Buying plotter vinyl is not that easy for beginners. Which plotter vinyl is suitable for which project? In this article, you'll find out!
The most important things at a glance
- In this article, you will learn which plotter vinyls are available and what you can do with them
- I will explain how the different plotter vinyls are structured
- You will get an overview of which vinyl is best for which project
- You will receive important tips on how to use the different plotter vinyls
- At the end of the article, you will be well-informed and can start your next DIY project right away <
- Read more about: Plotting - how it works and what you need
YouTube Video Buying plotter vinyl: Which plotter vinyl for what?
Are you new to the world of plotting and don't yet have an overview of the different types of plotter vinyl? No problem. I will give you information and tips so that you can start your first project right away.
A plotter can process many different materials, including paper, wood, fabric, felt, and cork. These materials are very well suited for various DIY projects. If you want to spice up a garment or a glass vase with a design, for example, you will need a special plotter vinyl.
It is important that you choose the right vinyl for your projects, because: Not every plotter vinyl is suitable for every project.
Adhesive vinyl is a type of sticker that would never stick to textiles. And if you use removable vinyl for your car decal, it might look great, but it won't withstand heavy rain and certainly won't survive a car wash.
To apply a design to a T-shirt, you need a heat transfer vinyl.
For a wall decal, on the other hand, permanent adhesive vinyl is not the right choice. If you want to remove the wall decoration later, you don't want to have to wallpaper or paint all over again.
So, which plotter vinyl is the right one for your wall decal or textile, and which one is suitable for your car? I will answer that in this blog post.
Reading tip: Buying a plotter: Tips, devices & features
What types of plotter vinyl are there?
There are different types of plotter vinyl:
- Adhesive vinyls
- Heat transfer vinyls
- Static cling vinyls.
All vinyls consist of several layers: the carrier layer and the pigment layer. Adhesive vinyls and heat transfer vinyls also have an adhesive layer.
Reading tip: Plotting & Plotters
How does plotting with plotter vinyl work?
Your plotter cuts out your design, and you use a weeding hook to remove all the excess material that shouldn't be on your project.
The carrier layer only serves to transfer your design and is removed after pressing.
Therefore, it must not be cut through, because otherwise, you will have a design made up of multiple parts that are difficult to transfer to the surface in the correct arrangement.
Here, you must choose the correct cutting settings—specifically so that the adhesive and pigment layers are cut all the way through, but the carrier layer remains intact. With the Brother SDX, you must select "Half-cut" when using automatic blade settings.
Adhesive vinyls
Adhesive vinyls are mostly made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is why they are also simply called vinyl. They are self-adhesive plotter vinyls that you can use on all smooth surfaces.
Adhesive vinyls are suitable for, for example:
- Glass
- Tiles
- Plastic
- Slate
- Stone
- Ceramic
- Porcelain
- Painted wood
Vinyl is available in many different colors and finishes. You can also create multi-colored designs with vinyl by simply layering the vinyls on top of each other.
Not all vinyl is the same.
There are differences here: a distinction is made between permanent vinyl and removable vinyl.
For vinyl, the design is not mirrored because the adhesive layer is under the pigment layer.
To transfer vinyl to the corresponding surface, you need transfer tape.
➡️ Read more here: Plotting with adhesive vinyl
Permanent vinyl
The adhesive layer of permanent vinyl consists of strong solvent polyacrylate adhesive. As the name suggests, it holds permanently and is very well suited for outdoor use and heavily stressed surfaces.
This vinyl is very suitable for, for example:
- Car decals
- Glass
- Tiles
- Porcelain
- Plastic
- Slate
- Stone
- Wood
- Ceramic
Because permanent vinyls adhere firmly to their substrate, they are very easy to work with.
Removable vinyl
The adhesive layer of removable vinyl consists of slightly less strong polyacrylate adhesive. This allows these vinyls to be removed without any problems and makes them very suitable for indoor use and less stressed surfaces.
You can use removable vinyl very well for the following projects:
- Wall decals
- Lanterns
- Mirrors
- Clothes hangers
- Cards
There are special types of vinyl that are suitable for a wide variety of projects.
For example:
- Glow-in-the-dark
- Reflective
- Chalkboard vinyl
- Frosted glass vinyl
- Magnetic vinyl and many more
What you need to consider when working with vinyl
If you want to plot with vinyl, it is very important that you set the correct cutting settings so that you can weed it properly afterwards.
When weeding, you must ensure that the already weeded vinyl does not fall back onto your design. Due to the strong adhesive force, you might ruin your plot otherwise.
I recommend using an extra cutting blade for vinyl, as your blade can become blunt from cutting various materials, and the vinyl will then no longer be cut as cleanly. I also use an extra cutting mat for vinyl and one for other materials.
Extra tip: Create an offset around fine designs in your software. This makes it easier to weed.
Heat transfer vinyls
Heat transfer vinyl is also often called textile vinyl or iron-on vinyl because it is primarily used for textiles. However, you can also apply this vinyl to wood or paper.
If you want to work a lot with textiles, I recommend a heat press for a good and long-lasting hold of your design.
Note: The carrier layer of iron-on vinyl is also the transfer layer.
There are different types of heat transfer vinyl.
A distinction is made between
- Flex vinyl
- Flock vinyl
- Specialty vinyl
These vinyls have an adhesive layer that fuses with the substrate (e.g., textile) with the help of heat.
For this, you can use your iron, for example. It is important that you use sufficient pressure and heat.
Flex vinyl
Flex vinyl is a very thin and slightly elastic vinyl.
With flex vinyl, you can plot multi-colored designs onto your garment, wood, or paper.
To do this, you simply press the vinyls on top of each other in several steps.
There are flex vinyls in many different colors and finishes.
For example:
- Turboflex
- Stretchable flex
- Nylon flex
Standard flex vinyl is suitable for
- Cotton fabrics
- Polyester fabrics
- Cotton-polyester blends
Turboflex is suitable for delicate fabrics; due to the short pressing time, it is particularly gentle on the textile.
Stretchable flex vinyl is particularly thin and elastic.
It is especially well suited for:
- Baby clothes
- Tight T-shirts
- Leggings
- Caps
- Socks
- and everything with a high stretch content
Nylon flex is suitable for polyamide, nylon, and slightly silicone-coated textiles, such as:
- Windbreakers
- Umbrellas
- Sports bags
Flock film
Flock film is a thicker textile film with a velvet-soft surface.
Although you cannot press it in layers, as the final layer on thin flex film, it adds a refined touch to your plot.
Flock film is suitable for textiles made of:
- Cotton
- Polyester
- Cotton-polyester blends
You are probably familiar with flock film from soccer jerseys.
Personally, I prefer working with flex film, as flock film is very prone to lint due to its velvety surface.
Specialty film
Is that not enough of a selection for you? Don't worry, that was far from everything. Film manufacturers are always coming up with something new.
There are specialty films in all sorts of versions.
Here are a few examples:
- Glitter plotter film*
- Metallic plotter film*
- Neon film*
- Reflective*
- Glow-in-the-dark*
- Patterned*
- With UV light spectacle
- Blacklight-reactive
- or plotter film for printing and painting.
There is something for everyone. Here you can see blacklight-reactive film.
Infusible Ink transfer film
With this film, you can create long-lasting plots for the following surfaces:
- Clothing
- Coasters
- Mugs
- or even aluminum plates
Unlike simple textile film, Infusible Ink film has no adhesive layer that melts through heat and sticks to the textile; instead, it is essentially infused into the material using high temperatures, becoming one with the substrate. This creates a seamless surface without any irregularities.
Special tip: Try to work with as few heating sessions as possible!
Frequent heating causes this film to lose some of its color intensity.
What you need to know when using textile film
For all films, you will find information from the manufacturer regarding
- suitable materials
- cutting settings for the various plotter manufacturers
- transfer temperature
- pressure
- removing the carrier film (warm or cold).
There are sometimes significant differences between the various manufacturers, and if you do not follow these, your plot may eventually peel off your textile after a short time. That would be a pity.
So: Definitely follow the manufacturer's instructions on the package insert!
For cutting, stick your textile film onto the mat with the carrier layer facing down.
Your plotter only cuts the adhesive layer and the color pigment layer.
After weeding, apply the motif to your textile with the adhesive layer facing down.
It is important that you have mirrored your motif; otherwise, it will be reversed. For some motifs, that might not be so bad. But for lettering, it is very important, otherwise, you won't be able to read it in the end.
Tip: Pre-warm the textile before applying the film (for example with an iron without steam) and ensure the fabric is lint-free.
The better it is prepared, the better the film will adhere to the fabric.
Pro tip: I have had good results pressing on unwashed textiles, as the fibers of the fabric can roughen during washing. This can cause the motif to peel off again after a few washes.
Special tip 🙂 You should not wash clothing for 24 hours after plotting, as the film is still anchoring itself into the textile during this time.
Care tip for plotted textiles: Always wash your favorite new clothing items inside out for protection.
You can find a T-shirt pattern for plotting here:
Adhesion film
Adhesion film has no adhesive layer. This film sticks to smooth surfaces through static attraction and can be removed without leaving any residue. It is very well suited for seasonal window decorations.
Small and intricate motifs are not suitable for adhesion film. Since the film has no adhesive layer, a fine motif will slip and is difficult to transfer. Here you can use a trick.
Pro tip: Create an offset in your plotter software for the adhesion layer. You can then plot your motif from vinyl film and stick it onto the adhesion film. Together, it can be transferred perfectly onto your surface.
My personal extra tip for a bubble-free transfer of the adhesion film:
- Spray the surface with water beforehand
- Position your motif
- Squeegee the water out to the sides
- Wipe off the water with a cloth
Plotter films at a glance
So you don't have to think long about which cutting machine film to use for which project, I have created an overview of all important films and their areas of application.
| Film | Project |
| Adhesive film | |
| Permanent vinyl film (glossy) | For outdoor use and heavily used surfaces e.g., car lettering, advertising signs, glass, tiles, porcelain, plastic, stone, wood, ceramic, slate |
| Removable vinyl film (matte) | For indoor use and less heavily used surfaces e.g., wall decals, paper, lanterns, mirrors, glass |
| Heat transfer film | |
| Flex film | Textiles, wood, paper |
| Turbo flex film | Sensitive textiles, wood, paper, felt |
| Stretchy flex film | Stretchy textiles e.g., baby clothing, socks, tight T-shirts, hats, leggings |
| Nylon flex film | Nylon, leather, silicone-treated material e.g., umbrellas, sports bags |
| Flock film | Textiles, paper, wood e.g., jerseys, cards |
| Specialty film | |
| Reflective plotter film | Perfect for being visible on the way to school, for example e.g., children's jackets/backpacks, fire department clothing |
| Glow-in-the-dark plotter film | Children's rooms e.g., starry sky |
e.g., seasonal window decorations
How can you tell the different sheets apart?
Now you might be wondering how you can keep all these sheets straight.
My storage tip: I keep my sheets organized in 2 ring binders. One binder for vinyl and one binder for heat transfer vinyl.
Tip: Sort your sheets by type and color. Since some sheets are hard to tell apart, I have stuck labels onto the clear backing sheet.
Vinyl
Vinyl is easy to recognize: it has a backing layer made of coated paper.
Some manufacturers print the type of vinyl on the backing paper.
Otherwise, you can also identify the different types of vinyl by their surface.
Permanent vinyl has a high-gloss surface, while removable vinyl usually has a matte surface.
Heat transfer vinyl (HTV)
You can recognize heat transfer vinyl by the glossy carrier sheet.
Flock vinyl has a velvety surface and is thicker than standard flex vinyl.
Standard flex vinyl, on the other hand, has a smooth surface.
Tip: If you have trouble telling the flex vinyl apart, do a test on a corner of the sheet.
Infusible Ink sheet
The top side of Infusible Ink sheet feels like paper. The carrier layer is glossy.
Static cling film
Static cling film is glossy. You can recognize it if you peel a small corner off the carrier paper. You are surely familiar with it from window decals, for example for Christmas or Easter—a few snowflakes or Easter eggs that are very easy to apply and remove.
My personal plotter film recommendations for you
To ensure you don’t make any bad purchases and can find your way around the wide world of plotter films, I will reveal which plotter film I personally work with and recommend my favorite manufacturers.
Permanent vinyl: Oracal 751C from Orafol.*
Removable vinyl: Oracal 631 from Orafol*
Flex vinyl: Cricut*, Siser*, Poli-Tape*
Flock vinyl: Siser*
Stretchable flex: Siser*
Infusible Ink: Cricut*
Conclusion: How I choose the right film for my project
Once I have thought about which film properties are suitable for my project, I consider how my finished design should look:
- Do I want a matte or glossy surface?
- Should it be a multicolored design with a velvety surface or perhaps glitter?
- Should the design go on a textile or a washable surface?
There are just so many possibilities!
Now you probably already have tons of new ideas in your head and can't wait to dive into your next projects.
Are you ever unsure if your idea can be implemented? Just try it out and let me know in the comments if it worked :)
I wish you lots of fun with your creative projects!
Happy plotting, Ria
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