There are so many different ways to decorate cardstock paper. The more common everyday methods include coloring, painting, and embossing. However, as technology continues to advance, so does the ability to decorate cardstock paper with more nontraditional methods. Cricut infusible ink is one such method. It introduces a brand new way to add your own personal style to any sheet of cardstock paper.
What Is Infusible Ink?
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The average layman may never have even heard the term “infusible ink”. Infusible ink is an entirely new ink transfer product introduced by Cricut. What it does is transfer ink onto your chosen base material. It doesn’t merely place the ink on top of the base material, it infuses the ink into it. This is different from ironing on a design using the heat transfer method because that method simply transfers the design on top of your base material.
When a design sits on top of something, it is prone to peeling, fading, and cracking. However, when a design is infused into a material, it becomes one with it. This means that the designs can stretch and move without becoming distorted. Infusible ink allows you to create permanent designs that will withstand the test of time and the wear and tear of everyday life. |
How Does Infusible Ink Work?
The concept of infusing a design directly into the base material is a genius one. It’s easy to comprehend why it is a superior method with which to transfer designs. However, it’s a little harder to understand how infusible ink even works. How do you get the ink to infuse into the material? What type of sorcery is used to achieve this?
Although very different from the iron-on method, the infusible ink method is similar in the way that it also uses heat to transfer your design onto the base material. When high heat is applied to a Cricut infusible ink transfer sheet or to a laser paper colored with infusible ink pens, the ink will transform from a solid into a gas.
The iron-on method will use heat to turn the ink into a liquid which settles onto the base material and dries to form a layer that sits on top. Because the infusible ink turns into a gas, it has the ability to permeate the material before it turns back into a solid. This is how infusible ink is able to penetrate and become part of the base material versus simply sitting on top of it.
Is Infusible Ink The Same As Sublimation?
A common question asked once the infusible ink method was introduced was whether it’s just another fancy name for sublimation. To answer this, we must first understand what sublimation is. What is sublimation? The definition of sublimation is the process in which a substance transitions from a solid to a gas, without passing through the liquid state first.
This is exactly what infusible ink does. This is why infusible ink is the same thing as sublimation. Infusible ink is simply a type of sublimation that utilizes the Cricut machine. Ordinary sublimation requires a sublimation printer, sublimation ink, and sublimation paper. Most people do not have these supplies at home. The infusible ink process allows you to achieve the same results in a more simplified manner.
Can You Use Infusible Ink On Cardstock?
The unique benefits of infusible ink are clear. It is a superior method with which to transfer designs onto your base material. However, what can be used as your base material? While t-shirts are an obvious choice, there may be times you wish to infuse ink onto other materials. Can this be done and how does cardstock play a role in this? In order to understand the process, we must first explain how it can be done.
How To Use Cricut Infusible Ink On Cardstock
There are two ways with which to infuse ink onto a base material. The first is Cricut infusible ink transfer sheets and the second is Cricut infusible ink pens. Each is slightly different in the way they perform.
Cricut Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets
To use Cricut infusible ink transfer sheets, begin by using Cricut Design Space to draw your design. Depending on the type of design or pattern you choose, you may need to mirror the design so that it shows up correctly when transferred onto your desired base material. For example, a buffalo check design would not need to be mirrored but lettering would need to be mirrored.
Once you have your design ready to go in Cricut Design Space, make sure to select infusible ink transfer sheets as your material. After it has been printed, trim the design as needed in order to fit your desired base material, in this case, the cardstock paper. Cover the cardstock paper with butcher paper and use the Cricut EasyPress to heat it up. Once it is preheated, place the infusible ink transfer sheet on top of the cardstock paper, cover it with another sheet of cardstock paper and butcher paper and press down using your Cricut EasyPress machine. Once it has cooled, remove the infusible ink transfer sheet to view your infused design.
Cricut Infusible Ink Pens
To use Cricut infusible ink pens, begin by using Cricut Design Space to draw your design. If you are creating your own design and not choosing a pre-existing template, remember to mirror your design so it shows up correctly on your final product. Load your infusible ink pen into your Cricut machine and allow it to begin drawing your design for you onto laser paper. Alternatively, you can forgo the machine and use the infusible ink pens to draw by hand. If you choose to draw by hand, make sure that you can handle drawing the design backward so that the end product shows up correctly.
Next, you must cover your desired base material, in this case, the cardstock paper, with butcher paper. Use the Cricut EasyPress to heat it up. Now that it is preheated, you can place the laser paper with your infusible ink image on top of the cardstock paper, cover it with another sheet of cardstock paper and butcher paper and press down using your Cricut EasyPress machine. Carefully remove the paper as it will be hot and enjoy your infusible ink design.
It is important to remember that regardless of which base material you choose to infuse your design on, it needs to be white or light in color. If it isn’t, the color will not be clearly visible when it has been infused. Otherwise, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to using infusible ink on cardstock. Get creative and have fun.