I’ve been so giddy about the new Cricut Infusible Ink that I’ve been in a flurry of t-shirt making. Sounds like a crazy weekend, eh? 😄
So far I’ve made shirts in a variety of fabric types and colors… with varying results.
I’ll show you what has worked for me and what hasn’t.
This post contains affiliate links, which allow me to receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase. All opinions are authentic and my own.
Cricut Infusible Ink Now Available in Store! Only at Michaels.
Cricut Releases Infusible Ink & Blanks
When Cricut debuted the Infusible Ink, only at Michaels stores, they also released their first line of blanks. They include white t-shirts, white baby onesies, white tote bags, and white round and square coasters. So immediately the creative brat in me wanted to try it out on different colors.
But I wanted to start with the way it was intended… with some beautiful mermaid scale Infusible Ink on a Cricut white t-shirt. This shirt is a Women’s Medium and it was $10 at Michaels.👇
After just one project, I knew I was absolutely in love with Infusible Ink.
Unlike heat transfer vinyl, that sort of sits on top of the fabric, and screen printing ink, that can feel kind of stiff, infusible ink is heat pressed INTO the fabric. It literally becomes part of the shirt and you don’t feel anything but the fabric. It looks like you bought the shirt right off the rack at a clothing store.
You can see my full review and step-by-step tutorial on using Infusible Ink here.
What blanks should you use?
Because I want your projects to be as beautiful as possible, I will tell you that Cricut Infusible Ink was created specifically to be used with the Cricut blanks, so you will get the best results using their blanks.
From Cricut’s Infusible Ink FAQ:
Can I use blanks without the Infusible Ink compatibility badge?
>>We do not recommend it – we’d feel terrible if you wasted good money trying products that were not designed to work together. We designed the Infusible Ink system – and rigorously tested it – to ensure that you get the very best results for every project. Infusible Ink designs are guaranteed to create permanent transfers on all blanks bearing the Infusible Ink compatibility badge. Using generic blanks (blanks without the compatibility badge) may compromise your results.
>>Cricut Infusible Ink FAQ
What blanks can you use?
As someone who wants to save as much money as I can, while still making beautiful projects, I will always look for the most cost-effective blanks. I also wanted to have a little fun with different colors and fabrics. So I’ve also done projects with good quality shirts I bought at Goodwill for $3 each.
My Disclaimer:
My aim is to show you the different ways I am experimenting with Cricut Infusible Ink. I always strive to accurately show you the outcome of each of my projects. But I, in no way, guarantee that your projects will turn out like mine.
If you are using any product outside the way it was intended by the manufacturer, results will vary and it is always a risk. I would suggest starting small, with blanks that you can make mistakes on, to avoid wasting time and money.
Getting the best results on colored fabrics
I quickly learned it’s no coincidence that the new Cricut blanks are all white, because…
Cricut Infusible Ink shows up best with the darkest ink on the lightest fabrics. You’ll see why in the examples below.
Pink Fabric + Patterned Infusible Ink = Success
This pink Justice t-shirt is 60% cotton and 40% polyester.
I cut and pressed the Infusible Ink the same way I did on the white t-shirt as seen in this tutorial.
I really liked the finished product. And my daughter loved this Mermaid Mode design! ❤️
️>>> Click here to get the Mermaid Mode SVG. <<<
>>> Click here to get the Mermaid Rainbow Infusible Ink pack. <<<
The ink is not as vibrant on the pink shirt as it was on the white. But I still love the look of it.
Black Fabric + Patterned Infusible Ink = Fail
I tried the same mermaid scale patterned Infusible Ink on this black shirt that’s 65% polyester and 35% rayon.
I cut the design and pressed it onto the shirt the same way as the others…
But… as you can see below, it was a total fail. The ink apparently just sunk right into the black fabric and could hardly be seen.
Light Blue Fabric + Black Infusible Ink = Success
This blue shirt was my first project with solid black Infusible Ink. You can find it here.
It was also my first 100% cotton shirt.
Take Note – The black Infusible Ink looks brown before you use it, but just like the patterned ink did, it became much darker and more vivid when heat pressed.
I was super happy with this project. The black color was strong and clear and the shirt looks great!
Again, a disclaimer. Cricut recommends NOT using Infusible Ink on Cotton. I am showing you the success of my attempt but I, in no way, guarantee that your results would be the same. To see how this cotton shirt project held up after washing and drying, click here.
From Cricut’s Infusible Ink FAQ:
Can I transfer Infusible Ink designs to 100% cotton bases?
>>No, Infusible Ink designs will not transfer to 100% cotton. The Infusible Ink heat-transfer process requires specially engineered polymer or polyester-based substrates, materials that have been manufactured to receive the ink as a permanent bond. As we grow our list of compatible Infusible Ink blanks, they will come in a variety of fiber and material compositions. So long as you see the Infusible Ink compatibility badge on the packaging, you’ll be good to go!
>>Cricut Infusible Ink FAQ
Orange Fabric + Black Infusible Ink = Success
This orange shirt with black fabric turned out great as well. The shirt is 65% polyester and 35% rayon.
Cricut has also released other blanks including:
They also have Infusible Ink markers.
Care Instructions
In the meantime, here are the care instructions suggested by Cricut:
- Machine wash inside out with cold water and mild detergent
- Tumble dry low or line dry
- Do not use fabric softener, dryer sheets, or bleach
To see how the Infusible Ink on these projects held up after washing & drying, click here.
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Wow! Thanks for your Infusible Ink posts! They are great. I am so excited to try this stuff. And I’m totally with you on using non circut brand shirts!! $$$ I have a black shirt for my son’s birthday party shirt, looks like I’ll have to find a different color tee. Thanks again! This info is so useful!
Yay! I’m so glad you’ve found this useful! Thank you so much for your kind words. Good luck with your projects! -Tracy
HELP!!! I made 4 dri fit shirts and used infusible ink and the easy press left a discoloration… I have tried everything like placing it back on to even out the square and with each shirt I tried different things to prevent this and it got lighter but they all have a box around them. 3 were dark purple and 1 was gray. It got better but I still dont know what happened as i followed the instructions using cardstock and butcher paper. My press goes up to 360 and I applied in 30 sec increments.
Hi Kayla, I just used Infusible Ink on a 94% polyester athletic shirt with my heat press and the same thing happened to mine. The ink looks great on the shirt, so I’m not sure if it’s caused by the ink transfer sheet backing or the heat in general, on that type of fabric.
I was also hoping the discoloration might even out a little with a wash a dry. I’ll let you know if that helps at all.
Unfortunately, there is always a risk with something new, so I would suggest experimenting with one project at a time until you know what to expect, to avoid wasting money.
Good luck! -Tracy
Thank you for this post! Curious, I understand the ink will transfer to cotton but will wash completely out once it is washed. Have you washed these shirts yet to see if the ink sticks?
Hi Alicia, I have washed the 60% cotton shirt and there was no difference in the ink after. I have not yet washed the 100% cotton shirt. When I do, I will update the post! -Tracy
Awesome thank you!
I’ve published my update on how these projects held up after washing and drying. Check it out here: https://frugalfloridamom.com/2019/07/28/using-cricut-infusible-ink-with-colored-fabrics-cotton-part-2-washing-drying/
Dying to know if the 100% cotton ran after the wash. Please update, thanks!
I’ve published my update on how these projects held up after washing and drying. Check it out here: https://frugalfloridamom.com/2019/07/28/using-cricut-infusible-ink-with-colored-fabrics-cotton-part-2-washing-drying/
Thanks for experimenting. I was super bummed when I found out “only works with their products”. Glad to see your success. Following to see how they do after a wash.
I’ve published my update on how these projects held up after washing and drying. Check it out here: https://frugalfloridamom.com/2019/07/28/using-cricut-infusible-ink-with-colored-fabrics-cotton-part-2-washing-drying/
Any update on how the shirts are after a washing or 5?
So far, everything that I have washed is holding up great, including the orange running shirt and the pink Mermaid Mode shirt. I have not yet washed the blue Half-Marathoner shirt. I will soon! -Tracy
Even the 100% cotton shirt?
That’s the one I haven’t washed yet. But I plan to in the next few days and update asap! -Tracy
I’ve published my update on how these projects held up after washing and drying. Check it out here: https://frugalfloridamom.com/2019/07/28/using-cricut-infusible-ink-with-colored-fabrics-cotton-part-2-washing-drying/
Thank you so much for this post! You saved me from almost using pink ink on a black shirt!!! I am so grateful I found your site. Your explanations and instructions and time and testing are very appreciated!
Thank you so much for your kind words! Good luck with your projects! -Tracy
Thanks for the helpful post! Just curious…why can’t fabric softener and sheets be used on the finished product? This alone is the reason I haven’t tried Infusible ink yet. Thanks so much!
The warning against using fabric softener is from Cricut’s official care instructions. I do not know the reason why, although I assume the chemicals in the softener or dryer sheets may break down the ink? -Tracy
These are amazing! Thanks for trying these out for us! I can’t seem to find how you adjusted temp/time for different fabric blends. Did you prewash the shirts? And finally, do you use fabric softener or dryer sheets, even though not recommended? I am loving infusible ink! 🙂
Thank you! I did not adjust temp for each fabric type. I tried to keep the time/temp the same on each project so that the only variable was the fabric. But as you experiment, I would always suggest using a lower temp/shorter time to start with, then you can always increase if it doesn’t seem enough. I did not prewash any of the shirts. And no, I have not used fabric softener or dryers sheets with any of my projects. The warning against them comes from Cricut’s official care instructions, so I assume those products might break down the ink? But I have not tested that myself. -Tracy
Thank you for replying. I am going to try some color and see what happens.
Hello! I just discovered this ink this weekend and I’m excited to start using it. I, like yourself, always look to save as much as possible when creating new designs and I was searching if I could use the ink on just a store bought shirt. I see that was post was from about a year ago and I’m courteous to know how the shorts have held up?
I think they’ve all held up pretty well. You will see in the post, I had varying success with different materials. But the shirts that took the infusible ink well, have held up.
Hey there! Can you tell me what they justice shirt looked like or post a picture of it after a couple washes? The one that was 60% cotton and 40% polyester and was done with infusible ink? I have a baby onesie a person wants me to do but I really don’t want to ruin their onesie if it’s just going to fade quickly or wash out quickly. Thanks!
I no longer have the shirt but I can tell you that it held up well through a few washes. Please keep in mind that since our shirt was pink, the design wasn’t as clear to start with. I think you would have better luck with white or a lighter color. But I was personally happy with how it held up. -Tracy