Cricut’s Infusible Ink Markers with Sublimation Puzzle and Keychain

Learn how to use Cricut’s Infusible Ink Markers using different substrates

I have received a lot of questions about the difference between sublimation and infusible ink. To make it easy, infusible ink is Cricut’s version of sublimation. Sublimation is a gas process that requires heat with a combination of temperature, time and pressure. To sublimate, you need a substrate (or material that is coated to be at least 65% polyester or polymer) and ink. When heated, the ink turns into a gas and infuses with the polyester/polymer substrate, leaving a beautiful, vibrant product. There is no peeling or cracking because the ink is now one with the substrate. Pretty cool, huh?!?

In this tutorial, I am going to show you how to prepare your design to be drawn by your Cricut machine. After, my assistant (my sweet daughter, Raelyn), will color in the drawing. We will then press the colored-in drawing until it is infused with the substrate.

We are also going to design an image in Design Space to have our Cricut draw for our keychain project.

Here is the video tutorial, but you can also keep scrolling for a written tutorial with pictures.

Find the image you would like drawn

To find your image, select the image tab. For this project, I used #MDCF8102.

After searching for the image, select Add to Canvas

Once the butterfly is on the canvas, we need to resize it so it will fit on the puzzle. The puzzle is 8X10. After looking at the proportion of the butterfly, it seems to be best to keep the height 8″ or less so the entire width will fit on the puzzle. To resize, type in 8 in the size tool at the top of your canvas OR use the size arrow at the bottom of your image.

Now we need to tell Design Space what marker we are going to use to draw the butterfly. We are using the 1mm Marker. Make sure the Operation is set as Pen. The operation drop down is at the top of your canvas. Right on the side of that is a box that we can select our marker. Once you click on the box, you can choose Marker 1mm. This is also where you can tell DS what color marker you will be using. Be sure to choose the correct color for infusible ink -Black (Infusible Ink).

Next, we are going to find a pattern for the keychain. I am making the keychain into a collar for a stuffed animal dog for my daughter. The dog’s name is Maxine so I’d like a pattern with her name in the middle. To make the pattern, I searched in images by clicking the image tab. I didn’t know what I wanted, but I did know that I wanted it drawn. In the search bar, I typed “pattern” and I changed the filter to “Draw Only” to make my search easier.

After scrolling a little, I found a honeycomb pattern that I liked. After selecting the image, you can click add to canvas.

Once on my canvas, I rotated and resized the honeycomb to 3″ wide.

To add a white space in the middle of the honeycomb (to add a name), I selected shapes. I selected a square and resized it to 1.5 wide by .5 tall.

I put the rectangle over the honeycomb and centered the both, using the align tool at the top of the canvas.

With the honeycomb and the rectangle still selected, I pressed the slice tool in the bottom of the layers panel.

When you pull away your honeycomb, you are left with a blank rectangle in the middle. You can delete the left over pieces.

Next, I used the text tab to write the name Maxine. I resized it to fit the honeycomb and centered it using the align tool.

Just like with the butterfly design, we need to change the operation for both Maxine and the honeycomb to pen and change our marker type.

The last thing we need to do to the keychain pattern is select the honeycomb and name and attach so when they are drawn, they look exactly how you see them in Design Space.

Before sending the project to make, I made one more honeycomb with the same colors and size. This one will go on the back of the keychain since it can be double sided.

Have your machine draw the images

After you hit “make it” you will need to set up your mats. Since I wanted a full sheet of copy paper for the butterfly project, I separated my honeycomb to its own mat. To do this, hover over the image on the mat and press the 3 dots in the left top of the image. Select “move object”

For the first honeycomb, I am going to opt for a new mat.

Then do the same for the other honeycomb, but this time, choose the mat that you made with the 1st honeycomb.

Make sure to mirror both mats because you will need the reverse when pressing the projects.

Now you are ready to draw.

Place your Black Marker in the first slot of your machine. Press it down until you hear a small click. Fasten the clip.

Choose Copy paper as your material and GO!

Carefully take the paper off of the mat and put your next piece of copy paper on the mat. Switch markers according to what Design Space tells you is first… GO!

Once the first color is drawn, the machine will stop and tell you to switch markers. You DO NOT take the mat out of the machine.

And there you go!!! The papers are now ready for the next step!

Color in your image using Infusible Ink Markers

Use a heat press or Cricut Easy Press

Usually when we need to use a heat press, I say it’s ok to use whatever heat source you have available. In this case, I recommend a heat press that you can change the pressure. Using the Cricut Easy Press will also work, but you need to be very careful not to change the pressure you are giving during the process or accidentally move the substrate in the middle of the process or you will get ghosting. Ghosting is basically like a double vision of your design. DO NOT USE AN IRON to complete this step. You can not get it hot enough or use enough pressure recommended for the process.

You will want to get a piece of butcher paper. Although parchment paper is great for HTV, since there is a coating, you do not want to use it for sublimation. You also do not want to use teflon.

Place the butcher paper on the heat press. Tape the designed paper onto the puzzle. Flip the puzzle over so it is touching the bottom platen of the heat press and the paper on the TOP. Place another sheet of butcher paper. Press with medium to firm pressure for 90 seconds at 360 degrees.

Once the puzzle has cooled, carefully take the tape off and there you have it- a beautifully vibrant image on your puzzle.

Follow the same directions to press your keychain, except change your heat to 400 degrees. Each substrate has its own temperature and time that works best. Most of the time, you can google to see what someone else has used, but once you get a hang of it, you can use your own judgement.