A Cricut is a versatile machine that makes the craft-making process a breeze. Its best features are its ability to create amazing projects using various materials. Vinyl is one of those materials, and there are two types of vinyl: adhesive vinyl and heat transfer vinyl (Heat Transfer Vinyl), also known as iron-on vinyl. This blog will discuss the best HTV/Iron On Vinyl for Cricut machines. Before heading into this topic, let's first understand what HTV is. Heat Transfer Vinyl is a specialty vinyl polymer that allows you to add personalized touches to garments and accessories. To decorate any apparel, you must create a design, cut it out of the HTV using a cutter, and fuse it to a garment with a heat press.
Things to Keep in Mind While Choosing an HTV
HTV is a versatile vinyl that can create high-quality and long-lasting printed products. But you need to remember that for every fabric and application, the HTV material will differ. These are the few points that you need to keep in mind when choosing an HTV.
Reliability
The first thing you need to check is the reliability of the HTV. When you order a cheap iron-on from a no-name seller or a third-party website such as Amazon or eBay, you might receive an entirely different product than you ordered. So, avoid getting tempted by the low prices and always buy an HTV from a well-reputed brand and their official website.
Durability
Look for an easy iron-on to work with throughout all stages, from cutting to transferring. You need to look for an HTV that can outlast the life of the garments. It should be able to survive machine washing and drying. Reading the manufacturer's directions for care is a good idea to protect your designs from cracking and fading.
Flexibility & Weight
You should also consider the flexibility and stretch of the garment when choosing an HTV. Price is subjective, and opinions may differ from person to person. You don't want an HTV restricting your movements or weighing down the garment.
Fabric Type
If you want to decorate a cotton design, you won't have an issue finding an HTV. But synthetic and semi-synthetic materials such as polyester, spandex, rayon, and nylon are challenging. You will need some help finding an HTV for these fabrics, which may require different types of HTV. For example, you will need an HTV with dye-blocking capabilities to decorate on sublimated polyester. Another point you must remember is application temperature; otherwise, it can cause scorching problems with synthetics. To avoid it, keep the heat transfer application low or medium.
Ease of Cutting
You don't want any vinyl you cannot cut for a project. Look for brands that mention the cut settings and the iron-on vinyl thickness.
Color and Size Selection
Once you have determined what kind of HTV you will use, the only thing left to do is choose the color and size of the vinyl. Well-known brands list all the vinyl rolls' colors, patterns, and specs on their website. If the manufacturer still needs to list out the specs of the rolls, then you can go through its reviews and FAQs to find the roll measurements.
What is the Best Heat Transfer Vinyl?
Through our research, we have concluded that there are two contenders for the title of best HTV for T-shirts. Siser EasyWeed and Cricut Everyday Iron-on are two contenders for this title.
Siser EasyWeed HTV
For most people, Siser Easyweed is their go-to brand for easy weeding heat transfer vinyl for all sorts of fabrics. It's a polyurethane-based material that is very durable. And can even outlast the life of the garment if applied properly. Siser EasyWeed HTV is perfect for creating t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, kitchen towels, bath towels, and more. EasyWeed is applied at a lower temperature and pressure and can be peeled hot or cold. It is long-lasting, won't wrinkle, crack or peel off your clothing, and can even survive regular wash and dry. A bonus is that it comes in a variety of colors.
Pros
- Comes with clear directions about the iron-on process
- Simple to cut and easy to transfer
- Works great for T-shirts and other fabrics
- Durable and long-lasting, can survive through many washes
- Comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and textures.
Cons
- Expensive than other brands
- Wide rolls are not available
Cricut Everyday Iron-On
Stay clear with the name; this HTV is compatible with all die-cutting machines. It is also very easy to cut, weed, and transfer onto a wide range of materials. Besides being long-lasting, it comes in rolls or great bundles, available in different colors and textures. The HTV can be easily cut and weeded without any tears.
Cricut Everyday Iron-On has clear directions on transferring the vinyl to different fabrics and garments. And also how to care for your garments after decoration. It works great with Cricut Easy Press. For great results, follow Cricut's interactive Heat Guide. It will give you detailed directions for the specific type of Cricut Iron-on and the fabric you are applying to.
Pros
- Simple to cut and easy to transfer
- Comes in rolls and great bundles with a huge variety of colors and patterns
- Long-lasting and durable when applied properly
- Available at a great discount during sales
- Friendly customer care
Cons
- Expensive than Siser EasyWeed
- Long rolls are only available in basic colors
- Long transfer time and a higher temperature are required
FAQs
How Heat Transfer Vinyl or Iron On Vinyl is used?
HTV is a versatile vinyl used to decorate various fabrics like cotton, polyester, nylon, and more. Here is a list of items HTV can be used with:
- T-shirts and Sweatshirts
- Sports Jerseys
- Canvas and wood
- Bags and aprons
- Pillows
- Mugs and tumblers
Other than HTV, what other items are required to get started?
Other than HTV, you only require two main pieces of equipment: Vinyl Cutter & Heat Press. You will need the following supplies to get started.
- Garments
- Weeding Tool
- Teflon Cover Sheet
- Design Software
What are the benefits of Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing?
These are some of the benefits of Heat Transfer Vinyl printing:
- Cheaper than other forms of apparel printing
- Fine Screen, Embroidery, and Dye-Sublimation printing
- Minimal set-up time
