If you've always wanted to create personalized T-shirts without buying an expensive printer, T-shirt transfer paper is the personalization solution you've been looking for.

I still remember my first attempt. I printed the design onto heat transfer paper, pasted it onto a black T-shirt, and then ironed it. The result? The design was barely visible. Later I realized I'd used the wrong type of transfer paper—light fabric transfer paper on a dark-colored garment.

That experience taught me an important lesson: understanding what T-shirt transfer paper is and how it works is key to avoiding wasted time and reducing costs.

In this guide, I'll explain everything you need to know about T-shirt transfer paper—its definition, how it works, the different types, and how to use heat transfer paper correctly. I'll also share our over 20 years of manufacturing experience at Koala Paper, where we've been dedicated to developing cotton and inkjet transfer papers for our global clients.

What is T-shirt transfer paper?

T-shirt transfer paper (also known as heat transfer paper or iron on transfer paper) is a special coated paper designed for use with standard inkjet printers. You can print your design onto the transfer paper using regular inkjet printer ink, then heat and pressurize it to transfer the image onto the fabric.

You can think of transfer paper as a temporary carrier for your design. It absorbs ink during the printing process, and when heated and pressurized, the ink is transferred to the fabric. Ultimately, a permanent design is left on your T-shirt, tote bag, or other textile.

Koala Paper has over 20 years of experience in producing transfer paper. From polymer resin reactions to final coating formulations, we continuously research and improve our heat transfer paper for shirts. Our inkjet T-shirt transfer paper is specifically designed for transferring images onto pure cotton and high-cotton content fabrics.

Inkjet Transfer Paper vs. Laser Transfer Paper

You also need to select the appropriate transfer paper based on your printer type.

Inkjet Transfer Paper

Inkjet transfer paper is designed for standard inkjet printers using water-based dye or pigment inks.

Key Features:

• Water-based dye inks produce vibrant colors and offer good colorfastness and saturation on fabrics.
• The transfer paper ensures the ink is fully absorbed by the fabric.
• Compatible with pigment inks (pigment inks are recommended for better durability).
• Do not use in laser printers—high temperatures will melt the coating and damage the printer.

Laser Transfer Paper

Laser transfer paper is designed for laser printers using toner.

Key Features:

• The toner itself is water-resistant.
• No clear coating required.
• Do not use in inkjet printers—the ink cannot adhere to the coating.

Important Note: Inkjet transfer paper and laser transfer paper are not interchangeable. Using inkjet transfer paper in a laser printer may permanently damage your printer. Before purchasing transfer paper, be sure to confirm your printer model.

T-shirt Transfer Paper Applications

Our inkjet T-shirt transfer paper is specially formulated for decorating fabrics with a cotton content of 30% or more, and is especially suitable for 100% cotton clothing for the best results.

Best Fabrics for Transfer Paper

Fabric	Performance	Notes
100% cotton	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	Best adhesion and color vibrancy
Cotton blends (80/20)	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good	Slightly reduce temperature
Cotton/poly blends (50/50)	⭐⭐⭐ Good	May have slightly reduced color
100% polyester	⭐⭐ Fair	Risk of scorching, colors less saturated

Best Applications

From lightweight ring-spun T-shirts to heavy fleece fabrics, our transfer paper works on a wide range of common T-shirt fabrics and weights:

• Custom T-shirts – Create personalized designs for events, team events, or gifts
• Bags and tote bags – Promotional items and custom accessories
• Hats and baseball caps – Create embroidered-style designs without the need for embroidery
• Homewares – Decorate pillows, tablecloths, etc.