Transfer It!

To use, secure your fabric to a flat, hard surface, cover with a piece of transfer paper (powder side down) and place the printed pattern on top. Trace the pattern using a pencil, fine-tipped pen, or stylus. Press very firmly and make sure the paper does not move. Keep in mind that the transfer lines from this paper fade fast. After 24 hours you will only see faint lines. If you are transferring a large pattern, or one that you don’t plan to finish embroidering in less than a single day, only transfer a small portion of the pattern, stitch, then repeat the transfer process for the remaining portion of the pattern.

Now that you know how to transfer embroidery, get out there and start stitching!

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Iron on paper transfers FAQ’s

Do you need special paper when making transfer sheets with a Cricut?

No, you only need regular copy paper 32lb (120 gsm).

Can I use other heat transfer pens than Infusible Ink Pens?Are the paper iron ons created with Infusible Ink Pens the same as iron on vinyl?

No. The Infusible Ink pens are working in the same way sublimation ink does. At high temperatures (usually 200C/400F) the ink turns into a gas and penetrates the fabric. The end result is permanent, soft, and doesn’t peel as iron on vinyl.

Can I use this method to create iron on transfers for other projects than embroidery?How many times can I reuse a paper transfer created with the Infusible Ink Pens?

I managed to reuse the same iron on paper transfer 5 times (I stamped 5 layers of fabric). You can experiment further with the timer on your Easy Press and you might be able to stamp even more layers. I suspect by lowering the timer to 6-7 seconds you might end up with 6-7 layers of stamped fabric.

Some Tips for Transfers

1. When selecting iron-on transfers, note the type of paper that they’re printed on. Is the paper flimsy? Does it feel a little waxy on one side, and is it shiny? It seems to me that these types of transfers tend to “bloom” a bit more.

2. Note how much space is provided around the transfer, for cutting and securing to the fabric. Iron-ons work best and most reliably if you can pin them to your fabric so that they don’t shift, and so that you can lift a corner to check the progress of the transfer without the pattern shifting.

3. When you iron on the design, warm your fabric first with the iron, then place the iron-on transfer in place and pin it with glass-head pins. Press the iron straight down onto the design and hold for the recommended amount of seconds (usually 20 seconds or thereabouts). Lift the iron straight up and move it to the next section, if the transfer is a large one. Don’t iron back and forth – this will create ghosting, or double lines or shadows around the design line.

5. Try to use the center of the iron over the transfer, rather than the edges where the steam vents are.

6. Use a dry iron! Empty the water reserve and pre-test the iron to make certain it’s not going to release any steam.

7. The iron should be set on the setting suitable for the fabric. With synthetics or delicate fabrics that require a low setting, it will take much longer under the iron for the transfer to work.

8. Test! Most iron-on transfer sheets or books will have some little clip somewhere that you can use for a test. Use it! See how the iron-on behaves on the ground fabric you’ve chosen.

Iron on paper transfers – Conclusion

I hope this experiment helped you and you’ll be incorporating this small trick/technique into your process from now on.

If you own a small embroidery business and you’re a one-person show, this is the way to go about printing your embroidery kits. It’s easy, quick, and creates professionally printed patterns.

You can leave your Cricut machine batch print iron on paper transfer sheets, then transfer the designs in a matter of seconds onto your fabrics.

It took me one minute to stamp five fabrics. If I were to print multiple paper transfers using my Cricut, imagine the number of embroidery kits prepared in a matter of minutes!

While the Cricut machine is doing all the hard work, you can focus on other aspects of your business or just enjoy creating.

BUSINESS IDEA

If your small business is selling embroidery kits or printed embroidery fabric, using iron on transfers is a great way to speed up production.

In addition, you can include an iron on paper transfer sheet in your kits and make it easier for your customers to transfer the pattern onto fabric – in case they want to stitch that particular pattern again.

Selling paper transfers as a stand-alone product can be a great way to offer an alternative solution for customers who already have everything they need, but would like to stitch your patterns.

Successful story: Lazy May Embroidery