Learn all about the new Cricut hat press, EasyPress 3, and Cricut Heat App. Step by step on how to use Cricut hat press with a written and video tutorial!

This post is sponsored by Cricut, however, all opinions and projects are my own.

I’m so excited to share these brand new products from Cricut! Cricut is getting smart like the rest of our house and has made a new Cricut heat app that connects seamlessly with the new Cricut hat press and Cricut EasyPress 3!

That’s right, all the settings and detailed instructions you need to make a perfect press is now right at your fingertips. And the new hat press from Cricut is my favorite!

I have so much to tell you in this beginner’s guide to get started using the Cricut hat press, heat app, and EasyPress 3, so grab some coffee and prepare for some ooohhhs and aaahhhhs to escape from your mouth!

Here’s What We’ll Go Over:

How is the Cricut hat press different from other hat presses?

What is the Cricut Heat App?

What hats can you use with the Cricut hat press?

What materials can you use on hats?

Things to know before you start with the hat press

How to Use Cricut Hat Press Step by Step Instructions

All about the new Cricut EasyPress 3

Hat Press and EasyPress 3 Video Tutorial

How is the Cricut Hat Press different from other hat presses?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Shareasale, Cricut, Awin, CreativeFabrica, and Amazon.com. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my links (purple text). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Cricut hat press is much different than other models! Most hat presses or hat press attachments are large and clunky and heavy. But now you can have pro hats in 90 seconds with this easy portable press!

The Cricut hat press is small, sleek, handheld, and only weighs 2.4 lbs (1kg). You can store the hat press in a cabinet or on the side of a table since it’s so portable.

This is not a hat press that you stick a hat in and clamp something shut. You’ll actually glide the curved heat plate back and forth over the curved surface of the hat to ensure an amazing transfer!

Because of the curved heat plate, it’s much easier to use on the front of hats than the Cricut mini press. The Mini is great for the bills of hats, but the new pressing form and curved plate is really a game changer!

In the Cricut hat press box, you’ll get much-needed supplies to get started. The box includes the pretty zen blue Cricut hat press, a safety base, the Cricut hat pressing form, strong heat resistant tape, and the quick start and user guides.

ALLERGY WARNING: The inside of the hat pressing form contains walnut shells. If you are allergic to walnuts, please keep that in mind. The walnut shells help to eliminate moisture and direct heat to the project while providing a firm pressing surface.

The hat press from Cricut has a curved ceramic heat plate with an extra coating of protection so it will glide easily over the material’s surface.

The hat press has three different temperature settings:

LOW – for use with sensitive base materials and heat-transfer materials that need a temperature of 255F-295F (125C-145C) for 60 seconds
MEDIUM – use with most base materials and standard iron on vinyl for temperatures needing 300F-355F (150C-180C) for 60 seconds
HIGH – for use with Infusible Ink materials, and other heat-transfer materials that tranfser between 360F-400F (185-205C). Timer will set to 90 seconds.

The Cricut hat press will retail for $149 in the United States.

What is the Cricut Heat App?

Cricut also just released a brand new FREE smart app as a companion to the newest heat presses. The Cricut Heat App (available on both android and iOS mobile phones in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store respectively) connects via Bluetooth to both the Cricut Hat Press and the new EasyPress 3.

No more always looking on the Cricut heat guide what temperature and time you should use for all the different materials and base material. Now, once you input what transfer material and base material you are using in the Heat App it is sent to the paired heat press and all of the information is at your fingertips!

project overview cricut heat press app — Screenshot of heat app

The Cricut heat app is straightforward to connect to your devices once it’s installed on your phone. Follow all the prompts or watch my YouTube video at the bottom of this post to watch how to set up the Cricut Heat app.

The Heat app will show which materials you will need for your project and all the recommended settings. You can click on the Detailed Instructions button to get step by step tutorial on how to layer items for the press, a video tutorial, care instructions, and more! Essentially everything that was on the Cricut heat guide is now on your smartphone.

We will be going through exactly how to use the Cricut heat app when using it with the Cricut hat press and when using it with the EasyPress 3 below!

What hats can you use with the Cricut Hat Press?

You can use almost any hat or hat style with the hat press! The included hat form turns any hat into the perfect pressing surface.

And no need to worry about seams anymore. The Cricut hat press presses the material perfectly over the crease in the middle (just be wary of buttons, eyelets, and things!)

Cricut has also released their own line of Cricut hat blanks that are specially engineered to work with Cricut heat-transfer materials.

You can get the Cricut ball cap blank in grey (80%poly/20%cotton) or a Cricut trucker hat blank with a white polyester front and black mesh back. Both of these hat blanks retail for around $9.99 or in packs for less.

The Cricut hat blanks are perfect to use with iron-on vinyl (HTV), Infusible Ink, and other sublimation transfers.

What materials can you use on hats?

There are so many materials that Cricut has tested that work perfectly with the hat press and different hats. Almost any kind of iron-on vinyl can be pressed onto cotton, cotton/poly mix, or polyester hats.

What also makes the hat press great is that you can use any Cricut cutting machine that you own. The small cuts that you need are perfect to cut with the Cricut Joy, the Cricut Explore Air, or the Cricut Maker family.

However, Cricut Infusible Ink transfer sheets or Infusible Ink pens will only work on the high polyester count hats. You can also apply sublimation transfers to these types of sublimation hat blanks.

As you scroll through the heat app, there is a long list of transfer materials listed.

Things to Know Before You Start with the Hat Press

I’m sure you are wanting to jump in and see how this amazing little hat press works, but bear with me, as I give you some important Cricut hat press tips for beginners.

The Cricut Heat App is needed to activate the Hat Press. Once the press is activated via bluetooth connection, you don’t have to use the app if you don’t want to (I love it, so will always use it!). This also goes for the Cricut EasyPress 3. Once they are activated, you can manually push the buttons as you would on the EasyPress 2. (If you don’t have a smartphone, borrow someones to activate the devices!) Make sure your phone and press are within 7 feet of each other to connect.
The Cricut hat press has a safety feature that will turn the machine off automatically after 13 minutes of inactivity. You’ll hear a warning beep 30 seconds before it shuts off.
The Cricut hat form is 6.5 in deep by 5.2 inches tall by 7.5 inches wide and weighs 3 pounds. DO NOT wash, bleach, dry, use steam or dry clean the form.
You’ll need to use Strong Heat Resistant Tape (a roll is included in the box). This ensures your design will not more and cause ghosting or distortion when moving the hat press from side to side.
As with all Infusible Ink transfer sheets, use a piece of butcher paper between the design and heat plate to protect it. When using Infusible Ink markers, use 3 layers of butcher paper.
The maximum design size recommendation to use with the Cricut hat press is 2.25 inches high x 4.25 inches wide (5.7 cm x 10.79 cm)
You can use both heat transfer vinyl and Infusible Ink on one hat, just make sure the Infusible Ink is pressed first. Then layer the iron-on vinyl on top. Make sure to change the hat press settings in between presses with the app.
Use a lint roller over the entire hat blank before you tape your design down. Lint-rolling helps to prevent dust, hair, and lint being pressed into the blank.
Do not apply Infusible Ink to the bill of the Cricut hat blanks. The high temperature will cause the bill to warp and bubble. But you can apply iron-on to the bill.

How to Use Cricut Hat Press

For my first hat, I am going to be applying Infusible Ink onto the trucker hat blank.

If you are unfamiliar with Infusible Ink, make sure to check out my post all about how to cut and work with Infusible Ink transfer sheets.

How to Use Cricut Hat Press for Beginners!

Yield: 1 hat

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Estimated Cost: $10

Learn how to use a Cricut hat press to make your own unique hat. Make sure to watch the video for all these steps in action!

Materials

Tools

Cricut Hat Press & Form
Strong heat resistant tape
lint roller
Cricut machine - Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Maker, or Cricut Joy

Instructions

Find or design image in Cricut Design Space. Size below 2.25 inch tall by 4.25 inch wide.
Turn on mirror setting and set material setting. I am cutting Infusible Ink transfer sheets with my Cricut Maker 3. Place sheet on Cricut cutting mat ink side up. Follow on screen prompts to cut out
Crack transfer sheet and peel off excess with fingers. Trim transfer sheet close to edges of the design.
Turn on Cricut hat press by pushing middle Power button on the side of the device.
Open Cricut Heat App and select Create New Project. Select Infusible Ink transfer sheet as transfer material and Trucker Hat as "applied to" material. Click next on app and then click on "send settings to hat press"
Prepare the hat to be pressed by pulling down the sweat band and unhooking the back.
Put the hat pressing form inside the hat so the sweatband is still out. Ensure that it is a snug fit and clasp the back on the back side of the trucker hat.
There is a handle on the round form that will be facing out. Use the handle if you need to turn the form to ensure the top is flat.
With the back side of the hat facing down, so the hat is standing up with the front of the hat facing you, use your hand to press down on the top of the hat to flatten the form and remove air bubbles.
Lint roll the white part of the hat.
Preheat the hat by placing the press on for 5 seconds (following the heat apps instructions). Push the top button (Go triangle) on the press for the timer to start counting down.
After the hat is preheated, center and place the Infusible Ink or iron-on image on the hat at least 0.5 inch above the edge of the bill. The plastic backing will be on top and you will be able to read the image the correct way. Using strong heat resistant tape, secure all four sides of the image down making sure it's tight.
If using Infusible Ink, tape a piece of butcher paper on top of the image to protect the heat plate. If using iron-on vinyl, you can skip this step.
Place the hat press on top of the hat and press the Go button. Your heat app will start counting down from 90 or 60 seconds depending on your material.
For the entire time, you are going to slide the hat press back and forth over the top of the hat with light pressure. Slide the heat plate so it goes about 0.5 inches past the edge of your image on each side. This ensures that the entire image gets the same amount of time and helps prevent press marks in your hat blank. The constant motion should be similar to the speed of using an iron or computer mouse.
Once the timer has counted down and beeped, place the hat press in it's holder. Remove the butcher paper and then the plastic backing.
Take the hat off the form, and Oooh and aaah over your new personalized pro hat!

Notes

Make sure to watch the video for all the steps in action and how the continuous side to side motion works.

All About the New EasyPress 3

Ok, now let’s move into the other new heat press from Cricut – the EasyPress 3! This upgraded model works via BlueTooth with the Cricut heat app.

The Cricut EasyPress 3 has all the same great features as the EasyPress 2 with the added bonus of it connecting to your mobile devices.

If you have not taken the leap into heat presses and are still using a home iron, now is the time to upgrade! The price is only about $10 more than the EasyPress 2 and you will get way better presses (and can do sublimation presses) than a regular iron gives you.

The new Cricut EasyPress 3 is a zen blue color and comes in two different sizes: 9×9 inch retails for $199, and 12×10 inch retailing for $249.

The Cricut Heat App works exactly the same with the EasyPress 3 as it does with the hat press. Once the EasyPress 3 is activated with a smartphone it will show up as a device to use.

Let’s make a quick tote bag with the EasyPress 3. You can also watch me make some coasters with it in the video below!

In the Heat app, start a new project.

Then select your transfer material and applied to material. I’m using Everyday Iron-on Metallic on a cotton canvas. Click on Next.

Turn EasyPress 3 on.

All details pop up. Click Send Settings to EasyPress.

Then follow all of the on-screen instructions.

Press the flashing triangle Go button for the preheat timer to start counting down.

I had already cut out my heat transfer vinyl on my Cricut cutting machine and weeded it. I placed the heat press pad inside my tote.

And then place the iron on vinyl lining side up on the center of the tote.

Then following the app, I placed my EasyPress 3 on once it was at the correct temperature and pushed the flashing green light to start the countdown.

Then the app told me to flip the tote over and press the back for 15 seconds.

After the timer beeped, I set the EasyPress back onto its holder and let the iron on cool before I peeled it.

Easy Peasy! My new cute tote bag is ready to go!

In the YouTube video below, I go over how to use the Cricut hat press by making two different style hats, how to set up the Cricut heat app, and also how to make a set of coasters with the new Easypress 3.

Hat Press and EasyPress 3 Video Tutorial

If you’d like to watch the full video, head on over to my YouTube channel here.

I hope I answered the majority of your questions about the hat press, heat app, and Cricut EasyPress 3. They really are a great new release by Cricut and super easy to use.

Head on over to Cricut.com to learn even more!

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

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