I love infusible ink.
If you’re new to Cricut you may have one played with vinyl or HTV depending on why you got your Circut in the first place. You have probably seen the infusible ink at the stores in the same aisle as the vinyl and have been curious but intimidated to try it. I know I saw it over and over but wasn’t sure about it.
I came across a clearance sale I got tons for a couple of dollars each. SoI figured, heck for this price who cares if I mess it up?
As with any new thing I was meticulous when I tried it the first time. I followed the directions to a T. It came out great and I was so excited. The results were awesome! It’s not hard to work with but it does take a little care. There is also some other “rules” if you will. So I am going to walk you through the basics of infusible ink and provide some useful tips along the way so you can get right to work with using it!
What is Cricut Infusible Ink?
Infusible ink is a transfer material used with a Cricut cutting machine to create professional quality custom designs on compatible materials. To simplify, it is basically a thick piece of card stock that has been infused with sublimation ink. It allows you to cut a design from the paper and then transfer it to compatible material. This is great for those who are interested in sublimation but aren’t ready to dive into buying a printer and all the inks and paper and stuff.
A trick to understanding Infusible Ink is to think of it like hair dye. If you get pink dye it will show up great on blonde but be basically invisible on black. And in the middle, it shows a little but won’t be the same color as on blonde. Same idea. So don’t try Infusible Ink on a black shirt, nothing will happen. And if you use it on colors the color will influence the colors in the Ink so it won’t be as bright and vivid. For best results use white.
What can Cricut Infusible Ink be used on?
Infusible ink is that it can be used on a wide variety of materials. Here are just a few examples:
-T-shirts
-Pillows
-Tote bags
-Fleece (like blankets!)
-Sublimation-ready blanks which include mugs
-Wood (ya! wood, its leaves a kind of light stained look, pretty cool!)
-Stuffed Animals
-And More!
The most important thing to note is that Infusible Ink only works on products made mostly of polyester, the more polyester the better. 100 percent polyester will give you the brightest and richest results but it can still look great on blends and things like wood.
How do you use infusible ink?
What You Need
Infusible ink is super easy to use! First, you will need to gather your supplies. You will need:
-A Cricut cutting machine
-An infusible ink transfer sheet
-A piece of compatible material – I used a fleece washcloth in the example photos
-Cricut EasyPress or heat press
-Cricut mat
How to Use It
First, you will need to choose and design your image. You can use the Cricut Design Space software to upload your own images or select from the built-in designs. For this example, we will be using a pre-made design. Once you have selected your image, resize it to fit your project.
Next, load your transfer sheet into your Cricut machine with the shiny side facing down. Load your mat and press the flashing start button. Your machine will begin to cut out your design.
Now it’s time to weed your design. Infusible ink designs can be a little more difficult to weed than vinyl or HTV. Start by peeling away the excess material around your design. Then, use your weeding tool to remove any small pieces of material that are not part of your design.
Once your design is weeded, it’s time to apply it to your project. Place your shirt on a flat surface and preheat it with your EasyPress or heat press according to the Heat Guide for your specific press. Then, position your design on the shirt and cover it with a piece of parchment paper. Apply heat to your project according to the instructions. Be sure to apply even pressure while heating.
Once you have applied heat to your project, allow it to cool completely. Then, peel away the parchment paper to reveal your finished design!
That’s it! You’ve now successfully used infusible ink to create a custom t-shirt.
Tips for Using Infusible Ink:
-Be sure to mirror your design before cutting it out. Infusible ink is applied to your project in reverse.
-Weed your design carefully. Infusible ink is a bit different to weed than other materials. You need to “crack it” or move and bend it. I find it easiest to use my fingers and peel it verse using a weeding tool. You can check out my Tiktok to see it in action.
-Be sure to apply even pressure when applying heat to your project. This will help ensure that your design is transferred evenly.
-Try not to move the press, it can cause the design to shift and cause ghosting.
-Allow your project to cool completely before removing the parchment paper. This will help ensure that your design is transferred correctly.
-Start with a Cricut “blank” for the first project. Sure there is a lot of sublimation products and lots of stuff made from polyester but starting with a blank made just for its use ensures you can get a real feel for how it works and what does. It’s harder to make a mistake. Once you feel good about using it branch out to other materials.
Have you ever used infusible ink? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!
PS the SVG used in this project will be hitting the store soon! If you are interested in it before it shows up let me know!