When it comes to vinyl and layering, not everyone gets excited and so many people ask, “is there an easier way?”
The answer is YES.
Have a project you want to make for the kids, but there’s a lot of colours involved and the thought of layering all that vinyl makes your eye twitch? Let me introduce you to Printable products. All you need is a regular inkjet printer, your Cricut and a heat press or iron.
Your options
But what’s the difference you ask?
Printable HTV gives a soft, flexible vinyl feel and is ideal for intricate designs that you cut and weed before applying with a heat transfer mask. Inkjet Transfer Paper, on the other hand, is great for quick, full-colour designs—just print, trim, and press directly onto your fabric. Both work with standard inkjet printers but offer different finishes and applications. They both deliver vibrant results and are perfect for custom t-shirts, accessories, and DIY projects. The right choice depends on your project style and preference!
Creating your design
Now for the fun part. Because we don’t have to worry about layering vinyl, you can let your imagination run wild.
You can either create your image in Design Space, or another design program like Canva. If using Canva, just save the file with a transparent background and upload into Design Space.
Not feeling creative? That’s ok too. There are plenty of places online to find the perfect image. Check out Etsy, Creative Fabrica and Playground to name a few.
When you’ve selected the image you want to work with, you’re ready to upload into Design Space.
Open a blank canvas > click on “Upload” > Upload Image > Browse your device for the image you want > Continue.
Select and remove the background if there is one. You can select “Preview Single Layer” to make sure you’ve removed any smaller parts of your background around the image. Once you’re happy, click “apply & continue”.
Tip – you can change your canvas background colour in Design Space to see what it might look like on your blank. This also helps you see the offset clearly.
Once on the canvas, add a white offset to your image. Remember, the smaller the offset, the closer to the image it will cut. Select both layers, then flatten and resize. If the image is too big, a warning will pop up on your “layers” tab. This will give you the option to auto resize your image to best fit the page.
Time to print…
Once you select “Make” ensure the material size is set to A4.
Select “Send to printer” > select your preferred printer > turn “Add Bleed” off and turn “Use System Dialog” on. This is the part that will allow you to change print settings.
Print settings are key here, personally I select a Matte presentation paper and print in the highest quality available on my printer. Each printer is different though, sometimes with EcoTank printers, it’s best to stick with normal paper and standard quality so it doesn’t flood your page with ink.
When printing in Design Space, you DO NOT need to mirror the design like you normally would with HTV.
It’s best to give your image a few minutes to dry before continuing the next step of cutting out your design. After you have cut out your image, I like to leave mine sit for an hour or so before pressing. Just to make sure the ink is completely dry.
The final step
The last step is preparing your blank with a quick heat press to remove any moisture and a lint roller to remove any loose hairs/fibres.
If your design is one solid piece, you can just carefully remove it from the backing sheet or for more intricate designs, use Teckwrap VersaTape or a Mask Sheet – it’s a bit like transferring adhesive vinyl.
When applying the VersaTape or Mask Sheet, make sure you apply slowly from one end using a scraper or brayer to ensure there are no air bubbles and a smooth application.
Follow the heat instructions that came with your printable product and voila; Layered look, less fuss!
