Knowing what kind of Cricut vinyl to work with can be a bit confusing if you're new in the vinyl world. Cricut has a wide variety of vinyl finishes and formats, and at the beginning, you might be a bit lost because you don't know what kind of vinyl you need for your project.
However, choosing the proper vinyl is much easier than it seems. With just a few basic notions, you will already know which vinyl is the perfect one for each project.
To simplify the whole vinyl issue, we could say that there are two main categories of vinyl: the adhesive ones and the iron-on ones. Broadly speaking, we can say that the first ones are the ones we use to stick on different surfaces (mugs, notebooks, etc.) On the other side, the iron-on ones are the ones we apply heat to transfer the design to fabric projects.
Within each of these categories, you find different types of vinyl with more specific categories.
Adhesive Vinyls
Permanent Vinyl
This type of vinyl lasts well over time and is ideal if you want to do any outdoor project.
Removable Vinyl
As its name says, it is removable, so you can change its place or remove it without too much effort. It is very appropriate on certain occasions. For example, if you want to decorate a wall with it which eventually, you'll have to remove. This kind of vinyl leaves little or no adhesive residue on the treated surface.
Both the permanent and removable ones come in a wide range of finishes, matt, glossy, or shinny.
Premium Vinyl
It also belongs to the adhesive vinyl category. The big difference with the previous ones is that Premium vinyls are easier to work with, as it is much easier to remove them. Also, as you apply the vinyl to your project, there won't be any bubbles or folds.
Its application is permanent and will last up to 3 years. Perfect for projects that will be outdoors, as it is water and UV-resistant.
Iron-On Vinyls
Also called Heat Transfer Vinyls (HTV) are sheets or rolls that adhere to certain fabrics by applying some heat.
Iron On Transfer Vinyl Everyday
We're talking about the most common range of heat transfer types of vinyl. There are dozens of designs, both plain and patterned, to apply to a wide variety of surfaces. These vinyls will last intact for up to 50 washes.
Iron On Transfer Vinyl Sportflex
It has all the features of the brand's heat transfer vinyls, but these vinyls are specially designed for sportswear. They are more flexible and elastic to better adapt to your movements, and they will remain undamaged for up to 50 washes.
It is recommended to use this type of vinyl on materials such as polyester and nylon.
In addition, the range of transferable vinyls has different prints and finishes, among which foil and glitter vinyls stand out.
Smart Materials
We can't talk about vinyls without mentioning the Smart vinyl range. The Smart materials cover up different accessories, not only vinyls, and its main feature is that they don't need a cutting mat to work with them. Within this range, you can also find iron-on, adhesive or permanent vinyls.
Infusible Ink
The Infusible Ink product range is the highest quality range of the brand that will make your designs last for years and years.
The Infusible Ink vinyls must be applied on Infusible Ink products, now available: mugs, T-shirts, fabric bags, or coasters.
These are the different product ranges of Cricut, within each of them there are dozens of different colours and designs to choose the one that best suits our projects.
Now tell us, what kind of vinyl do you usually work with, which is your favourite one?
