So when I first saw Cricut infusible ink I was intrigued. It seemed really fun, but I didn’t look much more into it. Then, this weekend, I saw that the materials were on major sale at JoAnn Fabrics. So, I went to JoAnn’s to pick up what I needed. You guys, this was the first time since January that I have been inside JoAnn’s, and although I didn’t browse long, it felt so good to be there. So today I wanted to show you how to use Cricut infusible ink with the Silhouette. It’s super easy and now I want to infuse all the the shirts.
In honor of Hocus Pocus 2 coming to Disney + (I really hope this isn’t a tease. Please give us this 2020), I went with my old Hocus Pocus design.
**Note: this is not a sponsored post, I just want to share how amazing this stuff is. If Cricut or Silhouette happens to read this post and want’s to collaborate I would welcome you with open arms. ;)**
Things to know before you start
- You can cut infusible ink sheets with either a Cricut or Silhouette. I suppose you could cut them out free hand, similar to how I did HTV before I had my Silhouette, but the cutting machines make it much easier.
- You will need to get a Cricut Infusible Ink blank for this to work best. I have read that you can use it on other shirts, but that it fades fast and just doesn’t look as good. Apparently you can by sublimation blanks (which have a higher polyester count) elsewhere, but I have not tried this yet. I will try to find different shirts and get back to you.
- The sheets will look dull compared to how it looks after you iron it into the shirt.
- You do need a heat press or Cricut Easy Press, as the temperature needs to be 385 degrees.
- It is suggested to only make your design as big as your heat press will allow, as you don’t want to press the same are of the infusible ink multiple times.
How is this different than HTV?
You may be asking, how is this different than using HTV? When you use HTV the vinyl sits on top of the shirt. It can start to peel and crack over time.
When you use infusible ink, it actually infuses into the fabric. There is no fear of it cracking or peeling when stretched because it is infused into the fabric. Really it is so cool!! Now onto the directions
Create your desisgn
First off create your design. You can get the cut file for my Hocus Pocus shirt here. Be sure to mirror your design (just like you would do with HTV).
Cut your design
Next up is to cut your design. I used the following settings:
Blade: 5
Speed: 4
Force: 26
Pass: 1
Be sure the paper side of of the infusible ink is facing up. Just like with HTV, you want the clear transfer sheet facing down.
Weed the Design
Weed the design just like you would HTV.
Lint roll your shirt
You will want to lint roll your shirt. This is to insure there are no other fabric fibers which will make the infusible ink not work quite as well.
Preheat shirt
Place butcher paper that came with infusible ink sheet on the shirt and preheat your shirt for 15 seconds at 385 degrees. This helps to wick away any moisture that may be there. Let the shirt cool a little before moving on to the next step.
Place your design were you want it
Next up place your design on your shirt where you want it. If the shirt is still hot be sure not to move the design around, as this could cause some of the ink to transfer. Place a piece of card stock in the shirt to keep ink from transferring to the back.
Press it
Once your design is where you want it, put the butcher paper over the clear backing and press it at 385 degrees for 40 seconds.
Let cool and remove transfer sheet
Let it cool a little then carefully remove the transfer sheet and look at your awesome infused shirt.
Like I said, the color of the ink will be much more vibrant after you press the ink into the shirt.
So, are you sold on infusible ink like I am???