What is sublimation Cricut equipment and how to use it

Sublimation is a kind of printing that will allow you to set a design on, most commonly, fabric surfaces. You can apply designs on t-shirts, caps, tablecloths, or even pillowcases. The options are unlimited! and, as usual, Cricut is here to help you with your crafting and DIY. Cricut is mostly known for its cutting machines, which can cut through materials as thin as printer paper or as thick as faux leather and balsa wood. But what is sublimation Cricut equipment you can get?

What materials do I need for a sublimation project?

For these projects, you will need:

A sublimation printer or pattern sheets
Infusible ink
Sublimation paper
Heat-resistant tape
Butcher’s or Teflon paper
Scissors
A sublimation Cricut machine, for sure!
A surface to sublimate: T-shirts, shoes, hats, etc.
A heat press machine

For starting a sublimation process with any of the methods coming below, you need to use a sublimation printer. Not any printer can be used for these means, but in general, Epson, Sawgrass and Roland printers will work. If you want to buy a sublimation printer and you don't know where to start, we have prepared an article with a complete explanation on the subject and we will also help you make the best decision when choosing the best sublimation printers on the market. Besides, you need to use infusible ink. This kind of ink is the one that will stick to the surface and adhere to it thanks to the heat the sublimation press will generate. We further explain this technique in this article on Infused Ink Cricut Projects. You will also need sublimation paper for printing your design on. This paper will allow the transfer onto the new surface. You can buy these ink and paper anywhere on Amazon, or the Cricut version on their website. If you don’t have a sublimation printer, you can also buy patterned transfer paper from Cricut. These come in rolls and they have beautiful designs you can apply to whatever you want.

What is sublimation Cricut equipment that you can find?

There are several options among sublimation Cricut machines. The first sublimation products you can find are the Cricut Easy Press. There are two different variations of this machine, which come in different sizes. You can find the Cricut Heat Press 9" x 93 in size, and the Cricut Heat Press 12" x 10". These two options are useful for sublimating patterns onto plain surfaces, like a t-shirt, a tablecloth, or any other fabric-made product. Besides, there is a Mini Easy Press, perfect for tiny pieces and difficult-to-reach areas, as it doesn’t need to be laid flat on a table or workbench. You can use it on shoes, stuffed toys, or any irregular surface!

How to do sublimation on a T-shirt with an Easy Press?

The process is quite simple.

First, you need to print whichever design you want with a sublimation printer on sublimation paper.Invert the image, or otherwise, the final result will be inverted on your T-shirt. Remember your printer should be loaded with infusible ink, as regular ink does not work for these kinds of work.
Cut the design off the paper sheet with an irregular shape. Sometimes the borders can be visible on your final piece, and there is a lower probability for this to happen if you don’t cut your figure with straight lines in a square.
Preheat the T-shirt with an iron or with the Cricut itself for a few seconds.
Place the T-shirt on the printing mat (which is heat-resistant) and place the design on your T-shirt and secure it with heat-resistant tape.*Please don’t use regular tape! It will melt under the press and ruin everything.
Cover the piece with a few layers of butcher’s paper or with a piece of Teflon paper and put on your Cricut Heat Press sublimation machine.You will have to set the heat and the time for each project. You can find this information in the “Heat guide” that comes with your Cricut machine!
Keep a steady, homogeneous pressure during the whole process and once it’s finished, put up the Cricut sublimation machine and let your T-shirt cool down. This should take just a few minutes.
Pull up all the paper you placed on the design and see if everything is fine. Done! You have a new T-shirt!

What other sublimation printer Cricut machines are there?

Another option for Cricut sublimation is the Hat Press! If you want to create cool hats with your own designs, this is the perfect machine for you. But what is sublimation Cricut Hat Press? It’s a small, convex press that allows you to apply the right amount of pressure homogeneously on the hat, as it recreates its shape. This way you can get the best results possible. The process for sublimating a hat is the same you read above for creating a T-shirt design. In this case, as it is not a flat surface, we recommend also buying the hat mat accessory, which is a ball made of the same material as the heat-resistant mat that will make your hat stand firmly.

What is sublimation Cricut AutoPress?

Finally, here you have the latest launch among Cricut sublimation machines:

The AutoPress. This is a bigger Press that, as its name says, applies the pressure on its own, so it ensures a perfect result. Every. Single. Time. It looks like a big waffle maker! Besides, you can make bigger projects with this press, as it is 15" x 12" big! It’s the perfect press if you want to start a business selling t-shirts, pillows or tote bags. Besides the great sublimation machines, remember Cricut has all the products you need for these projects, such as T-shirts, mugs, hats, tote bags, and all the materials needed, like ink, tape, printing paper and many more! We hope this article let you know what is sublimation Cricut equipment and how you can use them. Happy sublimating! ;)