
3. Once all the colors are applied, re-cover with the cover sheet or parchment paper and press for a final 5 seconds to ensure all the colors have had a full 10-15 seconds of heat and pressure applied. 

It's important to note that while EasyReflective is layerable, it should only be used as a top layer. Additionally, it should not be layered directly on top of itself. While the embedded glass beads make this material shine bright, they also make it slick so HTV does not like to grip on top of EasyReflective.  

If you want to make a multicolor look with all the new EasyReflective colors, you can do that with a little design trick we call the knockout method. Check out this blog post for an in depth explanation of the knockout method.  

How to Wash EasyReflective

After heat application is complete, you can really enjoy the light-reflecting qualities of this material. Even better, you can enjoy them wash after wash! Our standard wash settings are recommended for this product: 

• Wait 24 hours before first wash
• Machine Wash Warm or Cold with Mild Detergent
• Dry on Normal Dryer Setting
• Do not dry clean. Liquid Fabric Softener not recommended

5 Ideas for Reflective Heat Transfer Vinyl

Idea #1: Tone on Tone Designs

Mixing matte and glossy finishes of the same color is a modern way to make your garments look great! EasyReflective Dark Gray is the perfect match for charcoal colored clothing, but you can try this same idea with any of the available reflective colors! 

Idea #2: Activewear Applications

A lot of activewear already features small reflective logos, but you can add your own style and enhance visibility by applying EasyReflective. This is especially helpful for those who exercise outdoors and in high traffic areas. EasyReflective is flexible enough for spandex blends and so lightweight you won't feel like it's holding you back from your next PB.

Idea #3: Pet Accessories

Safe for kids and pets, EasyReflective has your furry friends covered as well. So even when they want to go for a walk when it's still dark out, you can feel better knowing that Fido can be seen from afar with their very own reflective bandana, collar, or jacket.

Are you interested in learning more about reflective labels? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Idea #4: Personalized Safety Gear

While your 3M vest is still going to be your best bet for certified reflective safety, everyone can use some matching customization. Whether you want the group to look cohesive with a business logo, or you just want name labels so you can stop arguing over who's is who's- EasyReflective can get the job done!  

Idea #5: Event and Concert Customs

Stand out from the crowd at concerts and events with the help of EasyReflective. When the stage lights or flash photography hit this material, it will make you shine like never before. Perfect for DIY security gear and for those looking to make a statement, EasyReflective's new colors just give you so much more to play with!  

Did you think I was done? SURPRISE- I have 1 more idea for you! Similar to tone on tone, you can hide secret messages in your designs when you use similar colored EasyWeed along with EasyReflective. See how Authorized Distributors, Expressions Vinyl, used this technique in their video below:

Bonus Idea #6: Hidden Message Creations

Will you try any of these ideas with EasyReflective? You can find all the designs from this blog post when you search 'reflective' in Leonardo Design Studio. Or maybe you have some ideas of your own to try out! Either way, you'll want to get your hands on this ultracool product. Purchasing is available through most Authorized Distributors and Resellers. Not sure who that is? Reach out to us at to be connected with one if needed. 

Design Methods

With our easy to use online designer, you can quickly design your custom reflective decals. Just upload an image or logo from your computer, or choose from our wide selection of clipart to create your personalized reflective decals.

If you decide to upload an original file, instead of designing your own, you will need to upload an .eps file. This ensures that you will receive the highest quality reflective decal possible! Once you have added your product to your cart and select your shipping method, a proof will be emailed to you. When you approve your proof and make a payment, your order will be complete.

Payment

All reflective decals must be paid up front prior to being put into production. We accept VISA, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover credit cards. We also accept checks, which must be received prior to your reflective decals being put into production. 

Live Order Tracking

Back in the early days of making decals, we built a system called Live Order Tracking that enables our customers to track their order through every stage of our streamlined process, from order placement to delivery.

After placing your order for reflective decals, you'll receive a unique Live Order Tracking number via that will allow you to track your decaks every step of the way. Need the current status of your order? Just click the link in the and get the most recent updates from our dynamic Live Order Tracking system.

Create Your Product

Custom Reflective Decals Artwork Specifications

Preferred Files for Printing

The maximum file size we accept is 100 MB. Our preferred file types are:

• Adobe Illustrator EPS (Encapsulated Post Script)
• PDF (Adobe PDF)

When submitting these files, make sure you convert all fonts to outlines or curves to ensure they print correctly and the fonts are not substituted. 

Additional Files Accepted

• JPG (High Resolution JPEG)
• TIFF (High Resolution TIFF)
• PNG (High Resolution PNG)

File Tips

• Set up size proportionate to the exact size product you are ordering 
• Convert all text to outlines 
• Only Allow for bleed if necessary
• Never flatten/merge layers in a PSD file
• Indicate the cut line clearly for all decal products

Vector Art

Vector art consists of lines and curves that are mathematically defined objects. When viewing art in key line mode you can see the points or vectors when connecting your lines and curves. They can also be seen when using the pen tool or editing the points along a path. Vector art is ideal for type and drawn shapes because they can be enlarged to any size while maintaining crisp outlines and details without sacrificing quality. The distance between the vectors is calculated mathematically and is not dependent upon resolution. 

Raster Art

Raster images consist of colored squares, called pixels. They are created by combining a series of various colored pixels. Digital photographs are made up of pixels. If you view a raster image at 200% or more you are able to see the individual pixels that make up the image. Raster images are dependent upon resolution so image enlargement is limited by the individual size at which the file was created. If a file is produced at a size that is larger than its resolution will allow, the quality will decrease. Printing a low resolution file will result in pixelation. Individual pixels are large enough to be easily discernable. Increasing the resolution will not solve this problem is there are not enough pixels to begin with. The program will add more pixels based upon the estimation of their location and will then assign their neighboring pixels's color value. This may cause an image to look muddy. 

If submitting these files, please follow the guidelines below:

• 100% scale (full size output) at 100 dpi
• 50% scale at 200 dpi or higher
• 25% scale at 300 dpi or higher
• 10% scale at 600- dpi recommended

Design Services

If you are not able to provide us with a print ready artwork, our art department would be able to recreate your artwork in vector format for printing. Most logos or images can be recreated for and additional cost, which depends on the difficulty of your design. Artwork design service discounts may apply. Please contact a customer service representative today for more details.

This service needs to be paid for in advance of us printing your order. We will keep your recreated vector artwork on file for you to use on all future orders.

Releasing the recreated vector artwork to you for personal use can be done for an additional cost.

Create Your Product

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit pvc rubber patch.