Fields Of Heather: Using HTV With Cricut

Tips, Tricks, & Tutorials For Using HTV, or "Iron on" Vinyl

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The slightly longer version of the above graphic:

HTV goes on the mat shiny side down, and the machine cuts on the backside of the vinyl.

After clicking Make It in Design Space, Mirror is on the left, under material size.

This is why when making HTV, or iron on designs, it's important to mirror your design - because it's cutting on the back of the material, not the front.

I am very likely to forget to mirror, so instead, when I plan to cut an image from htv, I flip the design using "flip horizontal", and save it that way.

Almost all HTV comes on it's own transfer, or carrier sheet. That's the "shiny side" we placed down on the mat. Cricut will cut the vinyl, but not through the carrier sheet. You weed the design as normal. Htv is typically so much easier to weed then regular vinyl! The design stays stuck to the plastic sheet.

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I use an iron. I've been using a cricut since 2017 - hundreds - literally HUNDREDS of htv projects, loads of t-shirts.. and I have never once been tempted to buy a heat press. I don't want to make room for one, and I have never needed one.

My iron works great.

And again, I have to remind you all that what works for me may not work for you, and what works for you may not work for me. Talk about a controversial issue in cricut groups!

I don't sell, and although I may make a dozen shirts in a week [we have a huge family] I'm not rushing to put out orders. If I were, maybe I'd find a heat press essential. I don't know, because that's not what I do. :-)

Here's a closer look at how I use an iron to press my htv designs:

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2018/11/using-plain-old-regular-iron-for-htv.html

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Then you iron, or press, the design to your fabric.

Htv can sometimes be used on other materials, wood in particular, too!

It was popular for a hot minute in cricut facebook groups to put htv on coffee mugs and tumblers.. but I found that within a week, the entire designs just slid right off my coffee cup, when using htv instead of regular vinyl.

I have never felt the need to purchase a heat press. My iron has always worked great for me

Price Comparisons, Brands of vinyl I personally like, Price Guidelines...

How To Remove HTV

If You Make A Mistake

Here's a look at how to layer HTV Designs

When I shared this on facebook recently, someone commented to remember that htv shrinks when pressed. I have never noticed that myself - but she said it happens more with thin line designs. It's definitely something to keep in mind when layering.. but I've never run into that issue myself, so I am uncertain how to advise anyone to prepare for that.

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TO PREWASH, OR NOT TO PREWASH?

That is one of many, many cricut debates.

Washing items first is a controversial issue - many will tell you never to do so because customers may be allergic to your detergent.

I have also heard that fabric softener can keep vinyl from adhering.

This shirt was OLD when I put htv on it.

I mean, really old. I had used it as a pajama shirt for years before our son was deployed. Since it was red, and already in my closet.. it became a RED Friday shirt. The years of being washed with fabric softener did not make it any more difficult to apply htv - and I still own this shirt 5 years after applying the htv. Granted, I don't wear t-shirts often.. but it's holding up just fine.

I don't sell, and I've put vinyl on shirts we've worn half a dozen times before they saw vinyl, so neither issue has been a problem for me personally.

I will say that if your dish towels are 100% cotton, they are going to shrink when washed. Sometimes they shrink a LOT. Can you put the vinyl on and have it stay? Quite possibly. But I lost 3 inches from the length and 2 from the sides on my latest towels - and that would change where my vinyl was placed, even if it didn't change how the vinyl stayed adhered.

Same brand of towel. Bleached cotton on top, Unbleached on Bottom

Unbleached cotton wrinkles SO much more than bleached cotton.

Personally, for dishtowels, I would pre-wash.

For t-shirts, I've never needed to pre-wash, but I have also applied vinyl to old well worn t-shirts, that had been washed many times, with no issues.

So most of the time, for me, it just has not mattered either way.

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MORE HTV TUTORIALS

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