Cricut cutting machines are powerful tools, and they can do more than cut paper, cardstock and fabric. They can also be used to cut materials like vinyl and sublimation transfer paper. However, Cricut transfer paper isn’t always readily available, so this requires you to cut your own Cricut transfer paper as needed.
This guide will cover the basics of how to create your own sublimation cutting sheets with your Cricut cutting machine and show you where to purchase both sublimation transfer paper and pre-made sheets.
What is sublimation Cricut ?
The Cricut is a machine that uses cartridges to cut and make different shapes out of paper, vinyl, fabric and cardstock. With the Cricut you can create anything from customized gift cards to t-shirts. The Cricut is also called a die cutter because it cuts intricate designs out of various materials.
This can be done with the use of a blade or an electronic cutting tool depending on what machine you have.
A sublimation printer essentially works the same way as other printers except that instead of ink it uses heat to transfer images onto paper without any ink involved in the process at all.
What is Cricut sublimation printing
The Cricut sublimation printing method will allow you to print full color images, text, and graphics on a variety of fabrics. The fabric is then heat-sealed with a hot blade or heat press. This process is great for personalized apparel and home decor items like pillows and curtains.
The first step in creating your project is to upload your design to the Cricut Design Space software. You can do this by going to the Create tab at the top of the screen and clicking on Project.
From there, select Import Image from the dropdown menu, choose your desired file type (jpg or png) from the pop up menu, browse for your desired file location, and click Open. If you’re importing an SVG file format, make sure that it’s saved as an SVG file. Once you’ve uploaded your image onto Cricut Design Space, go back to where it says Select Image Size and change it so that it fits into one of these three options:
A1; A2; A3.
What is Sublimation Cricut crafting?
Sublimation is a process that uses heat and pressure to transfer the image from a specially coated film onto a surface. The result is an amazing looking image that has been permanently transferred and will not peel, rub off or fade over time.
Sublimaion Cricut crafting is one of the newest cutting machine technologies on the market today. For those who haven’t heard about it yet, it’s basically a way to take your favorite design, input it into the cutting machine, and have it cut out any shape you want in full color on your choice of material.
The best part about this type of Cricut crafting is that there are no limits to what you can do with it!
key features of Cricut Sublimation
- Cricut’s sublimation machine uses heat to transfer a design onto a material, such as paper or fabric. 2. In the process, the heat damages the surface of the material to create a permanent image on the surface which is called sublimated ink or dye-sub printing.
- Because of this, Cricut’s machine is more likely than other printing methods to get warped in high humidity and low temperature environments.
- The cost for this technology is about $4,000
2 years ago (2016) I purchased the best Cricut for my business. I had no idea that it was going to be so complicated. I mean sure you can just download a design from the internet, upload it into your computer and print it out with ease but what if you want something custom? Well that’s where things start getting tricky. Unless you have an engineering degree with CAD experience under your belt then designing your own graphics is not something you should try at home.
What Can I Make With Cricut Sublimation?
Just about anything! Cricut Sublimation is a versatile tool that can be used to create a variety of items. Below are some ideas for things you can make with Cricut:
-T-shirts and sweatshirts
-Dish towels, pot holders, aprons, dishcloths
-Pillows and blankets
-Fleece blankets (use an iron to add a non-sublimated design) -Mouse pads, iPhone cases
-Laptop sleeves or skin
-Water bottle labels
There’s really no limit to what you can do! Click the links below for step by step tutorials on creating these projects with your machine.
Why would I want to use sublimation cricut cru?
The Cricut SUBLIMATION machine is the perfect solution for customizing t-shirts. Cricut’s patented technology allows you to create beautiful designs with your choice of colors, fonts, and shapes. With the Cricut SUBLIMATION machine, you can customize anything from a plain t-shirt to a personalized pillowcase or blanket.
It doesn’t matter what your design skills are; there is an easy way to get started on this exciting project!
The possibilities for customization are endless with the Cricut SUBLIMATION machine! You can use any font that is on your computer and adjust it according to how thick or thin you want it to be.
How can I use sublimation cricut products in my business?
The Cricut® Explore AirTM 2 is a versatile machine that can cut, emboss, and etch and is perfect for creating signs. In this blog post, we will explore how to use the Cricut Explore AirTM 2 to create sublimation cricut products.
The first step in creating sublimation cricut products with your Cricut Explore AirTM 2 is selecting the right paper.
For all of your sublimation needs, you can use cardstock paper or subbing paper (a type of special heat-sensitive material). The thickness of the paper determines how long it takes to print on it. If you want to print an image onto standard 20 pound paper then it would take 3 minutes. If you wanted to print onto 80 pound cardstock paper, then it would take 6 minutes. Lastly, if you were going to put an image onto subbing paper, then it would take 10 minutes.
Before starting the printing process, make sure that there is enough space under the bed of your printer so that the prints won’t be getting stuck when they are coming out from underneath. You may also need to adjust the settings depending on what type of materials you are using. For example, if I was using 80 pound cardstock paper instead of 20 pound copy paper then I would need to increase my blade depth and speed by 1/2 for best results.
How Does Cricut Sublimation Work?
The Cricut Sublimation starter kit includes everything you need to make your first project. It includes a mat, sublimation ink, and transfer paper. The mat will help to keep the fabric from sliding around on the table and it helps with air circulation to keep things from getting too hot.
You’ll lay your fabric face down on the mat and place the paper over top of it so that the paper is mirrored in reverse. Next, you’ll peel off one side of the paper (remembering not to touch the backside) and then place it face down on your cutting mat. The machine does all of the cutting for you so there’s no need to worry about blade depth or pressure when pressing down on your materials.
Fabric, scissors, and a ruler for ironing fabric are also helpful items. Sublimation Cricut Guide
1) Find the image you want to use. You can print it off or have an image saved on your computer. The size of the image should be no larger than 11 x 17 inches.
2) Load your mat with iron-on transfer paper and cut out a piece of fabric that is slightly bigger than the size of your design.
3) Locate where you want to put the design on your fabric and place it face down onto the mat in that position. Make sure not to move it around while placing it onto the mat as this will cause wrinkles and make cutting harder later on. 4) Place one hand firmly on top of the mat and press down for 10 seconds. Next, remove the paper from under the fabric with a rolling motion. Be careful not to stretch any corners.
5) Using a ruler and scissors, trim away excess material from outside edge making sure not to touch the design itself!
6) Iron on your desired setting for five minutes before removing carefully from heat source. Allow to cool. 7) Turn your garment inside out and slowly peel the fabric away from the back side of your shirt. If there are any stubborn spots, simply pull gently but firmly until they release from the garment’s surface. 8) Flip back over and admire how awesome you are!
Which machines are suitable for sublimation printing?
All of the Cricut machines except for the Explore Air 2 are good for sublimation printing. The Cricut Maker is one of the best machines on the market, but it is pricey. You can also use a Silhouette Cameo for sublimation printing or an old-school cutting machine like a guillotine to cut your vinyl if you are not in need of a lot of intricate designs.
The Cricut Explore Air 2 does not have any features that are compatible with sublimation printing, but it does allow for tracing and scoring which can be helpful for some projects.
Cricut Sublimation Tips
- Remove the clear protective layer from your heat transfer vinyl,
- Peel off the backing,
- Apply it to the garment and iron it on (or use a heat press) with the pressure indicated by your sublimation specialist,
- Flip over and repeat until you have covered the entire surface area of your garment,
- Peel off any remaining protective film (the design should now be in-place),
- Apply fabric softener to prevent shrinkage , rinse or hand wash cold water only for a minimum of 12 hours before drying. Keep an eye out for stretch marks during this process! The result is absolutely stunning.
I’ve been blown away by what I can do with my Cricut machine after doing some research and playing around with my settings . If you have any other questions about how to get started with cricut sublimation please don’t hesitate to contact me !
What do I need to start sublimating my own products?
- Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine- the best way to start sublimating products.
- Heat Press, which is a machine that makes it possible to press vinyl onto various surfaces.
- Vinyl – this is the material that goes on top of your heat press and will be transferred onto a surface for decoration.
- Software – this software allows you to design and cut out images for your product without having to have any design skills or know how to use a computer program
- Transfer Tape – this tape is used in order to transfer your vinyl image from the cutting mat onto the surface of your choice 6. Squeegee – used with the heat press in order to smooth down air bubbles left over from when you transferred your vinyl design onto a surface
Cricut Sublimation Software – Cricut Design Space:
1) Open Cricut Design Space.
2) Select the design you want to cut and click on it.
3) Click on Cut Settings in the top toolbar and change the Blade, Speed and Thickness settings as desired.
4) Click on Print Settings in the top toolbar and change any settings as desired.
5) You can also access these settings by clicking on Page Setup in the bottom toolbar, then clicking on Print Settings or Cut Settings under General Options.
How long does it take to start making profit from my store?
In conclusion, Cricut sublimation is a fantastic way to bring your ideas to life and make them available for purchase! With the right materials and know-how, you can create beautiful projects with few limitations.
Whether you want to personalize something for yourself or create items to sell, Cricut sublimation can help you get there. Happy crafting!
To use the Cricut Design Space for creating a stencil with DTG printing:
-Open the Design Space and open a stencil.
-Select the sublimate option and select sublimate settings.
-Under process settings, select DTG Printing.
-In order to upload your design, click on upload file and then drag and drop your file onto the box that pops up.
-Your design should pop up on the screen in the middle of the screen. If it doesn’t, go back to where you uploaded your file and make sure it’s been uploaded correctly by checking that there is a green checkmark next to it. Click on it once more to open up a window with all of your options for size, color, etc.
Conclusion
This guide has hopefully helped answer any questions you may have and gotten you excited to start. There’s a lot to take in, but if you take it step by step, it will be worth it in the end.
Plus, this information is applicable for other brands of cutters, as well! So don’t sweat the small stuff and just get started on your designs.
Last Updated on October 29, 2022
