Tips for Using the Cricut EasyPresses
with Siser® Heat Transfer Vinyl
The great thing about HTV is you don’t need much to start out. A cutter and a home iron is about all you need when you’re just a “beginner” and making items for yourself and family members. But after working with an iron for a while, you’ll likely find yourself thinking there’s got to be an easier way, and there is! The Cricut EasyPress is a simple step up to “intermediate” and is good for when you have one foot in each pond, ie: some projects for sale and some for personal use. A heat press is still our #1 choice for best quality applications and is ideal for advanced users with full businesses, but with the EasyPress’ growing popularity, I thought it’s time to share our tips for working with the little guys!
The Cricut EasyPress comes in a variety of sizes and colors. The 12″ x 10″, 9″ x 9″, and 6″ x 7″ function the same, but the Mini’s heat settings are different than the others. Let’s discuss the first 3 and then we’ll get into working with the Mini.
Tips for Applying Siser HTV with the Cricut EasyPress 1 and 2
The EasyPress is more suited for HTV projects than a home iron due to its lack of steam holes. The smooth plate won’t leave impression marks in the vinyl. Additionally, you can adjust the time and temperature to exactly what you’re looking for all while reading off the digital screen. However, Time+Temperature+Pressure= the best press and the pressure factor is where things can go a little sideways…literally.
Your upper body strength determines how much pressure is applied on the heat transfer vinyl. If you lean to one side a little more than the other or press stronger with one arm, you might notice one side of the heat transfer vinyl is more applied than the other. To avoid this issue, do your best to stay centered over the EasyPress. If you find you can’t get enough pressure on the HTV, move to a lower table or even the floor in order to get more oomph behind your press. Just be sure the surface you move to can handle the heat. Tile is cool and will pull away the heat, so try to stick with a wood floor or wooden cutting board (that you purchased just for crafting. Nobody wants food debris in their HTV!)
Notice the EasyPress mat off to the side? You don’t always need it, especially when applying EasyWeed® Stretch!
Lastly, most quality heat presses are made so that the heat is evenly and consistently distributed. While the EasyPress does a better job than an iron of holding on to heat, we still find that best results are achieved when adding an additional 30°F to the suggested Heat Press setting.
For Example: To heat apply EasyWeed® on a Heat Press we’d recommend 305°F. To heat apply EasyWeed on a Cricut EasyPress, we’d suggest 335°F. The time remains the same!
But what if you’re pressing more than one color? Watch this video for how to layer EasyWeed with the Cricut EasyPress.
You can accomplish most projects with the Cricut EasyPress sizes we just covered, but the latest EasyPress is for all your mini making!
Tips for Applying Siser HTV with the Cricut EasyPress Mini
All the tips above can also be applied to the Mini. Like the EasyPresses before it, the Mini has a smooth plate and cool color scheme. Except the EasyPress Mini doesn’t have room for a digital read out, so instead there’s 3 heat setting buttons on the side. Cricut offers a guide to each setting and their temperature range, but you’ll still need to tack on that extra 30°F for best results with Siser HTV, so you’ll likely end up using the middle or highest setting for most projects.
Like this paper flower corsage with HTV decorated ribbon? See how it was made on IGTV!
With the proper combination of time, temperature, and pressure, your projects will look professional! Want to practice? Download the FREE “Bloom Where You’re Planted” cut file and try these tips out!
This post goes over the most frequently asked questions and issues we’ve received from customers regarding the Cricut EasyPress. If you’re still having trouble with your project, please email our team at support@siserna.com for additional troubleshooting.
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Would the instructions be the same to apply Easyweed Stretch using a Cricut EasyPress?
Yes, Vina! EasyWeed® Stretch requires firm pressure, so you may need to use a low table or apply on the floor in order to get more body weight over the EasyPress as suggested in this post.
Do you have a basic sheet on temp and time to heat press diferent types of vinyl?
Sorry, Linda! We do not have a graphic with all the temps and times for Siser HTV and the EasyPress. However, you can see our recommended settings for a home iron and heat press on each product page of our website under the “Application Instructions” tab.
I used the recommended settings for my Easy Press 2 to iron on EasyWeed vinyl (set the temp to 335 for 15 seconds since it was recommended to add 30 degrees to the heat press settings you all have posted). When I lifted the press, the carrier sheet was on my easy press. The vinyl stuck to the shirt just fine, but I never had to pull the carrier sheet off. Is the temp too hot or did I leave it on too long? This was my first project and a small one at that, so I wanted to be sure to adjust everything before I jumped off and did something bigger.
Hi Leslie! Sometimes the plastic carrier will static cling to to the heat plate (on a home iron, EasyPress, or Heat Press.) It doesn’t mean anything is wrong with the application, but if you want to prevent it you can use a heat transfer cover sheet (or parchment paper or a cotton pressing cloth.)
Thanks – I ended up getting a teflon sheet and it works great.
When using Siser with Easy Press, do you flip the shirt over and heat the back once you’re all done? Some sites say to do this.
Hi Cindy! We do not recommend flipping the shirt and pressing from the back when using Siser® Heat Transfer Vinyl. Since we recommend using a higher temperature, the second press isn’t necessary.
Do the heat temperatures / times need to be altered depending on the material you are adhering the htv to when using an EasyPress? Cricut’s Heat Setting site, for the Cricut brand of vinyl, alters the temperatures and times based on not only the type of vinyl (which is expected), but also the materials you are applying the vinyl to. If I was adhering the EasyWeed vinyl to wood instead of cotton, would the temperature and time (335 degrees for 20 sec) be the same?
Thank you for your video using the EasyPress- adding a time/temp column on your website/app for the EasyPress would be very useful for a lot of viewers!
What are the steps (including time/temp) for doing a t-shirt (100% cotton or cotton poly blend) using both Glitter and EasyWeed?
I e-mailed your support section and they suggested 330-350 for 20-30 seconds for EasyWeed and/or Glitter individually. This is different than what you did in your video. What is the actual best instructions? Thank you!
Hi Amanda! Settings for every project are likely to differ depending on the type of garments and HTV used. The steps shown in the video are what we’d recommend for an EasyWeed and EasyWeed Electric project. The suggested settings from support accurately represent the range of temperatures and times that may be needed for a successful application when using EasyWeed and Glitter on a garment. For your project specifically, I would use 350°F and press EasyWeed first for 5 seconds (peel carrier hot) then press the Glitter HTV for 5 seconds (peel carrier warm) and finish with a 10-15 second press. If anything is still lifting, continue pressing for 5 second intervals. Good luck!
Hi Lily, thank you for your reply. That is very helpful. Just out of curiosity, why do you recommend peeling the Glitter HTV carrier before the last 10-15 second press (at 350?) instead of just leaving it on? Thanks and I appreciate your help!
Hi Lily just wondering if you are doing multiple layers say 4-5 how long do you press between each layer and do you do a longer press for the last layer. Also a couple of times my vinyl has become sticky when I have pressed it is that because I pressed it to long.
Regards Janine
Hi Janine! If you’re doing 4-5 layers, I’d suggest pressing one color at a time for 1-5 seconds also known as “tacking.” Once all the layers are applied, you can press for a final 5 seconds (with a heat transfer cover sheet on top.) If anything is lifting after the last press, you can press for an additional 5 seconds. Your vinyl may become sticky if you’re using too much pressure and forcing the adhesive out the sides (appears to be a clear halo around the vinyl.) If you’re still having trouble, please email Support@SiserNA.com.