1. Having An Inkjet Printer

It would help if you had either an inkjet printer or a laser printer for clear transfer papers to work. These heat transfer papers work with either of the two printers. So, if you own an inkjet printer, you need an inkjet heat transfer paper, while if you have a laser printer, you will need a laser heat transfer paper.

If you are not sure if your printer is either inkjet or laser, you can use a few ways to confirm. In most printers, you will find the model name on a label displayed on its surface. Some printers specify on its name if it's a laser or inkjet. Suppose your printer is not specified as a laser or an inkjet; you can scan its exterior to confirm its model name. If you can see it's exterior and still don't get the model name, you can google the model number and get the exact model you are working with.

Another way you can use to determine if your printer is a laser or an inkjet is to open up your printer and see if there are cartridges or ink toners inside. Ink cartridges are small box-shaped containers that carry liquid ink normally seen at the bottom o the cartridge.

Toner cartridges are normally much longer and larger as compared to ink cartridges. To use toner cartridges, you must fill them with toner powder instead of ink.

Also, you can give the manufacturer of your printer a call to confirm the model of your printer type. They may give you advice on the HTP that will work well with your model.

2. The Garment Color

When we talk about the color of the garments you want to print, matters get crucial for a while. For instance, ask yourself some questions before you get the clear transfer paper, do you plan on printing white fabric? Or you want to print dark shirts. This information is key because light-colored and dark ones require different transfer papers. 

This is why you have to be keen when using clear transfer paper on a light garment. When you use clear transfer paper on a light garment, the toner will rely so much on the white background to be visible, thus producing accurate color. However, the case is different on dark backgrounds; when you use a clear transfer paper on the dark-colored garments, the ink and toner become translucent, thus making it hard to see the print. In this case, most dark garments are lined with white backing or coating underneath before printing to make the colors more vivid and accurate. On the other hand, the transfer papers for white garments have only the clear transfer layer that portrays the design you want to print on the garment.

However, if it is your first time printing garments, do not let all these confuse you. As long as you have an idea of the details o the colors, your work will run smoothly. The important thing is to know how to differentiate light colors and dark ones and know the right corresponding paper for each one of them.

3. The Artwork You Are Printing

Before you purchase a heat transfer, make sure you know about the artwork you will deal with. What kind of details are you looking to achieve with the clear transfer paper? Are you looking to print detailed photos, or is the artwork you are working on graphic-based? If you are going to deal with graphics, you should be aware that vector graphics are line or shape-based designs that you can also create using Adobe Illustrator or the Corel Draw. They are also easy to handle since they are common while using heat transfer paper.

If you plan to print vector graphics, it will be a win for you! Vector graphics work well with all heat transfer papers, be it laser, inkjet, light or dark garments. However, if you want to print photos with detailed graphics, you will limit yourself to a specific, clear transfer paper.

With photos, you have to stick with inkjet transfer paper for lights; this is because inkjet printers can print a variety of colors and make them look realistic with a high-quality resolution. It works when you use inkjet transfer papers while printing dark colors, though it comes with a small mishap. The ink transfer paper for dark colors is an opaque color with a thick white coating. Once you transfer the image to the shirt, you can feel the thick layer.

On the other hand, using laser paper is very difficult on photos since standard laser printers are designed to achieve bold colors. If you are using a laser printer on photos, make sure you use a more advanced one to utilize the white toner. A laser printer that utilizes the white toner will allow you to print a variety of colors and give you detailed photos in your prints.

You should always print photos with inkjet heat transfer paper while using white or light garments to summarize the above. If you are printing vector art, you can see any heat transfer paper.