At Zoom Precision we have normally stuck with metal crafts, but today I got distracted and want to share a cool new discovery I've made.
I'm sure you're not new to vinyl, there's all sorts of it, but we found a fun new type of vinyl that literally POPS out at you!
My little niece is all about pink, flowers, and sparkles and is learning to write her name. One day while babysitting she said she wanted a shirt with her name on it!
I found this 3D Puff Vinyl, ordered it, tried it, and thought it was super fun! It adhered to the fabric well, washed very well, and was some of the simplest vinyl to apply at home with my iron.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUTTING/WEEDING:
For this project, I used my Silhouette Cameo 4 with an Autoblade set on the software at a depth of 5. This can be done with a Cricut or Brother ScanNCut as well along with the vinyl blades they have, I chose the Silhouette as Silhouette Studio tends to have the most editing options and it was close.
Things to know/remember:
- This is adhesive backed vinyl (no need for transfer tape!)
- When you place the vinyl on the mat make certain the dull side is facing upward
- Always FLIP YOUR DESIGN HORIZONTALLY so that when you place it, it is readable.
Once the design has been cut. I use any type of sharp needle to weed the vinyl. This vinyl weeded very nicely. For this, I couldn't find my pick and actually used the Fine Tip on my Zoom Precision Engraving Tool 😂
INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLYING TO FABRIC
While I've only used this on a cotton/polyester blend, it says it will work on Nylon, Spandex, Silk, Linen, and others!
Once it is weeded use the following tips to apply:
When placing the vinyl, place the shiny side up so the vinyl is touching the fabric and the plastic adhesive sheet is facing up. Use the "Measure twice and cut once" principle here when deciding where to place the vinyl. Make sure there are no wrinkles.
The instructions said to warm the iron to 329 degrees F or "Wool" setting. I started with that but wasn't getting the puff I wanted. Hence, I turned my iron all the way up to linen and let it sit for a minute and got more puff out of it. As long as the fabric is ok at that heat, I think the vinyl will be ok. So check the maximum heat for the fabric and stay below that.
Put a piece of just normal computer paper between your iron and the plastic as seen below. Move the iron around slowly to evenly distribute the heat. This vinyl was puffed and ready to go after about 15 seconds.
Keep checking under the piece of paper if the vinyl has risen yet. This is what it will look like when it is puffed! The Vinyl will push the adhesive backing off, you will not need to pull it off at all!
I had a small wrinke in the middle of the "X" and "I" which made the puff not as puffy there. Up close you can see but from more than 2 feet away you couldn't see it.
All in all, I was very pleased with this vinyl and think it makes a fun addition to anyone's craft room. Comment below with any questions!
Happy Crafting!