Aka, dont use it to make wall decals. Vinyl: Cutting and Application Instructions Cutting Vinyl with a Cricut machine Place vinyl liner side down onto Cricut StandardGrip Mat. The process is very similar to how to remove bumper stickers from your car: youre working slowly and carefully to peel the sticker off, trying to not scrape or peel away any paint. We are having trouble with two things: one, the vinyl is rolled and it doesnt want to stick to the matt, however, we tried a new one (both green) and it is too sticky and the vinyl wouldnt come off! Then click Upload in the Design Panel on the left. Free printable siser heat transfer vinyl quick guide my vinyl Oracal - This is one of the most popular brands available to crafters. Smart iron-on vinyl can be cut without a mat and is used for smaller home decor and apparel crafts. And heres two of the designs on my mirrors. What is it? Here are a few types of specialty adhesive vinyl: For the Cricut Explore 3, Cricut Maker 3, and Cricut Joy, there is also Smart Vinyl. Be sure to check to see if it is cut all the way through before removing your mat. The small Cricut Joy permanent vinyl is meant specifically for the Cricut Joy machine. A transfer sheet is a product that helps you move the vinyl to your final product. Preparation with Cricut Transfer Tape You peel away the parts of the design that dont belong, then use a transfer sheet to move the design onto your cup, wall, craft, or whatever youre customizing. Emy. My next recommendation is to test your cut setting. The overall cut is so much better than the other two options. In general, you should always use just enough pressure to cut through the material, but not too much that you begin to slice through the backing of the vinyl. Pressing it is where the magic happens. Please read the whole post so you dont miss any important information! Its also dishwasher-friendly. Happy crafting! Cricut Premium Vinyl - Permanent is ideal for projects that need to weather the storm, from mailboxes to mugs, to outdoor signage and more. There are different types of vinyl that need different cutting pressures. Use patterned vinyl to add patterns to home decor and other craft projects. Thanks for the info. Heres is a Great Vinyl Cutting Machine for Sale on Amazon. The blade works best with most thin materials, including vinyl. Some people assume that this means they have to replace their blade, but you can often extend its life by simply increasing the blade pressure. To clean your blade, I suggest poking the blade into a ball of aluminum foil. It is used to cut a wide range of materials including vinyl, papers, fabrics, foils, and even balsa wood (a lighter wood that is commonly used for model-building and crafts). Peel back the sticky transfer tape from the liner sheet. Thanks! Apply the Transfer Tape to the top of your design and burnish everything down really well with a scraper tool. I dont recommend this step unless youve tried everything else OR you notice your blade tip is broken or there is a visible chip in the blade. Very informative . Follow along as I know that you will learn a new skill and have a ton of fun doing it! Place the printed paper onto the Cricut mat. Smart iron-on vinyl is made to use without a mat. What is it? I recommend always picking the cut setting that is closest to the material you're using. NOTE: You can also clean your mats to make them sticky again. We are attempting to cut large vinyl iron-on letters for a table cloth. I wouldn't select the Washi Sheet setting if I was cutting glitter vinyl, it wouldn't cut deep enough. First and foremost, have you checked your cut settings? To set temperature, click the "TEMP" button and use the + or - buttons to turn it up or down. There are lots of problems that can happen when cutting vinyl, like perforated skips, jagged lines, rounded corners, superficial cuts (the blade didnt dig deep enough), or incomplete corners. Sometimes a design just doesnt work when its sized so small. Permanent vinyl also comes in pearl metallic, shimmer, holographic, and frosted. Read more. Express iron-on vinyl can be applied 2X faster than everyday iron-on vinyl. Step 1: Cut Siser Vinyl to Size. If youre brand new to Cricut, check out my one-hour crash course to get started. Start by opening Cricut Design Space. This does not sharpen your blade but it does clean the blade really well. By purchasing an item through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. At this point, you should turn on and connect your machine. Cricut uses the words Iron-On Vinyl so that people can easily differentiate between heat transfer vinyl that brands like Siser sell and standard vinyl that you wouldn't use any heat for. 2- When the Cricut blade cuts too deep, what should you do? Select each piece on the right and hide them in the Layers Panel by clicking the eye icon. I typically find that after cutting cardstock and other thicker materials, my blade wears quicker. You can read all about it in my post Cricut Smart Vinyl. Small, intricate vinyl cuts with just about any Cricut machine can be frustrating if you dont know what adjustments you should make. This type of vinyl is great for projects that are a little more temporary in nature. Permanent vinyl removes most easily from items like glass, metal, and plastic. Now youre ready to cut your image! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Place vinyl liner side down onto StandardGrip Mat. Read more about Using Attach in Design Space. What is it? This post may contain affiliate links which may earn me commissions should you click through them and take certain actions. Clean off your blank item. Since you are using Cricut vinyls in this article, Id like to ask what the difference is between their Printable Sticker Paper and Printable Vinyl. Updated on December 3, 2022|By Cori George|15 Comments. It is quite remarkable that these cutters can be used to cut through so many types of materials, but obviously, you will be curious as to what pressure setting is used to cut through different materials (particularly vinyl). Double check your work to make sure you dont have any extra bits that need weedingtry holding your image up to the light to see if youve missed anything! Hope this helps, Cant watch the video or missed some of the steps? Request Samples here! I then transfer my weeded design to the transfer paper. Cricut Extra Fine Point Pen Set - Bohemian - 0.3. Use my code HLMSSAVE22 at Cricut.com to save 10% on supplies and materials and to get free shipping on orders over $50! I have a few questions Permanent vinyl is vinyl that is intended for permanent use. The cutting speed should definitely be slower if you have small details in your project. That said, there are ways to remove permanent vinyl from items. Start with the setting for the material youre using and then adjust from there. I am not sure if I should use permanent or removable. special types like glitter, stencil, outdoor glossy, Cricut Maker 3, Cricut Explore 3, and Cricut Joy, Can be used without a mat in certain machines. Note: recently I ordered some white adhesive vinyl without paying attention to the widthit was 15 wide. Its a really convenient feature of the Cricut Maker 3, but if you dont own a machine that can use the feature, it doesnt make sense to buy it. Thanks for any help! Transfer tape is used to place vinyl designs onto surfaces. Tip: Removable vinyl, or 631, is used for items such as wall decals that you may want to take off eventually. How To Use A Laser Engraver Machine Guide. We are using a new blade stated for vinyl and have the Cricut setting set to vinyl. It comes in a variety of colors, including neons! Adhesive vinyl applies more like a sticker whereas youll need a heat source (like an EasyPress, iron, or heat press) for iron on vinyl. TopVinylCutters is reader-supported. The only think I can think of is to use the sticker paper for small things and printable vinyl for larger decals, but I assume you could do these with both types of vinyl. Mosaic iron-on vinyl is used for apparel, tote bags, home decor, and more. Click the blinking C on your machine and your Cricut will cut your vinyl for you! Your iron should be on the cotton/linen setting. tula standard baby carrier. What is it used for? After clicking continue, youll be taken to the Make Screen. Regular vinyl is kind of like a sticker or decal and can be applied to smooth surfaces. What do you do if changing the settings isnt enough to get a clean cut? With reverse weeding, you cut the vinyl, place the transfer sheet, then remove the vinyl backing. Often once I get a good chunk going, Ill use my fingers to pull up on the vinyl, and my weeding tool to get the more difficult bits, including the insides of letters. The permanent vinyl will last for a long time and withstand frequent cleaning, but will still eventually be removable from the mirror. Hello. This is going to be really basic for newbies to using a Cricut. With the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore series, you don't have to worry about setting pressure or blade depth. You can use Cricut library images, make a Make It Now project, or upload your own image. A blank is a term that is used for whatever item you want to place your vinyl on. In this design, things like the small dots and insides of small shapes arent cutting well so I can use the Contour tool and just remove those pieces that I wouldnt be able to weed anyway. We won't send you spam. What is it? There are many affordable and free options to design Cricut crafts, which are my favorite kind of cutting machines for these types of projects. . Cut a piece of transfer tape about the same size as your decal. Oracal, one of the larger vinyl brands, also makes a variety of permanent vinyls. Help! Youd then slowly peel back the liner making sure the vinyl is sticking to the Transfer Tape. Clearance. Preparation with StrongGrip Transfer Tape Load your Smart Vinyl or your mat with permanent vinyl into your machine, and press the blinking Cricut button. You can see I lost the inside of the R with that setting. For the sake of brevity, Im only writing about the Cricut brand vinyl types. It's a water-resistant and UV-resistant film with an adhesive that can last for up to 3 years. Slowly peel back the transfer tape. Also, to remove bubbles, you can try to smooth them out with a brayer. Just by changing that setting, I was able to get the inside of my R to stay and a cleaner cut all the way across the design. Yes, the lightest I found is the WASHI setting. If you have your vinyl stuck down really well to a nice clean mat and are having issues with your cut, I would recommend cleaning your blade. Position your heat transfer vinyl design on your shirt. Patterned iron-on vinyl comes in a variety of designs. DO NOT MIRROR your image unless your vinyl specifically states to do so, or you want the vinyl to be backwards. Its a heavy duty sticker that you apply to items youre crafting. Patterned iron-on vinyl is used for apparel, tote bags, home decor, and more. versatile all-purpose HTV soft and stretchy Matte, Metallic, Metal Flake, Neon, Glossy, and Frosty Clear finishes over 100 different colors ThermoFlex Turbo Brights fast application at low temp, can use on nylon metallic shimmer ThermoSport thick, durable, and blocks dye migration for application on jerseys DecoFilm Soft Metallics Smart vinyl can be used without a mat. Holographic vinyl is a type of adhesive vinyl that you can use on a wide range of craft projects, including home decor, gifts, labels, and more. Transfer tape is just used to help you align the design onto the surface. The two strengths used most in your crafting needs are 631 and 651. Make sure all of your pieces stuck to the transfer paper. Start with these and make adjustments that are right for your machine! Cut your design, weed with ease, and apply with awe. It has a much thicker backing piece than the usual sticker paper I use. I would recommend trying the glitter vinyl setting or the vinyl setting with more pressure. I like how they categorize their vinyl as its neatly organized into number systems. Everyday iron-on vinyl is used for t-shirts, fabrics, and other soft surfaces. As an affiliate for Cricut, Amazon and other sites, I earn from qualifying purchases. This category now shows packs of acetate (clear plastic), which is not vinyl at all. What is it? Crystal, HLMS Community Manager. Im not sure about this question. Carefully peel back the transfer tape and the decal should come with it. I prefer the 751 for outdoor purposes, if I think theyll be exposed to a lot of weather. The best fonts to use when making a small design are thick, chunky fonts. Using fabric ink is another option. Place your material with the paper backing down and the colored vinyl up on your mat and insert into your machine. Mesh iron-on vinyl is vinyl with a mesh look. First, you will "preheat" your material by ironing for about 15-20 seconds over the area that you will be adding the vinyl to. Your machine will cut the vinyl for you. Go slow and ensure a good stick before you peel up the transfer paper. For Cricut Maker, select Browse all materials, then select the Printable Vinyl setting. ); Material: what vinyl works best for cutting small letters ; Font: the best fonts for cutting small letters (Cricut and free fonts): I have included a list of fonts that were . Step 4: Cut Out the Design. The first thing you want to do when cutting vinyl with a Cricut machine is to make sure your material is stuck down on the mat really well. It has a grid to help line up your design. Foil iron-on vinyl is used for apparel, tote bags, home decor, and more. ** Fun Fact: If youre using Cricut brand vinyl and unsure whether its permanent or removable, heres a little hack If it has a green grid on the back, its permanent; grey grid, its removable! These figures are taken from the official website of Cricut: In most instances, we just adjust the pressure of our Cricut blades to make them last longer. You can use any vinyl brand with your Cricut. In Cricut Design Space, you can easily mirror by toggling the *mirror* button - either in the mat preview or in the cut settings section. For Cricut Explore machines, turn the Smart Set Dial to Custom. What is it used for? You dont want dirt or lint getting in the way. Vinyl, Dry Erase 0.25 Vinyl, Glitter Vinyl, Premium Outdoor Vinyl, Printable Vinyl . This will do wonders for your cuts. My blogs aim to provide well-researched and informative content to help people make informed purchasing decisions. Do I adjust the force? For my project today, I am making bookmarks. Mesh iron-on vinyl is used for apparel, tote bags, home decor, and more. There are, however, different types of adhesive vinyl for different purposes. Oracal, on of the other large vinyl companies, calls their permanent vinyl 651 and has a few other types of permanent vinyl as well. Today Im going to share my best tips and tricks for cutting vinyl with a Cricut machine, including making small cuts. It is used to cut a wide range of materials including vinyl, papers, fabrics, foils, and even balsa wood (a lighter wood that is commonly used for model-building and crafts). You can actually watch me cut these designs and see all my best tips and tricks by pressing play on the video below. Here are a couple other tutorials you might want to try: I hope you found this tutorial helpful! Cricut EasyPress Mini Heat Press Machine Pros & Cons! Passes were increased to 2. The Cricut can cut a maximum width of 12so I had to cut my vinyl down by hand to make it fit on the mat. Removable and permanent vinyl does not. If you think its a bit too sticky, you could try the blue light grip mat! Your email address will not be published. I'm a color-loving DIY-er who loves to share home projects on a budget. As for the reverse weeding I feel your pain with the intricate designs! Regular vinyl is kind of like a sticker or decal and can be applied to smooth surfaces. Cricut Maker Pressure Settings. How to Make Vinyl Decals with Your Cricut, Large Paper Flowers: Template + Tips and Tricks to Make It Easy, The Ultimate Guide to Sublimation Printing & Crafting, The Beginners Guide to the xTool M1 Hybrid Laser / Blade Cutter, Base or blank material (generally something smooth and non-porous). This amazing vinyl lies flat on your cutting mat - no tunneling or bubbling. This is a blog for people who like to solve problems with their creativity. Iron-on Holographic Vinyl This is holographic vs shiny (it's a fine line, but hopefully you know what I mean). This guide covers the things that matter most when cutting small fonts (click the link to jump to that section):. Iron-On and HTV come in a variety of brands and styles so it's important to choose a reputable seller. Iron-on Foil Vinyl this guy is super shiny, just like foil. I plan on making the same thing because I have 2 bottles and one was already looking similar and one is plain and boring, want to upgrade it. Which materials can I cut with my Cricut Personal, Create, and Expression machine? Otherwise, we would be here all day! Use the sample piece of vinyl provided with the Cricut Joy as a guide to cut your other sheets to size. The lines can help you make sure the vinyl is straight and level, if you want to use them like that. Adhesive vinyl comes in many types as youll see below, including matte, glossy, permanent, removable, and a whole range of specialty vinyls. If everything is in order, you wont have any problems when it comes to starting weeding the material (removing excess material that wont be used in the final design). We have tested hundreds of materials with Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker machines to help take the guesswork out of your dream projects. As you create designs that are smaller and more intricate (under 5"), speed should be decreased to 30. This is vinyl that does not use a mat! I think its natural to read them while youre washing your hands. 1. If your design is large with a lot of small details a weeding box could be helpful. Adhesive vinyl is best for smooth surfaces, like glass, plastic, metal, notebook covers, painted wood (raw wood is harder), and even paper. The design is good. If you make this project, share it in our Stuff Mama Makes Facebook Group. For a more traditional transfer, you would add Transfer Tape to the top of a weeded vinyl design and then burnish the vinyl onto the Transfer Tape really well. If youre using a mat, place your sheet on the green mat with the vinyl face up. Reverse weeding is often helpful for smaller projects with lots of small lettering. This will help you avoid needing to cut twice or ruining your vinyl in the process. A manual test cut should be performed on a small piece of vinyl, or whatever material you will be using. Moreover, if your blade does not cut well, even after cleaning and adjusting the settings, you should replace it. The most common blades are 45 and 60 degrees, although some manufacturers sell blades with a 30-degree angle as well. Yes! The machine will let you know if the cutting pressure needs to be adjusted. Your supply list may be slightly different if youre making a different project.