HTV on kids' pyjamas

The kids’ sets are 100% cotton, about 200 gsm, with a long raglan sleeve. The top body is white. The sleeves and bottoms are coloured, striped or printed. There is no brand label in the neck. The white chest is the part to press. A design that crosses a raglan seam sits on a ridge, and the platen does not meet the film evenly. Printed or striped sleeves are a poor second choice: the print is already there, and the seam is in the way.

Films that list 100% cotton

Pick the family, then the brand row. Standard PU is the simple film for a name. Stretch is the one published for fabric that moves. Glitter is the sparkle film, at a higher heat. Metallic and holographic films are on that stretch page too if you want them. They are not a better default for nightwear.

EasyWeed’s 305°F is the figure Siser print beside 150°C. One Flex also lists 150°C for 5 seconds and 130°C for 10 seconds. Garment Films call 140°C for 8 seconds the standard recommendation. Their chart does not print a pressure, so use the sheet in the packet rather than guessing “medium”.

HI-5 is the film Siser describe as certified for baby clothing, and the product is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class I. That statement is about the film. On the product page, 120°C for 5 seconds is for textiles up to 150 g/m². Heavier cloth is 150°C for 5 seconds at high pressure. About 200 gsm is the heavier row. Do not drop to 120°C on HI-5 just because the top is small.

EcoStretch is the cooler stretch film: 120°C (250°F), medium, 10–15 seconds, hot peel, listed for cotton. The instruction sheet we use does not split that film by fabric weight. EasyWeed Stretch is much hotter and firmer, at 160°C for 20 seconds, and it does list cotton. If a spare shines or the cotton yellows, stop. The scorch page is why a second, hotter press will not help.

Glitter’s North America time is 15–20 seconds with a warm peel, at least 15 seconds off the press. The EU glitter page says 15 seconds and a hot or cold peel. Same brand, different sheets. Cover the garment. Glitter is thicker than everyday PU and it does not stretch with a knit the way EcoStretch does, so a large glitter name on a chest that gets pulled on is a spare-top test, not a batch.

Placement

Lay the top flat, front up, sleeves out to the sides. The design sits in the middle of the white chest, below the neckband, with plain cotton around it. Measure the gap from the neckband on a test top so the next one matches. Keep the carrier off the raglan seam. If the platen also covers a printed sleeve, that print takes the same heat. Slide the top so the platen meets the white chest and as little of the print as you can manage.

There is no brand label to work around. Keep any poppers or zips off the platen. They mark, and that is not a vinyl fault. Baby sets are a different cut, with their own measurements on the size guide. The same cotton film rows apply. The design needs to be smaller.

Full garment measurements, from 6–12 months to 5–6 years, are on the size guide. Baby widths are there too. Embroidery uses the same chest, with a smaller ceiling for dense stitching, on the embroidery page.

Pre-press, cover, then wait

Pre-press before the film goes down. Siser’s short pre-press is 2–3 seconds. Garment Films’ FAQ allows 5–10 seconds to clear moisture and wrinkles. A pyjama folded in a packet usually wants the longer end. Press the chest, not a slogan, and let the steam escape before you position the vinyl.

Cover the design. Siser’s heat-sensitive article names a heat-transfer cover sheet, and parchment or the shiny side of multipurpose paper as a stand-in. The cover stops the platen polishing a rectangle into the cotton around the design. It matters more at glitter’s 160°C than at EcoStretch’s 120°C. Use it for both.

After peeling, leave the top for 24 hours before it is washed. Wash inside out. Skip fabric conditioner. Siser also say to skip bleach. These film notes do not print a wash temperature for the pyjamas, so follow the care label in the garment. A hot tumble on the day you pressed is a different test from the one they published. If an edge lifts later, the checks are on the peeling page.

If you sell children’s nightwear in the UK, a name on the chest does not remove the labelling rules. The children’s clothing page points at the trading-standards summary. This site is not legal advice.

How to press it

1. Cut it mirrored. Mirror text and weed the film. Keep a name or small motif inside the suggested widths on this page, with a gap before the raglan seams.
2. Pre-press the white chest. Siser say 2–3 seconds. Garment Films’ FAQ says 5–10 seconds when you need to clear wrinkles and moisture. Cotton holds both. Pre-press the chest you are about to decorate.
3. Place and cover. Centre the design on the white body, clear of the neckband and the raglan seams. Cover it with a heat-transfer sheet, parchment, or the shiny side of multipurpose paper.
4. Press that film's row. EasyWeed is 150°C for 10–15 seconds at medium pressure. One Flex’s standard line is 140°C for 8 seconds. Stretch and glitter films use their own rows. Do not mix a temperature from one with a time from another.
5. Peel as the sheet says. EasyWeed peels hot or cold. Glitter on the Siser North America page peels warm. EcoStretch peels hot. If a corner of EasyWeed lifts, cover it and press again for 5–10 seconds.
6. Wait a day. Siser and Garment Films say to wait 24 hours before the first wash. Wash inside out, skip fabric conditioner, and skip bleach. Follow the garment’s own care label as well.

Common questions

Sources

• Siser EasyWeed — 150°C, 10–15 seconds, medium, hot or cold peel, including 100% cotton
• Garment Films application guidelines (PDF) — One Flex, Stretch Flex and Premium Glitter
• Siser HI-5 — 150°C for 5 seconds when the textile is heavier than 150 g/m²
• Siser EasyWeed Stretch — 160°C, firm, 20 seconds
• Siser HTV application instructions (PDF) — EcoStretch at 120°C
• Siser Glitter — 160°C, warm peel on the North America page
• Siser, heat-sensitive textiles — cover sheet