Finding the right product to print striking designs on things like t shirts, tote bags, pillow cases, and other fabrics sometimes feels like a real challenge. There are lots of options including sublimation, Direct to Garment (DTG), screen printing, iron ons, and heat transfer vinyl (HTV). But one of the newest innovations in printing is infusible ink and it’s flying off the shelves.
Invented by Cricut, this amazing product allows you to create long lasting, high quality designs without the risk of blurring or unwanted effects. But it’s important to make sure that you are getting the best bang for your buck and in this guide, we will be introducing you to four of the best infusible ink products on the market today.
Table of contents
What Is Infusible Ink?
Infusible ink is a product designed by the cutting machine and craft experts, Cricut. This unique type of printing method allows the user to create professional quality transfers at home, especially ones with beautiful patterns, without having to go through a process of trial and error.
If you have been used to working with HTV, you’ll know that in this case, the design is attached to a base material with adhesive. However, infusible ink works in a totally different way. In this case, the ink actually becomes one with the material, according to Cricut.
This means that you will get a smooth transfer without any unwanted effects. What’s more, your bright and beautiful design won’t be prone to cracking, flaking, wrinkling, peeling or anything else. In short, it’ll stay perfect for much longer.
There are a variety of different infusible ink products available including pens, markers, solid colors, patterns and much more. On top of this, there are more and more base products coming out so you have much more freedom in what you create.
Our Favorite Infusible Ink Products
Infusible ink is one of the newer ways of creating printed designs but it has taken the world by storm. Cricut is the official creator of the ink and so sells the best reliable and genuine products. Be careful to avoid low quality knock offs when shopping – but there are some great non-Cricut brand alternatives. Here are some of our favorite infusible ink products.
Cricut Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets
This pack comes with two or four sheets of designs and there is a whole range of pattern options. We love this kind of versatility. When using your Cricut Infusible Ink transfer sheets, you will notice how seamlessly the designs transfer, especially when using them with your Cricut heat press.
Cricut Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets
The result is something that’s utterly stunning, bright, and aesthetically pleasing. Moreover, these infusible ink sheets provide you with a long lasting design that won’t budge no matter how many times you wash the time. And unlike other types of printing, there’s no risk of the pattern lifting, peeling, or creasing so your item will look perfect for as long as you want to use it.
One of the things we absolutely love about Cricut Infusible ink Transfer sheets is how easy they are to use. It’s simply a case of creating the design, cutting the design out of the infusible ink transfer sheet using your Cricut cutter, setting the blank on your EasyPress Mat, laying the cut-out pattern on top your Cricut blank, and then applying heat with your Cricut Easypress. Before you know it, and we mean in a matter of seconds, you’ll have perfect results. These sheets work well on a variety of fabrics but user reviews suggest that they perform best when used on polyester.
Cricut Infusible Ink Markers
One of the drawbacks with using infusible ink sheets is that you are limited to the patterns that are available for sale. Don’t get us wrong, there are plenty of gorgeous sheets out there and they certainly have their place in your crafting arsenal.
Cricut Infusible Ink Medium Point Markers
However, it is nice to be able to let your creative juices flow and design your own patterns. That is where Cricut Infusible Ink Markers come in to play. If you’re artistic enough, you could draw a design from scratch and this will give your product a much more personal touch. It’s great if you’re making something as a gift for a friend or loved one. But even if you don’t have the skills to make an image from scratch, there are tons of stencils and designs that you can color in. Not only does this add that personal flair but it’s also an incredibly calming and enjoyable activity.
What’s great about the Cricut infusible ink markers is that they offer an extremely long lasting finish. There’s no worry about your design fading, smudging, shifting or anything else. Once printed, you’ll have an item that looks amazing for years to come. Moreover, you will notice how smooth the finish is. Unlike things like iron ons and HTV where there is a risk of edges lifting or peeling, Cricut infusible ink medium point markers transfer seamlessly and without the worry of coming off.
The infusible ink markers are also very versatile. They can be used to make designs for such a wide range of products. Things like coasters, tote bags, pillow cases, t shirts and much much more. You really can let your imagination run wild! The markers are also good for when you want to print onto small places, such as pockets, around buttons, and on kid’s clothing. Small designs are easy to apply with the Cricut EasyPress Mini.
The only thing that we feel lets these infusible ink markers down is that the range of colors in any pack isn’t great. The Cricut infusible ink medium point markers basic pack features black, brown, red, blue, and green. It’s enough to create a very basic design but if you wanted something bright and colorful then you’d need to invest in additional packs. There are neon, nostalgia and watercolor packs available so this is possible but it does mean you will have to spend a little more cash.
XINPOCUT Infusible Ink Sheets
Cricut were the original inventors of infusible ink but that hasn’t stopped a plethora of other companies following in their footsteps. However, you do need to be careful as many of these similar products just don’t have the quality of Cricut; but we’ve found some infusible ink sheets by XINPOCUT that have everything you would expect.
What we really love about the XINPOCUT infusible Transfer ink sheets are the delightful patterns. That galaxy effect that has been so popular over the last couple of years comes, on these sheets, in a range of striking colors. You will be able to create contemporary designs that are bang on trend whether that’s clothing, household linen, mugs and much more.
There are, of course, other designs from this brand including a Christmas themed pack, chevron designs, and even animal print so there’s really something to suit every taste. What’s more, since the XINPOCUT transfer sheets are so affordable, you could quite easily buy one of each set and still make a profit if you’re running a small printing business.
These high quality infusible ink sheets fuse with your material leaving behind a gloriously bright and vibrant design that won’t budge. If you’re looking for something that’ll last a lifetime and go on smoothly without any imperfections, then we would highly recommend these sheets. What’s more, XINPOCUT has designed the sheets to be used in conjunction with one another so you can mix and match for a design that’s totally unique to you. Moreover, the sheets are compatible with the range of Cricut Easypress heat tools so even if you’re just looking to branch out but want to use your original equipment, you won’t have any problems.
This all sounds excellent but surely they can’t be perfect? Well, the truth is that these are a very good alternative to Cricut, if you’re looking for something a little more affordable. And while the print quality is extremely good, it doesn’t quite match up. But that’s to be expected with anything that’s trying to compete with the leading brand. We’d perhaps suggest XINPOCUT infusible ink transfer sheets for people who don’t want to spend a fortune but want something to give them an idea of what infusible ink is all about before committing to buying from the Big Guns.
Cricut Infusible Ink Pen Set
Moving back to Cricut now and we have this lovely set of 30 fine point infusible ink pens. While we have already discovered one of Cricut’s marker sets, these have the added advantage of coming in a much wider range of colors. If you’re looking to buy a single pack of pens that’s got everything you need then the Cricut Infusible Ink Pen Set are well worth considering.
What’s more, they’re ideal for creating much more intricate designs thanks to the very fine tip. It’s great if you’re working on smaller projects or they’re ideal for putting those finishing touches to a larger print.
But regardless of how you decide to use the pens, one thing that is for sure is that you will get an incredibly high quality finish with designs that transfer easily and without any hassle. The final result is a bright, crisp, and clean design that’s so good, it looks professional. If you are selling your products then this kind of quality is an absolute must.
Do keep in mind that you will need a heat press that’s compatible with these pens. Cricut advises that your press must reach at least 400ºF so using one of their machines is probably your best bet. Also don’t forget that the Cricut Infusible Ink Pen Set, 30 Ct, is a pen set only. You will need separate infusible ink blanks on which to create your designs.
Other than the fact that you have to buy your blanks separately, there really isn’t a lot we can say about these infusible ink pens in a negative light. The results speak for themselves and the designs will stay put for life without any peeling, cracking, or wrinkling.
Conclusion
Infusible Ink is a type of sublimation ink created by Cricut. You can learn more about other sublimation inks here.
Infusible ink has fast become the go to method of printing to many modern hobbyists. The professional results and long lasting quality are above and beyond what you would expect. When you compare this printing method to others such as heat transfer vinyl or iron ons, it isn’t difficult to see why it has become so popular.
Of course, it is important to make sure that you have the right equipment and the good news is that there are plenty of infusible ink sheets and pens to choose from. Since Cricut are the creators of this printing method, it is not surprising that they create the most reliable products. However, while there are a lot of cheap rip offs on the market, there are a small handful of alternatives that offer good results.
Last update on 2023-06-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
