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When Cricut launched Infusible Ink, it was a BIG deal. I remember on the launch day thinking, “Wow, Cricut has done it again… this is revolutionizing the craft industry!” But soon after, the hype kind of just died down. I think most people thought it was too similar to sublimation. Sublimation printing uses a special ink that you print (using a sublimation printer) and then apply to a polyester substrate using heat. The ink changes into a gas state and then fuses to the fibers or polymer material. It is really magical! 

For me, I didn’t think I would use a sublimation printer enough to justify investing in the printer, paper, and ink. And if you don’t use your sublimation printer daily, the print heads can clog… so for me it wasn’t the right investment. Cricut’s Infusible Ink uses the same science, but instead of printing the image, Cricut created sheets of the ink that you can cut on your Cricut machine. Instead of having to buy a printer, I can pick up the color of Infusible Ink that I want and then design my image in Cricut Design Space and cut it out. From start to finish it takes me about 30 minutes to complete a project.

Just like sublimation, Infusible Ink completely fuses to the fibers of your shirt blank (so long as it has a high amount of polyester)! The science works with poly fibers so it, unfortunately, will wash out of natural fibers like cotton or linen. You do not need to use Cricut blanks. You can use fabrics with a polyester content of 90% or higher! In addition to polyester fibers, the ink will also fuse to polymer glazes! Check out this video to see how I used Infusible Ink to make coasters.  

Materials List

For this project, you don’t need much! You may even have some of these things on hand already!

• Cutting Machine
• StandardGrip Machine Cutting Mat
• Infusible Ink Sheets (includes butcher paper)
• Easy Press or Heat Press
  • Note a household iron will not work since it does not get hot enough to transfer the ink evenly
• EasyPress Mat
• T-shirt blanks
• Lint Roller
• Scissors

Inside each box of Infusible Ink transfer sheets, you will get 2 sheets of butcher paper. It’s important to note that it does make a difference if you use butcher paper. Cricut tested several different types of paper and their heat guide settings were developed using butcher paper. Freezer paper and wax paper are definitely not recommended since they have a waxy coating. Parchment paper can be used in a pinch, but also has a waxy coating. If you run out of butcher paper, I would recommend using drawing paper from IKEA or Michaels! They sell it in rolls and it’s super affordable. I also recommend using white since the kraft color may discolor your t-shirt blanks! I know thats a lot of info on butcher paper, but using the correct supplies really will make a difference!

Now that you have all your supplies gathered, let’s get started.

Designing Your Image   

For this project, I used a plain sans serif font paired with this font to create a snarky little “social distancing” baby outfit.

Before you cut your design, make sure to toggle on the “Mirror” slider so that your image is reflected horizontally. 

Then continue on to set your material to “Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets”. If you are using an Explore machine, make sure your dial is turned to custom so you can browse all materials. 

Load & Cut Your Material   

Okay! Before you tear into your Infusible Ink box, let me give you a few tips! Infusible Ink is just that… ink! When handling these sheets, make sure your hands are dry, free of any lotions, or oils… even sweat! Wipe your hands dry before handling them.  

I like to trim my sheets down before I cut them, but you can leave them as full sheets if you’d like. Once you are ready, place the sheet on a StandardGrip Mat (the green one) with the ink facing up. 

Once your machine finishes, unload the mat from the machine. To remove the material, I like to peel my mat away from my material so it doesn’t curl. Click the image above to take you to the full video tutorial if you need help! 

Weeding Your Image   

If you have ever worked with vinyl or HTV (heat transfer vinyl), you are very familiar with weeding. But, weeding Infusible Ink is a little different. Since it’s paper and not plastic, it is a whole new ball game. It isn’t more difficult… or even easier… just different. 

For starters, I recommend using your fingers to weed it. I avoid using any types of tools because the ink could scratch off and unintentionally end up on a portion of the project where it shouldn’t be. Using your fingers will work great… and it’s one less supply you have to worry about. 

In the video, I talk about how the Cricut Joy settings didn’t cut through as well as I had hoped. I reported this issue to Cricut and they said they will investigate it. For my second project, I used more pressure and it helped… but I hope they sort out the cutting issues. I have never experienced any issues cutting Infusible Ink on the Maker and Explore machines.

Weeding this was more difficult than it should have been, but that’s because of the faulty Joy settings. I imagine they will be sorted soon, but until then, I will be performing a small test cut to ensure my material is cut all the way through. 

It looks like I didn’t weed out the insides of the letters, but I actually did. When I pulled away the insides, the ink layer peeled off but left the paper liner. Luckily, it didn’t affect my final project, but if it happens to you, rest assured that as long as the ink is peeled off, the backing paper won’t mess up your project.   

Prepping Your Project Blank   

Before we can apply our design to our shirt blank, we need to prep it. To determine the correct heat settings, check out the Cricut Heat Guide. 

All you need to do is choose which EasyPress you have and that you are using Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets. Click apply and all of the settings and instructions will be available to you!

To start, place your shirt on top of your EasyPress Mat with a sheet of cardstock inside. Since I am using a baby bodysuit, the instructions recommend that I put the EasyPress mat inside of the my shirt. 

Before we apply our design, we need to lint roll your shirt. If you skip this step, you may end up blue little lint spots all over your project. I like using a fresh lint roll sheet for each project blank. Even if it looks clean, lint roll it, you’ll be shocked at what comes off your shirt! After your shirt has been lint rolled, preheat it according the the Heat Guide recommended settings. For the baby bodysuit I preheat it for 15 seconds at 385 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Transferring Your Design   

Now that we have prepped our shirt by lint rolling and preheating, we are ready to transfer our image. I like to let my shirt cool just a bit before I place my design, ink side down, onto my shirt. This way the ink doesn’t start to transfer before I am ready.

Once your design is placed on your shirt, cover it up with a piece of butcher paper and press using the recommended settings from the heat guide. For this project, I pressed for 40 seconds at 385 degrees Fahrenheit.

And now for the reveal!

After you press your design, let it cool until you safely can touch it. You can even let it cool completely. For Infusible Ink projects it will not make a difference if you peel the design while its hot, warm, or cold! The key takeaway is just to be safe when you pull the design off since it was just under an extremely hot surface for almost a minute.

Peel the liner away. I peel mine slowly to make sure all the pieces have been removed. If any of the pieces are still on the shirt, you can grab those with your fingers or tweezers and remove those too. You’re all done! 

Care Instructions

Since Infusible Ink is permanent the second it is applied, you really don’t have to worry about any special care instructions and you can wash it immediately. I wash and dry my shirts normally and they have held up perfectly in the wash. There is absolutely no fading. If you do notice any type of fading, ensure your shirt blank has at least 90% polyester. Without polyester, the dye has nothing to fuse too, so if you use a cotton shirt, your design will most likely wash out after a while.

Video Tutorial

If you want to check out the entire video tutorial, you can watch that here! While you’re there, I’d love for you to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any future tutorials. 

Have questions or want to connect!?

Check out any of the social media buttons above or comment below if you have questions! Thank you so much for checking out this tutorial. If you try Infusible Ink, make sure to tag me in your projects. You will love it! Don’t forget to check out my Cricut Facebook Group so you can find the most up to date coupon code for the Cricut website so you can order all of the Cricut things for 10% off! 

Happy Crafting,

Karley