If you are a beginner in the world of heat transfer vinyl, this blog is dedicated to you. Here, you will learn how to use Cricut heat transfer vinyl on Cricut. The Heat transfer vinyl helps you customize T-shirts with your favorite design or quote. However, the iron-on vinyl is not good for T-shirts. But you can use it on tote bags, leather notebooks, shoes, and wood. Let’s move to making your craft using heat transfer vinyl on Cricut.
We are using Cricut Maker and Cricut Design Space in this blog. The Design Space is software integrated with all Cricut machines, such as Cricut Explore, Explore Air 2, and Cricut Maker. The steps we provide will be applied to all types of Cricut machines but will definitely have some different points for the Cricut Maker.
To make this craft, you will need heat transfer vinyl, a blank shirt, a tote bag, a onesie, etc. Also, there is a huge variety of Cricut heat transfer vinyl you can choose from.
Cricut Maker (or any Cricut machine)
StandardGrip mat
Weeding tool
Cricut EasyPress 2 (a household iron can also be used)
EasyPress mat
First, go to the Cricut Design Space and create a new project. You can use the images or designs from the library or create your own design. To make my design simple, I selected a design in only one color. Although, if your design has multiple colors, it’s ok.
When you upload your own images or SVG files; you can use some simple tricks to deal with colors, layers, and groups to make your image ready to cut. Also, you can easily check whether your image is ready to cut - click the "Make It" button in the top right corner to preview the mats for cutting. The Design Space positions the graphics and text on the cutting mat to efficiently use the material you are cutting. However, you may not want this to happen if you need a well-aligned design.
If you find your image or text smushed on the preview screen, click the gray Cancel button to return and make some adjustments before sending your design to the Cricut to cut. If you want your image to be spaced correctly, the shapes have to be attached in the Design Space. If you want to change the color of a layer, select the image on the canvas, or you can select the layer in the Layers panel at the right and click the colored square beneath the Linetype menu at the top to choose a new color.
When attaching your letters and shapes, maintain the space in your final project, select all shapes and letters of the same color, then click the gray button next to the icon in the Layers panel on the bottom right. This option will group the layers, and your design will move together when you move or resize it.
The attachment of layers also pushes the design to line up exactly as shown on the screen during cutting rather than considering them as individual shapes and letters. Once your design is ready to cut, click the green Make It button at the upper right corner.
On the Design Space screen, make sure to enable the Mirror option under the thumbnail on the left for all your mats. Always remember to mirror your designs while cutting heat transfer vinyl. Then, click the green button to Continue. In the case of Cricut Explore machines, the “Set Material” option won’t appear. Hence, you need to set the Smart Set Dial on the top of the Cricut machine to “Iron-On.”
Next, you have to insert the blades and cutting mat into the Cricut machine. Then, load your heat transfer vinyl with the shinier side face down over the green StandardGrip mat. Then, slowly press the vinyl to ensure that it sticks to the mat easily and that no wrinkles and bubbles are left.
Insert the fine point in clamp B. There is no need for a tool or accessory in clamp A while cutting heat transfer vinyl. After that, load the Cricut mat into the Cricut machine. Then, set your mat in line with the guides and press the Load/unload button. When you successfully load the mat and blades, press the Go button on the machine to start cutting.
When the cut is completed, press the Load/Unload button to remove the mat from your machine. Turn the mat and peel off the mat from the heat transfer vinyl. Keep holding the vinyl flat against the surface to prevent it from curling.
Once your design is in your hands, remove the excess heat transfer vinyl using a weeding tool. Then, get rid of those small pieces from in and around the design.
When you are completely ready with your cut, preheat the blanks before applying the HTV. To use a Cricut EasyPress, you can use a Cricut Heat Guide to set the accurate temperature, pressure, and time for your project. Before placing the HTV on your material, place an EasyPress mat to prevent the surface. Then, finally, put the heat transfer vinyl onto your shirt according to the settings described in the Cricut heat guide.
The transfer tape on the back of the vinyl is sticky and helps to hold your design in place when you press it. So, when your design is aligned, put the EasyPress over the design and press down gently for about 30 seconds.
After That, wait for some time and let the shirt cool down. Then, gently peel off the transfer tape from the vinyl. If the backing sheet comes up with the vinyl, again press the vinyl.
Finally, you understood how to use Cricut heat transfer vinyl on a Cricut. I hope we are successful in guiding you to use HTV correctly. Use the tips to make a wonderful project.