According to Cricut, there are three main factors that contribute to getting professional heat transfer results at home. Your household iron can meet some of these, but not all. I am going to start by saying that I thought peeling-off vinyl after a couple of washes was normal until I read some forums about issues with iron-on. For the customizing crafter who wants to build their heat-transfer foundation and then some. Get Cricut EasyPress 2 plus the Essentials Iron-On Bundle, including two must-have tool sets and 10 iron-on materials so you can bring the heat right out of the box. For precise time and temperature settings and recommended pressure for your project, refer to the Cricut Heat Guide or Cricut Heat app (for Cricut EasyPress 3). Note: Ensure your design is within the maximum recommended design sizes for using Cricut EasyPress Mini with iron-on (4" W x 3.5" L or 1.7" W x 5.25" L).

Find a firm, flat, heat-resistant surface, around waist-high. Use an EasyPress Mat to protect your surface. The EasyPress 2 is a companion to the Cricut cutting machine, and it makes transferring iron-on vinyl and Infusible materials way easier. Cricut EasyPress Mini: This is the latest release from Cricut and it’s the perfect shape for small projects in awkward places or surfaces, like: You don’t have to apply pressure—just let it sit there doing its thing. After the EasyPress timer beeps, burnish the design. I like to do this for most of my heat transfer projects, honestly. I take a balled-up paper towel and rub all over the design to help the iron-on film adhere as it cools. You can see me doing this in the video I have in this post. The Complete Guide to Using the EasyPress 2 with Cricut Everyday Iron-on Heat Up Time: The EasyPress 2 rises to temperature up to 25% faster than the original. The mini size heats up in just over one minute, and the medium size takes just two minutes.You could also use a folded towel on a flat surface with your project on top of it. When you apply the EasyPress, the raised seam or zipper areas will flatten out since the towel material has a bit more give. 3. Use a folded towel as a filler They have improved several aspects, the first version was only available in one size and one color, now some of the sizes are available in a range of colors. And here are a few other things the EasyPress 2 has that the original EasyPress doesn’t—these wouldn’t necessarily be something that would impact my buying decision personally, but you should be aware of them: The EasyPress and EasyPress 2 are both easy to use, do not require a press cloth for most projects, are great for layered projects, are compatible with all major brands of heat-transfer materials (not just Cricut), and help transfers hold up and look great through multiple washes.

Plug and turn your EasyPress 2 on, set your temperature: Depending on what you are using you need to set the temperature accordingly, for this sample project the temperature should be 290°F (or 145°C) and the times to 30 seconds. If you don’t want to learn the process for yourself, no worries! You can skip ahead and just grab my project – the work will already be done for you! You can view my project here.) Peel the carrier sheet: One thing you want to pay attention to, in case you use a different brand of iron-on vinyl, is if it’s cold, warm or hot peel. While it might seem like it’s just a silly detail. Some kinds of heat transfer vinyl work better when peeled off at a certain temperature.Apply heat.Start timer and move Cricut EasyPress Mini continuously all over design until timer reaches 0. Cover all areas of design including center and edges and allow heat plate to extend approximately 0.5" (13 mm) beyond all edges of design.

Heat presses normally have square or rectangular shapes and the heat is evenly distributed through the whole surface to provide a high-quality transfer. Start timer and move Cricut EasyPress Mini continuously across design until timer reaches 0. Cover all areas of design including center and edges and allow heat plate to extend approximately 0.5" (13 mm) beyond all edges of design. The EasyPress 2 heats up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit which makes it perfect to use with infusible ink products since you need constant, spread-up high heat for the transfer to be successful.

Another benefit of the EasyPress in comparison to an industrial heat press is the size and the weight, heat presses are bulky and extremely heavy. Trim Infusible Ink Transfer Sheet liner close to the design, then secure to blank with Heat Resistant Tape to prevent shifting during transfer. Design sizes for application with Cricut EasyPress Mini range from the smallest area you can reach with the precision tip up to a surface area that is about 2X the heat plate. Recommended settings are optimized with the maximum sizes in mind: Always work on a flat surface! I know that this should be a very obvious point, but many times, especially if we are in a rush, we could potentially forget to clear a flat and firm area to work with the EasyPress. This will make applying pressure so much easier. For flat base materials, find a firm, flat, heat-resistant surface around waist high and use an Easypress Mat to protect surface.

RELATED: Thinking about getting a Cricut machine? Read my easy guide to Cricut cutting machines here. The Cricut EasyPress Mat is a must have, in my opinion. Have you ever tried to do iron-on projects on a towel and ended up with a ton of moisture? Or on an ironing board and ended up with some wonky rippling in your design? The EasyPress Mat prevents all of this, all while being use to use and store. Max temperature: The EasyPress 2 has a max temp of 400 degrees, compared to the original’s max temp of 350. Because you won't have to manually press down with those and some clamp allowing you to multitask while pressing, making it faster and more convenient for you. Note: Ensure your design is within the maximum recommended design sizes for using Cricut EasyPress Mini with Infusible Ink (2.75" W x 2.75" L or 1.625" W x 5" L).I’m going to be totally honest with you—if you only do a few heat transfer or iron-on projects a year, you probably don’t need an EasyPress or EasyPress 2. But if you do a lot of crafting work, this bad boy will up your quality while also saving you time. And if you sell your products, you need a heat press to ensure uniform, professional results across your projects. One great tip from the folks at Cricut is to fold your base material in half and use your EasyPress to create small creases in the material. This will for a plus sign on your base material that will help guide you when placing larger items.