You’re into DIY and looking for ways to create vibrant, professional-quality designs with your Cricut™ machine? You’ve probably come across sublimation printing and Cricut Infusible Ink™. Both methods produce colourful, long-lasting results. But each works a bit differently and is better suited for certain kinds of projects.
Let’s look at everything you need to know about Cricut sublimation, including what it is, how it compares to Infusible Ink, and how to get started.
What is sublimation?
Sublimation is a process where heat is used to change special ink into a gas that permanently bonds with materials like polyester T-shirts, tote bags, and hats. Instead of sitting on top of your blank like Iron-On (HTV) materials do, the sublimation design becomes part of the material itself. The result creates a permanent, seamless finish.
Sublimation Printing vs. Infusible Ink
At first glance, sublimation printing and Infusible Ink look similar:
- Infusible Ink is a type of sublimation. Meaning both sublimation printing and Infusible Ink use heat to transfer full-colour designs the same way.
- Likewise, both transfer onto the same types of blanks, including polyester fabrics, ceramics, and other sublimation blanks.
- Sublimation process bonds the ink to the base material. Both sublimation printing and Infusible Ink create permanent, professional-quality results that won’t peel or fade.
However, there are three notable differences when it comes to using Infusible Ink vs sublimation prints. Upfront cost, design flexibility, and the need for cutting and weeding.
Upfront Cost
The biggest difference to note is the upfront cost involved with sublimation printing. To create sublimation prints, you need to invest in a sublimation printer, sublimation ink, and sublimation printer paper.
Design Flexibility
Another difference is in design flexibility. Sublimation printing gives you access to unlimited colours and gradients. Infusible Ink is limited to available ink sheets, or Pens and Markers. And while you can achieve similar results with both methods, Infusible Ink is generally considered more beginner-friendly and accessible than sublimation printing.
Cutting and Weeding
The final notable difference between sublimation printing and Infusible Ink is the need to cut and weed your design if you’re using Infusible Ink Sheets. Without cutting and weeding the Infusible Ink sheets, you will simply end up pressing the entire sheet to your blank with no design shape to it. Sublimation printed designs do not need to be weeded at all. The blank area of your printed paper without a design has no sublimation ink on it. Therefore it cannot transfer anything to your blank.
Overall verdict of sublimation printing vs Infusible Ink
So which method should you choose? It really depends on the type of projects you want to make. If you’re looking for full creative control to produce detailed, photo-quality prints, sublimation printing is the answer. For quick, simple projects, like basic T-shirts or bag designs in a solid colour or pre-patterned sheet, Infusible Ink is an accessible and easy choice.
Sublimation Printing
What is sublimation printing?
Sublimation printing is the process of using a sublimation printer to print out full-colour designs that can then be pressed, or sublimated, onto compatible blanks.
Benefits of sublimation printing
The benefits of working with sublimation printing? It creates permanent, full-colour designs that won’t peel or crack, even after washing and drying. This makes sublimation ideal for photos and detailed graphics.
What you’ll need for sublimation printing
To use sublimation prints, you’ll need:
- a sublimation printer
- sublimation printer paper
- a compatible blank where you’ll apply your design
- heat-resistant tape
- a Cricut heat press and heat press mat.
You can create your design on Cricut Design Space or print directly from your computer files. If you use Cricut Design Space for designing, you can then choose to use a Cricut cutting machine to cut out your design, although doing so is not necessary for sublimation prints, as long as you use scissors to cut off the black Cricut sensor marks on your page before you press your design.
Consult the step-by-step guide to Cricut sublimation printing section of this blog for more information on how to use sublimation prints.
Step-by-step guide to Cricut sublimation printing
- Create your Print Then Cut design in Cricut Design Space®. Once your design is ready, select “Make” in the top right corner of the Design Space Canvas. On the cut screen, be sure to Mirror your design. Do not use bleed when printing.
- Important Note: Some sublimation printers automatically mirror anything sent to print. If your printer does this, you should not mirror the design in Design Space before printing. You can turn this setting off in your printer settings.
- Print the design with your sublimation printer on Cricut Sublimation Printer Paper.
- Use scissors to cut off the Cricut sensor lines from the edges of your paper, or use your Cricut cutting machine to precision-cut your printed design.
- Place the design where you want it on your sublimation blank with the design side down and tape the design in place with heat-resistant tape.
- Important Note: Taping the design is important as doing so will keep the design from shifting while sublimating, ensuring a clean and professional transfer.
- Follow the Cricut Heat Guide instructions to transfer the design to your blank with your Cricut heat press.
- Allow the sublimation paper to cool before removing. Enjoy!
Cricut Infusible Ink
What is Infusible Ink?
Cricut Infusible Ink is a type of sublimation that helps you achieve the same long-lasting results without needing a sublimation printer. Infusible Ink comes in pre-made solid colours or patterned ink sheets or as marker sets.
Like sublimation prints, Infusible Ink is applied to blank material using heat and becomes part of the material, not just a layer on top. Infusible Ink turns from a solid to a gas when exposed to heat, allowing the ink to permanently bond to fabric blanks like apparel and pillows, or ceramic coasters and mugs. You can also use Cricut Infusible Ink Pens and Markers and your Cricut cutting machine to draw your own design on copy paper and then transfer it to a blank.
Benefits of Infusible Ink
Cricut Infusible Ink is beginner-friendly and easier to start working with because it doesn’t require a special sublimation printer, ink, or printer paper. You can enjoy consistent results and produce long-lasting, fade-resistant pieces.
What you’ll need for using Infusible Ink
To make a project with Infusible Ink, you’ll need either Infusible Ink sheets or markers, plus a Cricut cutting machine, heat-resistant tape, a Cricut heat press, and a heat press mat. If you decide to use Infusible Ink markers, you will also need a sheet of copy paper to draw or write on and a piece of butcher paper large enough to cover your entire design.
Consult the step-by-step guide to Cricut Infusible Ink section of this blog for more information on how to use Infusible Ink.
Step-by-step guide to Cricut Infusible Ink
- Use Cricut Design Space to create and edit your single-layer design. Once your design is ready, select “Make” in the top right corner of the Design Space Canvas. On the cut screen, be sure to Mirror your design.
- Cut the design on an Infusible Ink sheet using your Cricut cutting machine.
- OR for Infusible Ink Pens and Markers: Use your Cricut cutting machine to draw your design on a sheet of copy paper. Cutting your design is not necessary if you are using Infusible Ink Pens and Markers.
- Weed the excess pieces from your cut design. You do not need to weed anything if you used Infusible Ink Pens and Markers.
- Place the design where you want it on your sublimation blank with the design side down and tape the design in place with heat-resistant tape.
- Important Note: Taping the design is important as doing so will keep the design from shifting while sublimating, ensuring a clean and professional transfer.
- If you are using Infusible Ink Pens and Markers, place a piece of butcher paper over the entire design to protect the heat plate on your Cricut heat press.
- Follow the Cricut Heat Guide instructions to transfer the design to your blank with your Cricut heat press.
- Allow the Infusible Ink sheet to cool before removing. Enjoy!
Tips for Perfect Sublimation Results
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not use sublimation designs on dark-colored fabrics and materials. The sublimation design will not show up if you do. Similarly, it’s important to note that using a light-coloured material, like a light blue t-shirt, will result in your design having a blue tint.
- Using incompatible blanks may lead to spotty or faded results.
- Forgetting to mirror your design before printing or cutting will result in your design looking backwards once you’ve pressed it onto your blank.
- Applying the design with uneven heat or pressure will lead to patchy or faded results.
- Not securing your design with heat-resistant tape allows for movement for the design, causing design shadows.
Troubleshooting
Sublimation is generally reliable and produces great results. But even the best processes experience unexpected issues. Here are a few common issues and what to do if you encounter them:
Faded or dull colours
If you notice faded colours in your project, you may need to increase the temperature of your heat press or increase the amount of time you apply your heat press during the transfer process. Use the Cricut Heat Guide to avoid this. Similarly, your design may look faded if you try to apply it to a material that is not compatible with sublimation, such as a 100% cotton t-shirt. For best results, make sure you choose a blank with high polyester content to achieve saturated, vivid transfers.
Blurry images or image “shadows”
Blurry images and image shadowing can mean you need to better secure your design to your blank to prevent shifting or moving while you press. This is where your heat-resistant tape will come in handy.
Project Ideas and Inspiration
Ready to get started? Check out these projects for inspiration.
Ready-to-make Infusible Ink Projects on Design Space
Ready-to-make Printable Sublimation Projects on Design Space
Conclusion
The best part about crafting? The options. There are so many ways you can use either sublimation printing or Infusible Ink to add vibrant, long-lasting designs to t-shirts, pillow cases, tote bags, hats, mugs, hand towels, and more.
While it requires more of an investment, sublimation printing gives you maximum creative flexibility, allowing for more colours and gradients with professional-level results. For simple projects or beginner crafters, Infusible Ink is an easy, straightforward way to create vibrant, personalized keepsakes in minutes.
FAQs
