I will be testing out infusible ink vinyl and infusible ink pens on a baby onesie. Infusible inks work best on 100% polyester materials. It does require a lot of heat, but I was able to make this baby onesie with a small cheap iron.
Infusible ink is different from HTV or iron on vinyl, because it infuses into the fabric. With HTV vinyl you can feel the vinyl on top of your material. With infusible inks the ink itself is what transfers to the fabrics. You do not feel anything on the shirt. I also decorated a sequence pillow with infusible inks. If you are interested to see how to make one, then please click here.
I started out by having my Cricut use the infusible ink pens to drawl an outline of my roses. Since it was only an image, and it did not matter which way the roses were facing, I did not mirror my design. If your design contains words or numbers, or you want your design to face a certain way, then make sure to mirror it before having the Cricut make it. The same is true for the infusible ink vinyl. Also do not forget to change your lines to drawl. To do this you will want to click the drop down menu under operations (it should say basic cuts), then select pen, under the draw section. Now click on the color square just to the right. Then, scroll down to the Maker (1mm) and click on it. Now just select the color of the marker you will be using. You could select any color you want really, but it will change your design to the color you pick, which just helps you visualize what your design will look like.
Once my Cricut finished drawling my rose out line, I then colored in the roses by hand. I find the coloring relaxing. The infusible ink pens only work on laser printer paper. So, make sure you purchase some laser print paper before starting this project or any project involving infusible ink pens. I used this laser printer paper, but any should work just fine. Hammermill 125534 Premium Laser Print Paper, 98 Bright, 28lb, 8.5 x 11, White, 500/Ream, Sold As 1 Ream I used the setting printer paper to make my design.
Next, I made my words with the infusible ink vinyl. Do not forget to mirror your design before making it. I think I have some old vinyl, because it was a little difficult to weed out. It wanted to separate, and you can see in several spots the white backing remained on the clear sheet when I pulled the unwanted areas off. I then went back in and removed all these white pieces that were left behind. I do not think it would have mattered if I left them or not, since there was no color on them to be transferred. You will want to remove any areas of your design you do not want to show in your shirt. I used the setting infusible ink transfer sheet to make my design. You will want to apply the color side of the vinyl facing up on your mat.
Now that your design is ready to go, you will want to pre heat your shirt for about 15 sec. I then used the infant shirt ruler I made earlier, click here to see how I made it, or click here to purchase my SVG file to make your own, to help me line up my design and get it centered. You will want to lay both the infusible ink pen, and the infusible ink vinyl design face down. If you are using a heat press, then you will want to set it to 385 F for 40 sec with light pressure. For my small iron I used the hottest setting, no steam or water, and held it for 40 sec per section. Lastly do not forget to place butcher paper on top of your infusible ink designs. This prevents any bleeding and keeps your heat source clean. I also recommend putting something between your fabric layers to ensure the colors do not bleed into the other layers of your fabric as well. A towel or heat pad covered with paper would work. The paper is to protect your towel or heat pad from getting the colors on them. Both the infusible in pens and vinyl are a warm peel. So, you can remove and reveal your design once it becomes warm, not hot to the touch. Be careful not to burn your fingers.
Preheating 
When I was applying the iron to my flower, I removed my iron a little early on the right side of the design. This is why this flower is a little lighter in color than the other. I like that the flowers are a little different shade. It makes them look a little more real. It also makes the lighter flower look like the mom, and the darker flower, the dad. The laser print paper that has my design on it is still very vibrant even after transferring the ink to the shirt. I may keep it, and make a picture out of it or something.
The infusible ink vinyl turned out great, except for the B in bud. When I started to peel off the clear sheet I noticed the B was not as dark as the other letters. I must have missed this section with my iron. Irons also do not distribute heat evenly. So, they are not idea, for shirt making, but they do work. Since I do not sell my shirts or make many, the iron is fine for now for me. I tried to lay down my design again to apply a little more heat to the letter B, but I noticed it was not perfectly lined up and started to make the others letter look like they were running. So, I decided it was just best to leave it alone. It probably would have been best to just not try to lay it down again, but oh well. I am still happy with how it turned out over all.
I could have done the entire baby onesie in just the markers or just the vinyl, but I used both to show you how they work. Shirts with infusible ink can be washed inside out with cool water, tumble dry on low. You should not use fabric softener, dryer sheets, or bleach.
If you do not want to read through my entire post every time to remember the steps to use infusible inks, then check out this table I made. It contains all the information you should need in an easy to read table, that you can print out and leave by your crafting station. It also has a table with suggested sizes to make your designs depending on the size of shirt you are making.
Over all I am pleased with how this baby onesie turned out. Most people probably will not notice the double letters when it is on a baby. I really like working with the infusible ink pens, and being able to drawl designs, and color them in. You can use infusible ink on many other materials, and I will probably try out more sometime in the future. Let me know what you have made with infusible ink pens or vinyl. I love to see your creations.
If you would like all this information and more in an easy to read table, so it is easier to find quickly when crafting, and to keep by your crafting area, then click here!
If you are interested in purchasing infusible ink pens, here is a link to help you know what to look for. Cricut Infusible Ink Markers 15 Pack
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