If you don’t already know my love for Chalk Couture, please READ THIS FIRST!  If you have read my previous posts on Chalk Couture or if you have seen my videos on Youtube, you know how Chalk Couture is an amazing company that makes reusable, self-adhesive stencils, removable chalk paste and permanent ink.  I have a ton of tutorials on how to use the transfers and the paste, but not make tutorials on the permanent ink.  Today, I am sharing tips and tricks for using Chalk Couture ink.

Once I started using Chalk Couture ink, I completely stopped using heat transfer vinyl.  Here’s the thing- HTV pulls off after so many washes, so it’s really not permanent.  Chalk Couture Ink is permanent and never fades.  For t-shirts, tea towels and anything else that needs to be washed, I would absolutely use Chalk Couture ink over HTV.

Let me tell you, I was SCARED to use the ink!  Yup, scared.  The reason is, because it is permanent!  I have gotten so used to using the chalk paste, which is completely removable from hard surfaces! The thought of making something permanent totally freaked me out.  BUT, I started using the ink and I have learned some tips and tricks to ensure your project turns out PERFECTLY!

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First of all, the transfers can be used for ink or paste, as well as the squeegees.  The only difference is using either paste or ink.  So if you have a transfer that you LOVE and want to have it on a pillow, t-shirt, towel or hat, all you have to do is use the ink and heat set it. 

Check out this video to see how easy it is!

Tips and Tricks for Using Chalk Couture Ink

1. No need to fuzz!  That’s right.  There’s no need to fuzz a new transfer when using it on fabric.  You only need to fuzz the transfer when using it on a hard surface.  Want to know what fuzzing is?  Watch this!
2. Use the Ink Mat!   Chalk Couture makes two different sizes of ink mats.  This one is longer and made to be cut to fit the size of your project.  This square one is made for pillows and t-shirts.  Either one works GREAT.  The thing about the ink mats, they are sticky on the front.  Therefore, your fabric will stick to the may and will stay flat while you squeegee the ink across the transfer and fabric.  If you try to use a piece of cardboard, your fabric will move and you risk getting ink on other parts of the fabric.
3. Be the Phlebotomist!  Don’t let the ink bleed!  I wish I could take credit for that, but another Designer made that up!  But really, press down all around the silk screen area of the transfer- where the blue part meets the see-through part.  Make sure you have a tight seal and that will prevent any bleeding of the ink.
4. Use very little ink!  You don’t need much ink at all.  A tiny bit will go a long way.  Be very conservative with the amount of ink you put on your squeegee.
5. Off-load the ink on the blue part of the transfer and then squeegee it down onto the silk screen part.  This is one of the most important tips!  If you offload the ink on the blue part of the transfer and not right on the silk screen, you are more likely to get even coverage without any bleed on the fabric!
6. Use extreme caution when peeling off the transfer.  Make sure you don’t have any ink on your fingers before peeling the transfer off.  If you touch the fabric with ink on your fingers, the ink will get on the fabric.  Carefully remove the transfer and your project will look perfect!
7. Let the ink dry before heat-setting!  The ink needs to be completely dry before attempting to heat-set.  I leave my project overnight to ensure the ink is dry.  For smaller projects, you could speed up the process by using a hair dryer to help dry the ink.
8. Heat- Set! Heat setting is super easy and you don’t need a fancy heat press.  Of course, if you have a heat Press, it certainly works well, but a household iron works too!  Just set the iron to medium heat and iron the fabric on both sides for about 4 minutes on each side.  Make sure you continuously move the iron in a circular motion.

That is it!  If you follow the tips and tricks, you will end up with a perfect project!  I love using the ink now and I am no longer scared to ruin a project.  In fact, now that I am using the ink, I feel like a whole new world has opened up for me.  The possibilities are endless and I have so many ideas for projects in my head.