Cricut Infusible Ink: First Impressions, Tips and Tricks.

When I bought my cricut I was excited to try the infusible ink sheets and pens for projects. However I had about a million other projects to do first so it wasn’t until recently that I started to gather supplies to try my hand at some infusible ink projects. The biggest thing I hear is how different it is to work with and it honestly made me a little nervous. However, I am HAPPY to tell you that it is not more difficult to work with than other materials as long as you know what to expect.

Read below for tips and tricks from my first time using it!

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What do you need to know BEFORE using Cricut's infusible ink?

What does it do? Infusible ink dyes the fabric/material you are applying it to (HTV applies a layer on top of material).
Materials: There are two ways to use infusible ink 1) infusible ink sheets that you design and cut similar to HTV 2) infusible ink pens that you can use to colour in images, have your machine draw with or you can freehand draw with them
Benefits: It does not crack, it stretches, it dyes the material so it wont peel off
Limitations: Needs to be used on polyester fabrics (it actually can be used on a blend….see our post here!) and you can’t use it on just anything, blanks need to be “sublimation” blanks in order for the dye to take. Cricut sells a variety of blank items (mugs, hats, shirts, coasters, bags) that work and so does Amazon! (Puzzles, coasters, bags, pillows, key chains, etc.)

First Impressions and Lessons Learned:

Don’t handle the infusible ink sheets much
Make sure your hands are clean (no lotion!)
Lint roll everything (not just clothing!) to remove any stray lint, pet hair, dust etc as it WILL show
Before weeding, once the infusible ink sheet is off the mat “crack” the sheet by gently twisting the sheet in opposite directions while holding the sides. This is so key and makes weeding much easier!
The material is MUCH thicker and stiffer than I expected
Keep your sheets in the dark wrapping it came in and keep in a dark place so they don’t fade (im serious – if you dont it will RUIN your material!)
Once transferring, do not move the backing sheet or printer paper until it is fully cool
Use a colour catcher sheet in the wash after the first wash to catch any rogue dye
You CAN use a darker shirt IF you use a darker colour sheet/pen than the shirt
You can’t layer infusible ink like HTV but you can use the slice feature and careful placing to use different ink sheets
If you want a vintage look for a t-shirt (pictured below) then you can play with different material blends to get a faded look

What do you NEED to start using Cricuts infusible ink?

There are so many different items available with infusible ink so what do you actually need to get started?

Mat: Use a standard grip mat
Infusible Ink: Either the transfer sheets (solid or designs) or the pens (if you are using the pens you need laser paper to print the design on)
Blank: Choose what you want to use the infusible ink on!
- Shirts: Cricut sells white/grey t-shirt, baby onesies and youth shirts. You can also use any article of clothing that has a high enough polyester count.
- Bags: This is one of the best ways to use the ink. They have totes and make-up bags that frequently go on-sale
- They have mugs (see mug press post!), coasters, etc.
- Note: If using non-cricut brand blanks then you need to ensure it is compatible. The easiest way to do this is by searching for “sublimation” blanks.
To Transfer: An easypress or iron and if you are using the pens then you need some butcher paper or parchment paper to lay on top of the design