Heat transfer paper and heat transfer vinyl are two of the most popular ways to add designs or images to textiles using a heat press machine. While both methods can create a professional and high-quality finish, they function quite differently and are used in different ways.

Heat transfer paper is a thin, flexible paper with a transferable layer on one side. The transferable layer is made of a type of polymer coating that melts under heat and pressure. This layer is what makes the image transfer onto the fabric.

In contrast, heat transfer vinyl is a thin vinyl sheet with an adhesive backing that is cut into shapes, designs, or letters using a cutting machine or scissors. Once cut, the vinyl is transferred onto the garment using a heat press machine.

Heat transfer paper is designed to produce high-quality prints in full-color or high-resolution images. The main benefit of heat transfer paper is that it can produce designs with a lot of detail and photographic images. The quality of the print depends on the type of transfer paper used, and some transfer papers have a better finish than others.