What Is A Cricut Machine? [+ Working Process And Types]

Cricut plays an essential role in your craft projects. If you are super excited to know what is a Cricut machine, then keep reading this informative article to learn everything about it. As I said, it is the ultimate solution for cutting various materials like cardstock, vinyl, paper, fabrics, and many more. Some advanced Cricut devices can also cut wood and leather. It is an alternative to an X-acto knife and scissors. However, it is more accurate and faster. 

How does a Cricut machine works?

If you are thinking about how to work on the Cricut product, then below is a brief idea about it. You must follow the steps below to show your creativity through your project. 

• Select a design in the Cricut Design Space and decide the type of material you use. Use the prompts to set the right material type and things you want to do with the machine. Also, ensure you have the correct tool and the blade inserted.
• Keep the material on the cutting mat. Use the proper type of mat according to the material you are using. Now, load the cutting mat into the machine.
• Select the “Make It” option in the Design Space app, and the Cricut device will ask you to tap on the “Make It” button. Then, the machine starts working according to the set commands.
• After the Cricut finishes its job, push the button again, and it will unload the cutting mat. Now, remove the completed project and continue with your next project.  

What are the various types of Cricut machines?

There are many types of Cricut devices available on the market. Each machine has its advantages and disadvantages. Below is a brief idea of some of them. 

Cricut Maker

Cricut Maker is one of the expensive yet powerful products of Cricut. It is known for its adaptable and robust cutting. It can cut more than 300 materials, including leather, fabric, wood, plastic, acrylic, and many more. The product comprises many tools and blades, such as a knife blade, foiling tip, rotary cutter, engraving tip, and debossing tool. 

Cricut Maker 3

Cricut Maker 3 is a quality product to deliver commercial-level performance. It has similar features to that of Cricut Maker. However, there are many additional features too. This machine is suitable with the Smart Materials to work on long projects without using a mat. It also has a faster and stronger motor to cut 2x the speed of the Cricut Maker and 10x the cutting force of the Explore 2. 

Cricut Joy

Cricut Joy is a little ye smart machine with an easy-to-use and set-up process. It is the perfect option for a small project that cuts more than 50 materials. It is suitable for the products like vinyl, paper, iron-on, and thin faux leather. The machine is made to cut a design of a maximum 5.5” width. It works amazingly for greeting cards, labels, sticker making, etc. 

Cricut Explorer 3

It is an advanced version of the Explorer Air 2. With this, you can go matless with Cricut Smart materials and create a good length of projects up to 12’. It also cuts material faster than the material on the mat. It has limited tools in comparison to that of the Maker series. However, it works great, and 100 plus materials like cardstock, acetate, infusible ink, suede, vellum, etc. 

Cricut Explorer Air 2

It is among the most popular Cricut machines. With the launch of the Explorer 3, it has become cheaper. It has similar features to that of the Explorer Air 2. The one thing they differ in is it cannot cut the matless smart material at 2x speed. It is ideal for people looking for an affordable machine to work on iron-on projects, cardstock, and vinyl. 

Conclusion

I hope you find this informative article helpful and will be able to choose the best cutting tool for yourself. You have learned what is a Cricut machine, type, and working. Now, I think you can select a suitable device according to the project you will work on.