A Cricut is a versatile machine that makes the craft-making process a breeze. Its best features are its ability to create amazing projects using various materials. Vinyl is one of those materials, and there are two types of vinyl: adhesive vinyl and heat transfer vinyl (Heat Transfer Vinyl), also known as iron-on vinyl. This blog will discuss the best HTV/Iron On Vinyl for Cricut machines. Before heading into this topic, let's first understand what HTV is. Heat Transfer Vinyl is a specialty vinyl polymer that allows you to add personalized touches to garments and accessories. To decorate any apparel, you must create a design, cut it out of the HTV using a cutter, and fuse it to a garment with a heat press.
HTV is a versatile vinyl that can create high-quality and long-lasting printed products. But you need to remember that for every fabric and application, the HTV material will differ. These are the few points that you need to keep in mind when choosing an HTV.
The first thing you need to check is the reliability of the HTV. When you order a cheap iron-on from a no-name seller or a third-party website such as Amazon or eBay, you might receive an entirely different product than you ordered. So, avoid getting tempted by the low prices and always buy an HTV from a well-reputed brand and their official website.
Look for an easy iron-on to work with throughout all stages, from cutting to transferring. You need to look for an HTV that can outlast the life of the garments. It should be able to survive machine washing and drying. Reading the manufacturer's directions for care is a good idea to protect your designs from cracking and fading.
You should also consider the flexibility and stretch of the garment when choosing an HTV. Price is subjective, and opinions may differ from person to person. You don't want an HTV restricting your movements or weighing down the garment.
If you want to decorate a cotton design, you won't have an issue finding an HTV. But synthetic and semi-synthetic materials such as polyester, spandex, rayon, and nylon are challenging. You will need some help finding an HTV for these fabrics, which may require different types of HTV. For example, you will need an HTV with dye-blocking capabilities to decorate on sublimated polyester. Another point you must remember is application temperature; otherwise, it can cause scorching problems with synthetics. To avoid it, keep the heat transfer application low or medium.
You don't want any vinyl you cannot cut for a project. Look for brands that mention the cut settings and the iron-on vinyl thickness.
Once you have determined what kind of HTV you will use, the only thing left to do is choose the color and size of the vinyl. Well-known brands list all the vinyl rolls' colors, patterns, and specs on their website. If the manufacturer still needs to list out the specs of the rolls, then you can go through its reviews and FAQs to find the roll measurements.
Through our research, we have concluded that there are two contenders for the title of best HTV for T-shirts. Siser EasyWeed and Cricut Everyday Iron-on are two contenders for this title.
For most people, Siser Easyweed is their go-to brand for easy weeding heat transfer vinyl for all sorts of fabrics. It's a polyurethane-based material that is very durable. And can even outlast the life of the garment if applied properly. Siser EasyWeed HTV is perfect for creating t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, kitchen towels, bath towels, and more. EasyWeed is applied at a lower temperature and pressure and can be peeled hot or cold. It is long-lasting, won't wrinkle, crack or peel off your clothing, and can even survive regular wash and dry. A bonus is that it comes in a variety of colors.
Pros
Comes with clear directions about the iron-on process
Simple to cut and easy to transfer
Works great for T-shirts and other fabrics
Durable and long-lasting, can survive through many washes
Comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and textures.
Cons
Expensive than other brands
Wide rolls are not available
Stay clear with the name; this HTV is compatible with all die-cutting machines. It is also very easy to cut, weed, and transfer onto a wide range of materials. Besides being long-lasting, it comes in rolls or great bundles, available in different colors and textures. The HTV can be easily cut and weeded without any tears.
Cricut Everyday Iron-On has clear directions on transferring the vinyl to different fabrics and garments. And also how to care for your garments after decoration. It works great with Cricut Easy Press. For great results, follow Cricut's interactive Heat Guide. It will give you detailed directions for the specific type of Cricut Iron-on and the fabric you are applying to.
Pros
Simple to cut and easy to transfer
Comes in rolls and great bundles with a huge variety of colors and patterns
Long-lasting and durable when applied properly
Available at a great discount during sales
Friendly customer care
Cons
Expensive than Siser EasyWeed
Long rolls are only available in basic colors
Long transfer time and a higher temperature are required
HTV is a versatile vinyl used to decorate various fabrics like cotton, polyester, nylon, and more. Here is a list of items HTV can be used with:
T-shirts and Sweatshirts
Sports Jerseys
Canvas and wood
Bags and aprons
Pillows
Mugs and tumblers
Other than HTV, you only require two main pieces of equipment: Vinyl Cutter & Heat Press. You will need the following supplies to get started.
Garments
Weeding Tool
Teflon Cover Sheet
Design Software
These are some of the benefits of Heat Transfer Vinyl printing:
Cheaper than other forms of apparel printing
Fine Screen, Embroidery, and Dye-Sublimation printing
Minimal set-up time
Visit: Cricut.com/setup
Source: https://cricutdesign6cut.wordpress.com/2023/03/06/the-best-htv-iron-on-vinyl-for-cricut-machine/