For my son’s last football game, I created a custom shirt to celebrate him and his team. Here’s the process I used, along with a lesson I learned about pressing on white cotton shirts.
Materials I Used:
100% cotton white Gildan t-shirt
HTV RONTs Red Vinyl
HTV RONTs Black Vinyl
Locklick cutting machine
HTV RONTs Heat Press II
Design:
I created a football design that included my son’s name, his number (#28), and the Shaker Raiders Youth Football logo. I also added their class logo in the corner for an extra personalized touch.
Steps:
I cut the design on my Locklick cutting machine using HTV RONTs Red Vinyl and HTV RONTs Black Vinyl.
I carefully placed the cut pieces onto the white cotton shirt.
I pressed the design using my HTV RONTs Heat Press II at 390°F for 60 seconds.
The Result:
The vinyl itself came out great — the HTV RONTs red and black colors were vibrant, bold, and exactly what I wanted.
The issue came with the shirt. After pressing at such a high temperature for a full 60 seconds, the white cotton fabric didn’t stay bright white. Instead, it looked scorched or burnt in areas, giving the shirt a discolored look.
Takeaway & Tip:
While the design turned out nice, pressing at 390°F for 60 seconds on 100% cotton is too high and too long. This can easily burn or discolor white shirts. To avoid this, I recommend lowering the temperature and time — most HTV RONTs vinyl adheres well at around 315–330°F for 15–30 seconds (but always double-check the vinyl’s specific instructions).
Even though the shirt didn’t come out exactly how I wanted, it was still meaningful to create it for my son’s last game — and now I know what to adjust for next time.
