If you have a Cricut EasyPress then you know how helpful it is for using your iron-on vinyl and infusible ink successfully. If you are brand new to using an EasyPress then have no fear, it’s super simple and I’ll share some tips for you to help everything go smoothly. I’m also sharing my free printable Cricut Easypress Temperature Guide with you.
The Cricut EasyPress
What makes the Cricut Easy Press great is that it combines the consistency of a heat press machine with the easy use of an iron. It has the consistent heating surface of the heat presses but with a smaller size and lighter weight to give it the ease of use of a standard iron.
It’s ideal for iron-on vinyl and infusible ink projects. There are a few different Cricut EasyPress models and different sizes but they all provide even heat distribution and precise temperature control. I have a Cricut EasyPress 2, a CricutEasyPress 3, and the EasyPress Mini. There is also the Mug Press specifically for making mugs, the Hat Press for making custom hats, and the ultimate heat press from Cricut, the Cricut Autopress.
Why Temperature Matters
Different materials need different heat. Some materials will melt or burn if heated too much and the adhesives in some materials won’t adhere correctly if they are not pressed at the correct temperature for the correct amount of time. So if you don’t want peeling, scorching, or crackling of materials then you should make sure the temperature settings are correct.
Part of why the Cricut EasyPress is better than a regular iron is because a household iron doesn’t always distribute the heat evenly across the surface of the iron so even if you had an iron with precise temperature settings it still might cause some problems. Easypress machines heat evenly across the entire heating surface.
Cricut Heat Guide
Cricut has a heat guide where you can plug in the information for what materials you are using and it will tell you the temperature, time, and everything else you need to know for pressing your project BUT I know that some people like to have a handy cheat sheet that they can just look at in your craft room.
The Cricut Easypress 3 actually has the ability to connect to the Cricut Heat App and you can just plug your information into the app and it will actually set your settings on your Easypress 3 for you. But again, if you don’t want to have to look it all up in the Cricut Heat App or the Cricut Heat Press Guide then you can just use this cheat sheet.
My Printable Cricut EasyPress Temperature Guide
So where did I get the information for my guide? I used the heat guide from Cricut. I went one material at a time and went through all the different heat settings. This chart features all the materials in the Cricut heat guide. It includes the popular ones that you use a lot like everyday iron-on vinyl, infusible ink, and more.
I also made sure to include temperatures in both degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius in my printable version.
A couple of things to note:
- Unless otherwise noted in the chart you will preheat the base material (what you’re pressing your design onto) for 5 seconds.
- Unless otherwise noted in the chart you will press down with firm pressure when pressing.
- Everything in the chart is cool peel except for the Mosaic vinyl. That has 2 layers with different peels as noted in the chart. The first layer is a warm peel and the second layer is a cold peel.
One more thing to note… There are a lot of materials to cover so that makes this a large chart. I made PDFs in 3 sizes.
- 2 page version- This one has the smallest font, but you can print it front and back onto one sheet that you can keep handy and it’s super simple.
- 6 page version- For this one the font is a little bigger, but it’s now 6 pages total, so a little more cumbersome.
- 8 page version- This one has the largest font and therefore the largest number of pages.
I recommend the 2 page version so that you can print it front and back and just have one page that’s easy to use but I totally understand if that font is too small. You can see the three different versions in the picture below.
I’m also considering making a chart of just the super common materials so let me know if that’s something that you would be interested in by leaving a comment about it below.
Download the Printable Cricut EasyPress Temperature Guide
You will click on the name of the version of the Guide that you want below and it should prompt you to download the PDF. You will then be able to open the PDF and print it out.
These printables are free for your personal (non-commercial) use. This basically just means that you can use them yourself or you can print one for someone you know but you cannot sell the file or physical copies of the guide.
Please also check your printer settings and do a print preview before printing. If things do not look quite right you may need to click the button for “fit” or make sure the scale is not off.
Tips for Success with your EasyPress
- For best results use the Cricut Pressing Mat. You can use a towel but I find that the pressing mat yields better results. In particular with my projects involving fabrics I think that the pressing mat does a much better job in making sure that the fabric is flat and that the design is applied evenly and without issue.
- With my iron-on projects I like to use the Cricut heat-resistant tape to help keep things in place.
- Make sure whatever you’re applying your design to is clean. You might want to roll a lint roller over it to make sure there’s nothing on it that will get in the way of your design.
- Also be sure that whatever you’re applying your design to has no wrinkles. And don’t skip the preheating step either!
- When making a project with infusible ink sheets do not forget to use the included protective sheet when pressing.
- You can laminate the Cricut heat press temperature guide so that it will last a long time.
Let me know if you found this guide to be helpful or if you’ve got any additional tips please share them in the comments below! I look forward to sharing more Cricut projects and tips in the future so feel free to let me know what you would like to see.
In the meantime, be sure to check out some of my other crafting posts like my list of the best masculine Cricut fonts.
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