You’ve just lined up a perfect Direct-to-Film (DTF) transfer on a hoodie, ready to create a stunning full-front design. You close the heat press, count down the seconds, and open it to find a disaster: the parts of the transfer near the pocket and seams are peeling and didn't stick at all. This common and frustrating problem isn’t a failure of the transfer—it's a failure of pressure.
Pressing on garments with uneven surfaces like seams, zippers, collars, and pockets is one of the biggest challenges for any apparel decorator. These raised areas prevent your heat press from making firm, even contact across the entire design, leading to wasted materials and subpar products. The good news is that with the right tools and techniques, these issues are completely avoidable.
This guide will show you exactly how to conquer uneven surfaces. We’ll explain why pressure is the problem and introduce you to the essential tools—like heat press pillows and pads—that guarantee a perfect press every time, no matter how many seams or zippers are in the way.
The Root of the Problem: The Battle for Even Pressure
To understand the solution, you must first understand the problem. A successful DTF application depends on three key elements: accurate temperature, precise time, and—most importantly for this topic—firm, even pressure.
When you place a garment with a raised area like a thick seam or a zipper on your heat press, that raised area holds the top platen up. It creates a bridge, and the surface area on either side of the seam receives little to no pressure. The heat may reach the transfer, but without firm pressure to push the adhesive into the fabric’s fibers, the bond will fail.
Think of it like trying to iron a shirt on a bumpy surface. You can only smooth out the parts that make direct contact with the iron. For a DTF transfer, any area that doesn't receive that direct, forceful contact is guaranteed to peel.
Your Toolkit for Conquering Uneven Surfaces
Fortunately, the print industry has developed simple but incredibly effective tools designed specifically to solve this pressure problem. Investing in these accessories will pay for itself by saving you from wasted garments and transfers.
Heat Press Pillows: The MVP of Your Shop
A heat press pillow is a foam-filled pad covered in a non-stick, heat-resistant material. It is the single most essential tool for pressing on uneven garments.
How It Works:
You place the pillow inside the garment, directly underneath the area where you intend to press. The pillow raises the print area, allowing the seams, zippers, or pocket edges to fall off the sides of the pillow. This ensures that the platen makes direct, firm contact only with the flat printing surface you’ve created. The foam also has enough give to absorb the seams, providing a firm and even base.
When to Use It:
- Pressing over the pocket on a hoodie.
- Applying a design near the collar of a polo shirt.
- Printing on zippered fleece jackets.
- Decorating tote bags with thick side seams.
Flexible Heat-Resistant Pads
For smaller or more specific problem areas, a flexible silicone or rubber pad can be a great alternative. These pads work similarly to pillows but are thinner and can be cut to size. You can place them under the print area to raise it, or even cut out sections to create a custom-shaped cradle for your garment.
"Threadable" or Interchangeable Lower Platens
Many higher-end heat presses offer the ability to "thread" a garment over the lower platen. This means you can dress the platen with just one layer of the shirt. This is extremely useful for isolating the front of a shirt from the back and preventing issues with seams on the opposite side. Additionally, having interchangeable platens in various sizes (e.g., a smaller 6"x10" platen for sleeves or a 4"x4" for chest logos) allows you to isolate the print area from the rest of the garment, avoiding seams altogether.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Press a Hoodie Pocket
Let's walk through the most common scenario: applying a transfer over the large kangaroo pocket of a hoodie.
- Select the Right Pillow: Choose a heat press pillow that is slightly larger than your DTF transfer but small enough to fit inside the hoodie and sit above the top seam of the pocket.
- Insert the Pillow: Place the pillow inside the hoodie, positioning it so the top seam of the pocket and the thick bottom hem of the hoodie fall off the edges of the pillow. The area where your transfer will go should be raised and flat.
- Pre-Press the Area: With the pillow in place, pre-press the garment for 5-7 seconds. This removes moisture and creates a perfectly smooth surface for your transfer.
- Adjust Your Pressure: Because the pillow adds thickness, you will likely need to adjust the pressure setting on your heat press to maintain firm, even contact. It should still require some effort to lock the handle down.
- Position Your Transfer: Carefully place your transfer on the prepared surface. Since the area is slightly cushioned, using heat-resistant tape to secure the corners of the transfer is highly recommended to prevent it from shifting.
- Press and Peel: Press the transfer using the standard settings found on our FAQ page: 280°F for 10 seconds. After the press, remove the garment and peel the film (hot or cold).
- Final Press: Place the hoodie back on the press (with the pillow still inside), cover the design with a Teflon or butcher paper sheet, and perform the final 6-second press to lock in the design and ensure maximum durability.
You can use this same fundamental technique—raise the print area, drop the seams away—for virtually any uneven garment.
Design and Placement Considerations
Sometimes, the smartest solution is to adjust your design or placement to avoid problem areas altogether.
- Mind the Gaps: When designing for a zippered hoodie, consider splitting your design into two halves with a gap in the middle to avoid printing directly over the zipper teeth.
- Reposition for Success: If a customer wants a large design on a hoodie, explain that placing it slightly higher on the chest to avoid the pocket seam will result in a higher-quality, more durable print. Managing customer expectations is part of providing excellent service.
- Test, Don't Guess: When you're working with a new type of garment, always sacrifice one item for a test press. This allows you to perfect your pillow placement and pressure settings without risking an entire batch. For more essential DTF tips, explore our DTF Q&A blog.
Don't let seams, zippers, and pockets limit your product offerings or cause you to waste valuable inventory. By understanding the importance of even pressure and investing in a few key accessories like heat press pillows, you can turn these challenging jobs into profitable opportunities. This technique is a cornerstone of professional apparel decoration.
At Southeast Prints, we're committed to providing you with not only the highest quality DTF transfers but also the knowledge to use them effectively. Our transfers are engineered to be durable and flexible, perfect for any application you can dream up. And with our lightning-fast 24-hour turnaround and same-day shipping on orders placed by 1 PM EST, you can get the transfers you need to start tackling those tricky jobs right away.