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Review on πŸ‘• Enhance Visibility with LaFancy Reflective Transfer Silhouette T Shirts by Carla Anderson

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Reflective protective vinyl at an affordable price; strange film from the contact sheet.

FIRST IMPRESSION - 5/5 I was amazed at the color and reflectivity of this product. It looked great! Not exactly holographic, but definitely stands out compared to a regular HTV, which surprised me after the Revain picture. The reel had a lot of material and a contact arc so it was easy to handle; it works like Cricut HTV and other similar ones. Even if someone had never used an HTV, there were instructions on both the box and the roll. I definitely appreciated that because our press normally runs at 330F and this required 305F. I was excited to try this when I opened the box! CUTTING/WEEDING - 4/5 I was very impressed with how this material cut on our Graphtec vinyl cutter and the weeding was fantastic compared to other vinyls. I was also pleased that it didn't curl as much in the cutter as some other HTVs (the Cricut wouldn't have that problem since it uses a sticky mat). I intentionally used a very detailed design. It has been cut through to the contact sheet - without cutting the contact sheet - to prevent small parts from snagging and loosening. However, a weed puller will tear through the material; Use tweezers for best results when weeding. I will also point out that strong tension is required to separate the material from the contact foil. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as these little bits don't chip off because of it, but it's a bit boring. PRESS - 4/5 Compared to a regular HTV, this one required a few more presses. It didn't go that flat either, but you'll see what happens during the durability test. Overall I'm very happy with how it looks at the moment. Beware of trifles who want to come up with a contact sheet. They mention this can happen in the guide, but it's still a little frustrating. STRENGTH - 3/5 (MORE ABOUT ODD?) The durability test revealed the oddest and most confusing aspect of this vinyl. According to the instructions, I waited 24 hours and then threw it in the laundry. I washed it cold and saw no problems. Then I tumble dried on a low setting. I checked after 10 minutes and the weird film peeled off? I don't know if it's the remains of a contact sheet or something that should have stayed, but removing it flattered the drawing, so that's a good sign of "should come off". However, I would like it not to remain after clicking in case it needs to be removed. This makes me think it should NOT come off, and I wonder if it will eventually come off even without a wash. Once removed, the vinyl will look significantly less glossy; it looks more like reflective body armor than the silver color I admired on the reel. However, the product is described as Gray Reflective, so that's what I think it should look like. So DO NOT dry it if you want this film to stay on your vinyl. Obviously you don't wash a decorative pillowcase like me anyway (for reference, the pillowcase is made of 42% polyester, 33% cotton, 21% viscose and 4% other materials, but the packaging contains a cotton/polyester blend that can be ironed) . . I may eventually update this review when I use this vinyl on a garment. Maybe the film will come out in the pressing? Everything around it is very strange. Anyway, the bottom layer is all left and it's Reflective Gray so I have to give it credit and say that at the end of the day it's a durable vinyl. SUMMARY - 4/5 I got this product for free so I honestly expected it to be rubbish and left with low expectations. I was positively surprised! This HTV will definitely add some flair to your next project, especially if you want to make protective gear for night runs or kids, and it's not too expensive for the money you're getting. Follow the instructions and be careful if you have an intricate design.

Pros
  • Finishes and Decorations
Cons
  • Expensive