What Is Weeding A Transfer?

Last Updated: Friday 10th June 2016 By Admin

Weeding is the process of peeling away the excess areas around a digitally printed transfer. Like shown in this image. It's the removal of excess vinyl around the design and inside the transfer after it has been cut to shape by a vinyl cutter.

All our transfers are digitally cut to shape by a vinyl cutting ;machine. Therefore, all designs will need the removal of unwanted vinyl from within and around the design. This process is called weeding.

As this process is done by hand, for most designs this process is fairly simple, while other designs will be more difficult. For difficult designs we will generally add a weeding charge if this process requires more time.

Our customer service team will advise you on to how best to set-up your heat transfers, taking into account your desired outcome and production practicality.

The following will give you an idea of the different printed transfer styles that can be use with different designs. They range from simple through to most difficult to produce.

A Patch Style Transfer

A patch transfer is generally cut in to a basic shape: like a circle, an oval, a square or a rectangle. Squares and rectangles can have rounded corners, like shown left. Patch logos are often used on sportswear for sponsors, when a logo is placed inside a white rectangle 'patch' across the front of the shirt, to give the most exposure for sponsors.

Customers who have artwork that is in pixel format (jpeg, gif, png) will generally need to have this style of transfer as their artwork does not allow for contour lines around their logo

A Bubble Cut Contour

A bubble cut contour is a shape that is a cut around the logo, with a 1-2mm bubble around the logo, and not flush with the logo edges.

The space around the logo and the cut line, can be colour matched (as close as possible, but will never be exact) to the garment, be white (as shown) or any colour that you prefer.

Or this could simply be the outside colour of the logo if the logo has an outside border.

Weeded Bubble Contour

A weeded bubble contour is similar to the bubble cut contour however it also has areas within the logo that are weeded out.

This style has parts of the garment visible through the design where the transfer has been weeded out.

This style of transfer does take longer to produce and additional costs may apply if excessive weeding is required

A Flush Weeded Transfer

A flush weeded transfer is the most difficult to produce. With flush weeded transfers, all vinyl around and within the transfer is removed leaving only the exact logo ready to be applied to the garment.

This style of transfer is considered the highest standard of transfer we produce. These are the most intricate weeded transfers and generally the most expensive.