T-shirt transfer paper allows anyone to create custom t-shirts and other fabric articles, such as aprons, tote bags, book covers, and so forth. T-shirt transfer paper is specially designed to transfer a printed image onto fabric with heat from a household iron. In addition to the T-shirt transfer paper, all that is needed is a printer and a computer with some type of imaging software. Most home printers accept T-shirt transfer paper. The paper is generally sold in packs of anywhere from six to 12 sheets and can be purchased at most office supply stores and retailers.

To create a custom design, some knowledge of imaging software is necessary. If you want to print a picture from your digital camera onto a T-shirt, you must have photo-editing software. If you are working with clip art images and custom lettering, you only need to know how to create a document using the images and lettering you choose. If you are creating a design that contains lettering, be sure you remember to reverse the image in the document before printing. This is usually an advanced option found in most printer settings.

There are two different types of T-shirt transfer paper. If you are transferring a design onto white, gray or another light colored fabric, you can use standard T-shirt transfer paper. If you are printing a design to transfer to black, navy, or other dark colored fabric, you must use T-shirt transfer paper designed for dark colors. Also, keep in mind that on dark fabrics, black outlines of clip art images and black lettering will not show up, so modify your design according to the color fabric that will receive it.

Once you have your design printed to the T-shirt transfer paper and the ink has dried, you will be ready to apply the design to your T-shirt or other article. Transferring the design involves cutting around the outside edges of the final image and ironing on. Different manufacturers have different detailed instructions for transfer, including heat settings and length of time for heat application, but all you need for any brand of paper is a standard household iron. Simply follow the directions provided with the paper, including application of the design and washing of the article.