Heat transfers vs Heat seal labels. There are fewer applications for heat seal labels and more for heat transfer. For heat seal labels, a fabric is actually coated on the back side with a heat activated adhesive. The fabric side is printed and cut to size and sent to you to be ironed on or applied with a heat seal machine to the final textile product.

Heat transfers have become a consumer label of choice. Where heat seal is a fabric with heat activated adhesive on the back, heat transfer is an adhesive that are colored and printed on a “carrier”.  The transfers also use heat, on a heat press.  Depending on the type, the back is removed directly after applying or on others you peel away the backing once it the transfer is cooled.