Step-by-Step Guide to Screen Printing Multi-Color Plastisol Heat Transfers

Want to print your own multi-color plastisol heat transfers that look pro and apply easily, and save you time in production? Whether you're building your brand or fulfilling client orders, mastering this technique adds flexibility and profit to your shop. In this tutorial, you'll learn two methods for printing vibrant, long-lasting transfers without sacrificing registration or quality.

Why Use Screen Printed Plastisol Heat Transfers?

Screen printed plastisol transfers give you the quality of traditional screen printing with the flexibility of heat application. Instead of printing directly onto a shirt, you print onto transfer paper first, then apply it later with a heat press. That small shift opens up big advantages.

• Print ahead, press on demand: Build inventory without printing full runs of garments. Press only what you sell.
• Better for tough placements: Bags, sleeves, hats, and seams are easier to decorate using a heat press.
• No risk on heat-sensitive garments: Some materials can't handle a high-temp flash dryer. Transfers allow for using a temp controlled heat press keep the fabric safe while delivering a pro-level screen print.
• Great for short runs and custom names: Add team names, numbers, or one-offs without re-registering your press.
• Keep it in-house: You stay in control of quality, ink systems, and production timelines without outsourcing or switching to DTF.

Plastisol transfers don’t replace screen printing, they expand what it can do. You still get bold, durable color, soft hand feel, and lasting screen print quality but with more control over when and how you apply the print.

Start With the Right Supplies

• Transfer Paper: Transal Premium Hot Peel Transfer Paper – Always use a premium-grade paper. Cheaper paper can warp or buckle under heat, leading to poor registration and uneven transfer.
• Inks: Wilflex Epic Rio RFU Plastisol Inks (low cure, vibrant, mix-ready) – Stick to one ink system for consistency across all colors. Rio inks cure at 280°F, so avoid over-flashing to prevent drying in-screen. If your curing setup isn't dialed, consider a standard cure ink.
• Adhesion Powder: Transfer Adhesion Powder – Keep your powder clean and stored with a lid to avoid contamination. Wear gloves and a KN95 mask when handling for safety.
• Flash Dryer: Riley Flash Quartz – A quartz flash with time and temperature control helps you gel inks consistently without overcuring. Needed for the On-Press Gelling Method.
• Vacuum Platen: Vacuum Aluminum Platen – Keeps your transfer paper perfectly flat during printing. If your platen doesn’t hold a full 15"x15" sheet, add simple guide tabs to maintain registration.
• Conveyor Dryer: RileyCure 246 – A steady conveyor cure ensures your inks reach a consistent gel cure without hot spots or overheating.

RELATED: How Screen Printing and DTF Transfers Work Together

Why You Need to Pre-Shrink Your Transfer Paper

Always pre-shrink your paper by running it through the conveyor dryer at your normal transfer cure temperature. Paper naturally shrinks slightly under heat. If you skip this step, your colors may misalign. Pre-shrinking keeps your registration locked in.

Reverse Your Image and Print Order

Transfers print in reverse so the final image reads correctly when applied to a shirt. Print your top color first and underbase last. Reverse your artwork in Photoshop or Illustrator, or flip your film before exposure. Make sure your print order is also reversed.

On-Press Gelling Method With Flash

This method uses multiple screens, a vacuum platen, and a flash. Ideal for multi-station presses. A key benefit: the transfer stays held in place by the vacuum the entire time with no need to realign between each color.

1. Pre-shrink and cool the paper.
2. Register the first color on the vacuum platen. Use tape guides if needed.
3. Print the first color with a single stroke. Flash until tacky (not wet).
4. Repeat for each color, flashing between prints.
5. Print the underbase last.
6. Apply adhesion powder while the ink is still wet. Dust off excess, it's important to get all excess powder off the transfer.
7. Run through the conveyor dryer for a gel cure. Ink should be soft and flexible. Flaky = undercured. Glossy and hard = overcured.

• Pro Tip: Check your gel by peeling up a corner. It should lift slightly but remain flexible.

Off-Press Gelling Method With Conveyor

If you don’t have a multi-station press or rotary vacuum system, this method works with a single-station setup and conveyor dryer.

1. Set up a 3-point registration jig with tape or cleanup cards.
2. Print the first color on all transfer sheets. Run through the conveyor dryer between each color (not flash).
3. Swap screens, align using jig, print the next color. Repeat for all colors.
4. Print the underbase last, apply adhesion powder, and gel cure.

It’s a slower method, but excellent for consistency and learning proper registration and off-contact settings.

Pressing Your Transfers

Settings depend on your transfer paper. This project used hot peel Transal paper, pressed at 320°F for 12 seconds with firm pressure. Always follow your paper’s instructions. Peel according to the paper, in this case hot, some may perform best when the paper has cooled. If the transfer release is uneven, check for pressure adjustments or even heat issues. Repress with a Teflon pad to fix.

Pro Tips for Better Plastisol Transfers

• Use the same ink system for all colors.
• Low cure inks are more sensitive. Standard cure inks offer more forgiveness.
• Wear PPE when using adhesion powder.
  
• Remove all excess powder before pressing. Powder left on blank areas leave residue.
• Maintain proper off-contact.
• Test a few transfers before going to full production.
• If you see parts of your design not adhere, try repressing with a teflon sheet.

RELATED: The Process of Screen Printing Posters | Deep Dive with Colin

Level Up Your Print Game

Multi-color plastisol transfers are great for short runs, sports merch, or print-on-demand using screen printing equipment. With a dialed process, you can build inventory in advance and heat press on demand.

Your creativity deserves the best tools. Whether scaling production or experimenting with new workflows, we’ve got the gear, knowledge, and community to back you up.