Edited: September 6, 2023
Select a link below for information on how to use Printable Iron-On.
Note: If you are looking for information on Printable Waterproof Sticker Sets, please click here: Printable Waterproof Sticker Set Instructions. For information on Printable Vinyl, click here: Printable Vinyl Instructions.
What you need
- Cricut smart cutting machine (Print Then Cut compatible*)
- Design Space software on computer or mobile device
- Fine-Point Blade and Housing
- Cricut Printable Iron-On
- Inkjet home printer**
- Weeder
- Cricut Heat Guide or Cricut Heat app (for Cricut EasyPress 3 and Hat Press)
- Cricut Autopress, Cricut EasyPress, or Cricut Hat Press
- Cricut Pressing Mat
- Base material such as a t-shirt
Note: *Cricut Joy is not capable of Print Then Cut. Cricut Explore machines, Cricut Maker machines, Cricut Venture, and Cricut Joy Xtra are Print Then Cut compatible.
Important: For use with inkjet printers only. Using a laser printer may damage the materials or printer.
Preparation
- Prewash fabric base materials without fabric softener to pre-shrink and remove chemicals that may prohibit strong adhesion.
- Take a moment to identify the printable side of the material. The printable side is blank.
- Printable Iron-On for Light fabrics is printed with a green Cricut grid on the BACK of the material.
- Printable Iron-On for Dark fabrics has a QR code sticker on the BACK of the material.
- Check your printer’s instructions or print a test page on printer paper to ensure you know which way to load the printable side of the material.
- Ensure base material is fully dry before applying Printable Iron-On.
- Recommended: Make a test cut using a small basic shape to verify cut setting.
- Recommended: Apply test cut in an inconspicuous area on base material to verify application settings.
Design, Print Then Cut, and weed
- Customize your printable design in Design Space, then select Make It.
- Load Printable Iron-On into your home printer. Check your printer’s instructions or print a test page on printer paper to ensure you are loading the material with the correct side up.
Important: For use with inkjet printers only. Using a laser printer may damage the materials or printer.
- Follow the instructions in Design Space to print your design. Do not mirror your design.
- Place the printed iron-on on Cricut LightGrip mat, printed side up, and load into your machine. Ensure the page is oriented on the mat as it appears in Design Space.
- Select Go and watch the magic happen!
- When the cut is complete, select Unload.
- Use a weeder to remove excess iron-on from in and around your design.
Apply
Note: For precise time and temp settings for your project, always refer to our Heat Guide or Cricut Heat app. Depending on your base material and heat-transfer material choice, settings will be unique for every project.
- Peel design from away from the liner by hand and place onto your base material.
- Place the included pressing sheet on top of your design in order to protect the heat press from the printer’s inks, and press.
- Press at the time and temperature instructed in the Heat Guide or Cricut Heat app.
- Remove the pressing sheet when pressing is complete.
- Finished!
Care
- Allow 48 hours after application before washing.
- Wash inside out in cold water, hang to dry.
- Do not bleach.
- If you need to iron, only iron on the backside of the garment. Do not iron the decoration.
FAQ
How do I know when to use Printable Iron-On for light fabrics and when to use Printable Iron-On for dark fabrics?
Printable Iron-On for Dark fabrics has an opaque white pigment in the material to make sure the inks from your printer show up bright and vivid on any color of fabric.
Printable Iron-On for Light fabrics uses a transparent material, so it’s best for light or white fabrics. If you use this material on pastel colors, your inks may have a slight color shift to the fabric below – i.e. if you have a pink shirt your artwork will have a pink tint as well since the fabric color can be seen through your printed design.
How do I know which side is the front and the back of this material?
Printable Iron-On for Light fabrics is printed with a green cricut grid on the BACK of the material. Printable Iron-On for Dark fabrics has a QR code sticker on the BACK of the material. The printable side of the material is blank.
Note: Check your printer’s instructions or print a test page on printer paper to ensure you are loading the material with the correct side up.
How detailed can my cuts be with Printable Iron-On?
Since you remove this design from the liner and place onto your item to press you can get detailed cuts, but it is simpler to peel and apply with large, simple shapes. You may have trouble with a shape like a large spiral that would require a lot of manual dexterity to remove and apply. We would recommend you use the offset function in DS to give your design a nice, simple outline.
What are the best printer settings for Printable Iron-On?
Set your printer to “high quality,” “best quality,” or “photo paper” to have the brightest, crispest images. This will use more ink and print more slowly to reduce streaking. If you start to see some smudging, reduce the print quality to “good” as your printer may be applying too much ink for the material. Use the bypass tray to load individual sheets, or remove printer paper from the tray and load and print only one Printable Iron-On sheet at a time.
Is Printable Iron-On compatible with transfer tape?
No, transfer tape will remove the printable coating from the material, and any ink from your home printer as well.
What are the heat press instructions?
Check the Cricut Heat Guide or Cricut Heat app for the latest heat press instructions.
How many washings will Printable Iron-On last?
Printed designs will outlast multiple washings, similar to other specialty iron-on materials. Follow the care instructions for the best results. You may notice fading of the printed colors if washing in harsh conditions.