This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Are you looking to purchase your first sublimation printer? Are you confused about what printer to buy? Should you buy a true sublimation printer or convert an Epson EcoTank? Check out my full review to help you decide!  

Watch the full review video below!

Inspiration Photos

There are so many things you can make with a sublimation printer! Here are some of the projects I made during this review process. 

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Have Questions or want to connect!?

Thanks so much for checking out this tutorial!

Happy crafting!

Karley

This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

One of my favorite things about my Cricut machines is that you can use them to write and draw. There are some times when printing isn’t an option! For example, I loaded a piece of acrylic mirror into my Maker Machine and had my machine draw on it to make a cute little sign. Some other ideas include decorating gift bags, addressing envelopes, or drawing with permanent markers on materials that ink would typically rinse off of! 

People often ask me for advice on using markers or pens they already own. I hadn’t found any adapters that I loved… until now! These adapters work with so many pens and markers and allow you to experiment with all of the writing supplies you already have at home! I did quite a bit of experimenting and I’m excited to share my results with you! 

Pens that work without adapters

Before I get to the adapters, I found some pens that you can use in both the Cricut Explore Air Machines and Cricut Maker machines without any adjustments. These fit in the existing tool holder in clamp A. The pen barrel is the exact same size as the Cricut pens and markers. According to the reviews, some people reported they received pens that were dried out. I didn’t run into this issue, but the caps don’t click on, so I could see how this may be an issue. I loved the way they wrote and will definitely be purchasing more in the future! 

Pens Using Adapters

You may not know that your machine (Explore Air 2 & Makers) has a white adapter built into it already! I didn’t realize (even after working at Cricut), that this little piece pops out. 

Before you take apart your machine, let’s talk about warranty. Cricut provides you a 1 year limited warranty if you purchase your machine from an authorized retailer. All over the internet, Cricut users will warn you against using 3rd party tools in your machine because it will void your warranty. I took a look at Cricut’s warranty policy and while I was unable to find any language that directly states this, if you are worried, I’d recommend waiting until your 1 year warranty is up! Of course, Cricut can update their warranty policy at anytime, so make sure to check it out so you know what’s included! I personally will not recommend products that I have not tested. If I feel a tool has any risk to your machine, rest assured, I will not recommend it! 

Now that you’ve reviewed the warranty or have waited until yours is up, open the clamp on the left, and from the bottom, gently push up on the white piece to pop out the existing adapter. This will allow you to use the Amazon adapters that will accommodate so many pens and markers. Check out the video at the bottom of this post if you need more help removing this adapter. 

This pack of adapters comes with 8 different adapters! It’s a great deal and I will share with you the pens that work with 4 of the adapters I’ve tested. The kit comes with a list of pens that fit each adapter, but don’t be afraid to test out additional pens!

Pens that Work With Pink Adapter

I think the Tombow Pens may be my favorite that I tested. These ones will fit in the light pink housing.

The Crayola SuperTips also fit in this adapter. Although, there is a larger adapter kit that includes an adapter specifically designed for this marker. Since I was cheap and went for the less expensive adapter kit, I wanted to see if I could make it work. This one requires a little hack, but it’s not terrible. Place the pink adapter in the left slot, then place the marker in. If you let go, the marker will fall down and hit the paper. Adjust the pen to slightly hover above the page and then clamp it into place. This worked great for me, but if you want the actual adapter, you make want to upgrade to the larger kit. All of the other pens and markers I recommend will fit perfectly and don’t need this hack 🙂

Pens that Work With the Dark Blue Adapter

Pens that Work With the Red Adapter

Pens that Work With the Yellow Adapter

How to Write with your Cricut

If you have questions about how to design your projects to work with pens, I have a full tutorial on how to use writing fonts with your Cricut! Let me know if you have any other questions– I am happy to help!

Karley

This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Update: This giveaway has ended and the winner, Kelly C., has been contacted and has claimed her prize! Congratulations!

I can’t believe it has been ONE year since I launched Karley Hall Creative. On July 3rd, 2019, I left my job at Cricut. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my life. I remember that afternoon so clearly, leaving the office a complete blubbering mess thinking, “Did I just ruin my life?” Cricut, my coworkers, the machines, they all changed my life, but I knew that my dreams were so big and I was ready for the next chapter. Blogging, YouTubing, and teaching how to craft to anyone who would listen! I had nightmares, I cried, I regretted my decision. I thought that I would never be able to replace my income at Cricut and all those people who told me I wouldn’t make it… they would be right. Fast forward one year. 25k of you are subscribed to my YouTube channel. I not only replaced my income at Cricut, but I exceeded it. I have been fortunate to work with some of the biggest craft brands and have met the most amazing people. More importantly, I realized that following my dreams was much bigger than my paycheck. It’s the way I feel. I wake up each morning so blessed to be able to be here with you teaching you how to craft. I have the best support system and virtual cheerleaders cheering me on every day. I am so, so thankful for you being here, without you… this would not be possible. So as a big thank you, I want to giveaway a machine to help one of you follow your own dreams. Enter below and hopefully you will look back at this moment as page 1 in your crafting adventure! 

Have Questions or want to connect!?

Happy crafting!

Karley