Step-by-step flex ironing

Are you already familiar with flex film? It is a medium used to create your own iron-on designs. All you have to do is cut out the designed pattern by hand or with a plotter from the foil in the color of your choice. Be sure to do it in mirror image! Then simply indent the design into the fabric of your choice using an iron or dedicated heat press. Sounds simple, but are you worried that in reality the process might be more complicated? Let me prove to you that creating your own iron-on designs is not difficult.

2/27/2024

Today we'll create a design together, cut it out using a Silhouette Portrait 3 plotter, and then iron it into a sweatshirt I've prepared using a Cricut heat press. I hope this will encourage you to create your own iron-on sweatshirts!

Creating the pattern and cutting

Since my iron-on will be cut with a plotter, I will design it in Silhouette Studio in dimensions appropriate for the surface it is to be placed on. I chose a simple pattern consisting of regular shapes, but the program offers many more possibilities for creation even in its basic version. So you can bet on more complicated designs. You can also buy and download patterns ideal for iron-on designs from one of the pattern platforms offering patterns in .svg format (in the case of Silhouette Studio, this format works with Designer and Business Edition - for purchase in our store).

The pattern is ready, and I go to the "Send" tab, where I select the appropriate cutting settings. After placing the film in the plotter, I can start working. If the pattern is small you can cut it directly from the roll. However, if you are planning an iron-on design in a larger format, it is worth making the cut with a mat. This will avoid stretching the material and the resulting unevenness.

Fixing a pattern on fabric

I set the Cricut heat press placed on a safety base to the temperature suitable for the flex film of my choice. I place a thermal mat inside the sweatshirt, but a regular ironing board will also work. In the meantime, I place the cut-out pattern on the prepared sweatshirt and adjust it so that after ironing, it will be positioned as I planned before.

After heating the press to the right temperature, I apply it evenly to the pattern placed on the blouse with the backing up. In addition, I protect the whole thing with baking paper, but it is not necessary.

Finished design

After the set time, I put the press back on the safety base. The flex film backing should be removed while hot or after it has cooled, depending on the manufacturer's recommendations.

And there you have it! This way you can create dedicated clothing, pillowcases, shoes, hats, bags and much more. This is a great gift idea.

If, until now, cutting iron-on cards has not been one of your favorite techniques for creating with a cutting plotter, you may want to give it a try. Let your imagination run wild, and I guarantee that the end results will positively surprise you!