Edited: February 10, 2025
Cricut Cutaway Cards are designed for use with Cricut Joy Card Mat, Cricut Joy Xtra Card Mat, and Cricut Card Mat 2 x 2 (sold separately).
Cricut Card Mats are uniquely designed with a divider to protect the back of the folded Cricut Cutaway Card while cutting or writing a design on the front.
Cricut Joy Card Mat
Cricut Joy Xtra Card Mat
Cricut Card Mat 2 x 2 (for Cricut Explore & Cricut Maker machines)
Select your machine below for instructions on how to use Cricut Cutaway Cards with a card mat.
Cricut Explore & Cricut Maker
Select a link below for information about how to use Cricut Cutaway Cards and Cricut Card Mat 2 x 2 with your Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore machine.
What you need
- Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker smart cutting machine
- Cricut Design Space software on computer or iOS mobile device
- Fine Point Blade and Housing
- Cricut Cutaway Cards, available in four sizes
- R10 - 3.5 in x 4.9 in (8.9 cm x 12.4 cm)
- R20 - 4.25 in x 5.5 in (10.8 cm x 14 cm)
- R40 - 4.75 in x 6.6 in (12.1 cm x 16.8 cm)
- S40 - 4.75 in x 4.75 in (12.1 cm x 12.1 cm)
- Cricut Card Mat 2 x 2
- Weeder tool (optional)
- Scraper tool (optional)
- Cricut Pens or Markers (optional)
- Cricut Foil Transfer Tool & Foil Transfer Sheets (optional)
Instructions
- Start a new project. Create your design using any image, text, draw, or foil element you wish.
Tip: To ensure your design will fit on your card, use the Cutaway Card Design Setup ready-to-make project. Just choose your card size from the Finished Size selector, select Customize and you’ll have access to guides that help you leave a 0.25” in (6 mm) margin between your artwork and the edge of the card on all sides. Keeping your design within the dotted lines ensures the card adhesive will hold down all elements of your design.
Design Space for Desktop
Design Space for iOS
- When your design is complete, hide or delete any sizing guide layers you’ve used. Select all design elements, then select Attach – this holds design elements in position relative to one another, so your design appears on the mat preview exactly as you have it designed on the Canvas. Select Make It.
- Choose On Card Mat > Continue.
Design Space for Desktop
Design Space for iOS - Your selected card size will appear in the Material Size selector. Adjust project copies as needed to create multiple copies at once. Select Continue/Next.
Design Space for Desktop
Design Space for iOS
- Select Browse All Materials and choose Cutaway Card + Backer.
- Remove protective sheet(s) from mat.
- Open card. Remove liner from inside of card.
- Start on an outside corner (away from the fold) and slowly peel up the corner of the paper liner. If the adhesive is coming up with the liner, use a Cricut scraper to scrape down the outside edge of the cutaway card.
- Next, on the opposite outside corner use a Cricut weeding tool to tease the liner up from the adhesive. Once the edge is lifting, slowly pull it off with your fingers.
- Apply backer to adhesive — decorative side facing adhesive.
- From the left side of card mat panel, slide one side of the folded card (side without backer) under the plastic divider.
- Ensure card is aligned to the top left corner of panel. Push card up until it's flush with top, then align the inside fold of the card against plastic divider.
- Press the front of the card into the adhesive on card mat.
-
Do not skip this step: To avoid track marks on your cards, move the machine star wheels to the center of the rail, making sure all of them align with the middle column of Card Mat.
- Insert mat into machine, top end first.
- Follow Design Space prompts to insert machine accessories as applicable.
- When cut is complete, peel mat away from card.
- Carefully weed away cutouts to reveal your design. Use your fingers to remove the pieces. If the pieces are too tiny, very carefully use a weeding tool or tweezers to remove. Be careful, the weeding tool can scratch and/or damage the backer.
Cricut Joy Machines
Select a link below for information about how to use Cricut Joy Cutaway Cards and Cricut Joy Card Mat or Cricut Joy Xtra Card Mat.
Tutorial Videos
What you need
- Cricut Joy or Cricut Joy Xtra smart cutting machine
- Design Space software on computer or mobile device
- Cricut Joy Blade and Housing
- Cricut Joy Card Mat or Cricut Joy Xtra Card Mat
- Weeder tool (optional)
- Scraper tool (optional)
- Cricut Joy Pens or Markers (optional)
- Cricut Joy Foil Transfer Tool (optional)
- Cricut Joy Cutaway Cards + Backers compatible with your machine:
- Cricut Joy with Cricut Joy Card Mat can use:
- R10 - 3.5 in x 4.9 in (8.9 cm x 12.4 cm)
- R20 - 4.25 in x 5.5 in (10.8 cm x 14 cm)
- Cricut Joy Xtra with Cricut Joy Xtra Card Mat can use:
- R10 - 3.5 in x 4.9 in (8.9 cm x 12.4 cm)
- R20 - 4.25 in x 5.5 in (10.8 cm x 14 cm)
- R40 - 4.75 in x 6.6 in (12.1 cm x 16.8 cm)
- S40 - 4.75 in x 4.75 in (12.1 cm x 12.1 cm)
- Cricut Joy with Cricut Joy Card Mat can use:
Instructions
Cutaway Cards give you greater creative flexibility – design cards without the need for corner tabs or stencil designs.
1. Start a new project in Design Space. Create your design using any image, text, draw, or foil element you wish.
Tip: To ensure your design will fit on your card, use the Cutaway Card Design Setup project or the Square Cutaway Card Design Setup project. Just choose your card size from the Finished Size selector, select Customize and you'll have access to guides that help you leave a 0.25 in (6 mm) margin between your artwork and the edge of the card on all sides. Keeping your design within the dotted lines ensures the card adhesive will hold down all elements of your design.
Design Space for Desktop
Design Space for iOS
2. When your design is complete, hide or delete any sizing guide layers you've used. Select all design elements, then select Attach – this holds design elements in position relative to one another, so your design appears on the mat preview exactly as you have it designed on the Canvas. Select Make It.
3. Choose On Card Mat > Continue, then ensure the material size selection matches your card size. Your design will be auto-centered on the mat preview. Select Continue/Next.
4. Select Browse All Materials and choose Cutaway Card + Backer.
5. Open card. Remove liner from inside of card.
- Start on an outside corner (away from the fold) and slowly peel up the corner of the paper liner. If the adhesive is coming up with the liner, use a Cricut scraper to scrape down the outside edge of the Cutaway Card.
- Next, on the opposite outside corner use a Cricut weeding tool to tease the liner up from the adhesive. Once the edge is lifting, slowly pull it off with your fingers.
6. Apply backer to adhesive — decorative side facing adhesive.
7. From the left side of card mat, slide one side of the folded card (side without backer) under the plastic divider.
8. Ensure card is aligned to the top left corner of card mat. Push card up until it's flush with top, then align the inside fold of the card against plastic divider.
9. Press the front of the card into the adhesive on card mat.
10. For Cricut Joy Xtra:
- To avoid track marks on your cards, move the machine star wheels to the sides of the rail, making sure none of them will roll over the top of the card.
11. Insert mat into machine, arrow end first.
12. When cut is complete, peel mat away from card.
13. Carefully weed away cutouts to reveal your design. Use your fingers to remove the pieces. If the pieces are too tiny, very carefully use a weeding tool to remove. Be careful, the weeding tool can scratch and/or damage the backer.
Tips
- To write or draw on the inside of your card, fold the card inside out and repeat the steps above. Be sure that your Draw design is properly oriented and positioned on the project preview screen.
- The cuts will leave impressions on your mat. This is normal.
- If material is not adhering well to mat, use a brayer to create a firm bond. Card mats will lose stickiness with use and will eventually need to be replaced.
- Cricut Cutaway Cards are compatible with all Cricut Pens, Markers, Foil Transfer Tool, and Foil Transfer Sheets.
FAQ
My design didn’t cut onto the card in the right place – what happened?
Make sure you are selecting the right card size in Design Space before cutting. You can double-check the size of your cards using the lines on the card mat. Design Space will automatically select the smallest card size that will work on your artwork and center the card on the design. If you want your artwork on a larger card, you can adjust your placement on the mat preview screen.
Do I apply the backer before cutting my card?
Yes! Apply the backer just before you cut – don’t batch them beforehand.
What’s the best way to make sure my backer is aligned on the card?
Peel the liner off the card. Place the card on a table at a 90-degree angle— the non-adhesive side of the card should be facing up. Use the 90-degree bend in the card to align the edge of the backer. Once it is centered on the card, press the backer onto the adhesive.
How large can my design be?
Leave a ¼ inch (6 mm) margin between your artwork and the edge of the card on all sides to make sure the adhesive will hold down all elements of your design.
What’s the smallest cut I can make?
Keep small details ¼ inch or larger or you may have difficulty weeding the designs.
My design had elements that were too small and they lifted off the backer while weeding! What should I do?
These elements should still have adhesive on them. Just stick the pieces back onto the card and they should stay.
My weeding tool is scratching the backer and leaving a mark – what should I do?
Use the weeding tool to gently lift just the edge of your pieces, then use your fingers to peel them off the card.
My machine isn’t cutting all the way through the paper and it tears when trying to pull the paper up. What should I do?
Try selecting “more pressure” when cutting your cards. Alternatively, it might be time to change your blade to achieve clean cuts.
Some of the sharp corners on my design look mushy. What should I do?
You may need to replace your blade – a sharper blade should yield crisp cuts.
My machine is cutting into the holographic/foil backer and the foil comes up when I weed away the card.
Try selecting “less pressure” when cutting your cards. Some machines have higher force when cutting and this should solve the problem.
Do I need to use stencil fonts and images?
You can, but you don’t need to! Cutaway cards allow for islands in your images, like the shape inside the letter “o” to remain on the card backer.
Can I write on the inside of the backer?
The backers are coated paper and standard pens will smear. We recommend a permanent marker if you want to write on the inside of the backer.
Do you have a sizing template for cutaway cards?
Yes! Search Design Space for the card size you purchased, and we have templates to make sure you design your card to the correct size.
Can I use other paper/cardstock instead of the backers you provided?
For the best experience, we recommend using Cricut Cutaway Cards and backers.
Can I make a Cutaway Card in Design Space on a mobile device?
Yes, you can make Cutaway Cards in both Design Space for Desktop and Design Space on an iOS device.
Can I use Cutaway Cards with Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker cutting machines?
Absolutely! For Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore machines use Cricut Card Mat 2 x 2 to create Cutaway Cards.
Can I reposition the backer after applying it to the adhesive?
Cutaway Card adhesive is not repositionable; take care to align the edge of the backer with the inside fold of the card – centering the backer between the top and bottom of the card – before pressing into the adhesive.
Can I rotate my mat and load it into my machine bottom-first like I can with other machine mats?
No, due to the way it’s constructed card mats should be loaded top-first always. Otherwise, your designs will not be properly aligned on the cards.
Can I write inside of cards when using card mats?
Yes! To write or draw on the inside of your card, fold the card inside out and insert in card mat so that the inside is up on the mat. Ensure that your Draw design is properly oriented and positioned on the project preview screen.
Can I use the foil tool and foil transfer sheets when using card mats?
Yes! Card mats are compatible with the Cricut foil transfer tool and all foil transfer sheets.
What sizes of cards are compatible with my card mat and machine?
| Card Sizes | R10 | R20 | R30 | R40 | S40 |
|
Measurements |
3.5 in x 4.9 in (8.9 cm x 12.4 cm) |
4.25 in x 5.5 in (10.8 cm x 14 cm) |
4.5 in x 6.25 in (11.43 cm x 15.87 cm) |
4.75 in x 6.6 in (12.1 cm x 16.8 cm) |
4.75 in x 4.75 in (12.1 cm x 12.1 cm) |
| Compatible with Cricut Joy Card Mat | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
|
Compatible & Cricut Joy Xtra Card Mat |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
What does R, S and the number mean?
R stands for rectangular, and S stands for square. The numbers increase as the cards get larger, so 10 is the smallest size (like a notecard) and 40 is the largest size (like a greeting card).
Why don’t you just call them card sizes like A1, A2, and A6?
Card size names vary by country. For example, an A6 card in the US is a different size from an A6 card in the UK. To meet the needs of Cricut’s global consumers, we’ve created an easy-to-follow naming system to use all around the world!
Can I use R40 and S40 cards on my Cricut Joy card mat?
No, the R40 and S40 cards are too large to fit on the Cricut Joy Card Mat and should be used only with Cricut Joy Xtra Card Mat with Cricut Joy Xtra, or on Card Mat 2 x 2 with Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker.
Can I cut 5 in x 7 in cards on my Card Mat 2 x 2?
The maximum recommended card size is 4.75 in x 6.6 in (12.1 cm x 16.8 cm). Larger cards will not fit properly onto the mat and will result in artwork not being centered correctly on the card.
Why are the envelopes so big on the R40 cards?
We know sometimes you’d like to include photos, recipes, or other documents along with your card creations. We’ve made sure the envelopes for R40 cards will fit standard photos of up to 5 in x 7 in.
How do I avoid getting track marks on my cards when using Card Mat 2 x 2 or Cricut Joy Xtra Card Mat?
The small white rings on your Cricut cutting machine roller bar are called star wheels. These wheels help keep materials from shifting during cutting, especially when using the Print Then Cut feature. However, when using thicker materials or accessories, like Cricut Card Mat, the star wheels can leave track marks on your material.
On Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker machines, to avoid track marks on your cards, move the star wheels to the center of the rail, making sure all of them align with the middle column of Card Mat 2 x 2.
On Cricut Joy Xtra, to avoid track marks on your cards, move the machine star wheels to the sides of the rail, making sure none of them will roll over the top of the card.