Edited: October 23, 2024
Bring a world of color to your projects with the Print Then Cut feature! Select a link below for information about using Print Then Cut.
- What is Print Then Cut?
- What you need
- How to create a printable design in Design Space
- Printer setup for Print Then Cut projects
- Troubleshooting Print Then Cut
- Turn Bleed on/off
Important: Print Then Cut all in one session. To avoid error, the entire process, from printing the project to the final cut should all be done in one flow from the same device. While you can save your project within Design Space and come back to it, saving a Print Then Cut project as a PDF and printing it outside the Design Space flow will result in incorrectly sized cut sensor marks. For best results, Print Then Cut your project in a single Design Space session.
What is Print Then Cut?
Print Then Cut allows you to create a design in Design Space, print it on your home printer, then load the print into your Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker machine for cutting. The machine scans the printed cut sensor markings, then cuts your design with precision – no scissors required! This allows you to create stickers, toppers, and even cut photos with ease!
Words to know
| Word | Description |
| Flatten |
This feature is your friend for turning multi-layer designs into a single printable layer. Your machine will cut just the outer shape of your flattened objects. Whether you’re stacking layers on top of one another or arranging multiple objects on a page and need to lock their position, when it’s for Print Then Cut, use Flatten. |
| Operation | Operation tells Design Space how your machine is going to interact with your material. When you flatten a design, the Operation automatically changes to Print Then Cut. For single-layer images you want to Print Then Cut, choose Operation > Print Then Cut in the Edit bar to make it printable. |
| Upload | Upload allows you to “import” images into Design Space. Whether it’s an image you find on the internet*, one you purchase from a designer, or one you create yourself, a variety of file types can be uploaded for use in creating Print Then Cut designs. |
| Sensor | Print Then Cut-capable machines contain a built-in sensor that scans for the printed sensor markings in order to cut your design with precision. |
| Sensor marking | Sensor markings are printed fiducials on the page that help the machine know where to cut. The machine’s sensor will scan for these markings before cutting your printed design. |
| Bleed | Bleed is a small border of color added around each image that allows for more precise cutting. Although we recommend printing with a bleed for best cut results, you do have the option to turn the bleed on or off on the print setup. The bleed may look fuzzy or distorted, but this border will be trimmed off in the cutting process, yielding a precisely cut image with color all the way to the edge. |
| Offset |
Offset creates a proportionally larger or smaller layer of your design, great for making custom stickers, cake toppers, and t-shirt designs. Offset layers add a “shadow” or decorative outline to your design. |
Important: *Cricut encourages you to respect the intellectual property rights of others and only upload images you own or are authorized to use.
What you need
- Design Space software on Windows/Mac computer, iOS mobile device, or Android mobile device
- Compatible Cricut smart cutting machine, cutting mat, and blade
- Compatible home printer
- Compatible printable materials
Compatible Cricut smart cutting machines
Cricut smart cutting machines capable of Print Then Cut include:
- Cricut Joy Xtra
- Cricut Explore machines
- Cricut Maker machines
- Cricut Venture machines
Note: Cricut Joy can Cut and Draw but is not capable of Print Then Cut.
Compatible printers
Choose a home printer that is capable of printing in color. While we don’t recommend a particular make or model, here are some tips for choosing a printer that will work for you:
Inkjet (Recommended)
- Uses ink cartridges and small nozzles to spray fine ink droplets onto the material
- Best printer type for a wide variety of printable materials including printable vinyl, printable iron-on, sticker paper, etc.
Laser
- Uses high heat to fuse toner to the material
- Not for use with heat-sensitive materials such as printable vinyl or printable iron-on
- Works very well for regular printer paper, some weights of card stock, and specialty materials specifically manufactured for use with laser printers to withstand the high heat
Note: To Print Then Cut from Design Space for iOS, choose a printer that is capable of AirPrint. Visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201311 for information about AirPrint compatible printers.
Compatible printable materials
- Cricut Explore Air 2 and older machines: Print on non-reflectivematte white or transparent materials only. Reflective materials, glossy materails, or darker colors will interfere with the Print Then Cut sensor in the Cricut machine, causing it to not be able to read the cut sensor markings.
- Cricut Venture, Cricut Joy Xtra, Cricut Explore 3, Cricut Maker 3, and Cricut Maker machines: print on white, lightly colored, and simple patterned materials. Cricut Printable Vinyl and Waterproof Sticker Sets in gold, silver, and holographic materials are compatible, but non-Cricut materials with darker colors, high-gloss finishes, or holographic patterns may cause issues with the sensor scan accuracy.
Printer setup for Print Then Cut projects
When it's time to send your design to your printer, make sure your printer settings follow these guidelines before printing your project:
- Print in Portrait mode
- Make sure the printer is not low on ink
- Select the highest print quality setting (available settings will vary by printer model). This will use more ink and will print more slowly to reduce streaking, but will allow for bright, crisp prints with more even distribution of ink. To adjust these settings while making a project, select the option to "Use System Dialog" from the Print Setup in Design Space.
- Do not use narrow margins settings
- Print Layout should be 1 page per sheet
- Do not adjust page scale (i.e., do not enlarge, do not "fit to page" or "shrink to fit")
- Do not use edge printing
- Do not center align
- The ideal margins from the top left are 0.5" to 1.5" down
- The ideal margins from the top left are 0.5" to 1.5" right
Refer to your printer user manual as needed, or reach out to your printer manufacturer, for assistance accessing your printer settings outside of Design Space.
How to create a printable design
When trying Print Then Cut for the first time, start with a Cricut print-ready design to get the hang of it. Then you can upload an image and save it as a Print Then Cut image or try creating your own Print Then Cut design from scratch. Choose an option below for more information.
Make a design printable
You can convert any single cut image into a printable image by changing the Operation type to Print Then Cut in the Edit bar. On mobile, select Edit > Operation > Print Then Cut.
Desktop
iOS
Android
To convert a multi-layer design into a single printable layer, use the Flatten tool.
- Select all objects you want to Print Then Cut, then select the Flatten tool (on mobile: Actions > Flatten).
Desktop
iOS
- You'll see in the Layers panel that the selection has been compressed into a single printable layer. The machine will cut around the outer shape of the design.
Desktop
iOS
Tip: If you're having an issue of each letter or image being cut out separately, use flatten instead of attach. See the troubleshooting section below.
Print-ready designs in Design Space
Many designs in the Cricut library were created especially for Print Then Cut. Follow these steps to find and use them in your projects.
- Create a new project in Design Space
- Select Images.
- Select Filters > Operation Type > Print Then Cut. The page will reload to show designs created for Print Then Cut. You can also identify them by the Printer icon on the image tile.
Desktop
iOS
Android
- Search or browse for a design you like. Select it and insert it onto the Canvas. You’ll notice in the Edit bar that the design is already formatted for Print Then Cut.
Desktop
iOS Android
- When you’re ready, select Make It and follow the prompts to Print Then Cut your design.
Uploading Images
Design Space allows you to upload images you find on the internet* or purchase from other designers, and save them as Print Then Cut images. Visit this help article for instructions on how to upload your own images into Design space.
Important: *Cricut encourages you to respect the intellectual property rights of others and only upload images you own or are authorized to use.
Troubleshooting Print Then Cut
No printer found (Windows OS)
If Design Space says "No printer found" when you attempt to print your project, it's possible that removing unfamiliar printer devices from Settings will help. Follow the steps below to access and clean up Printer devices on your system. (Screens and options may vary slightly depending on your specific Windows version but the process is very similar. The example below shows Windows 11).
- Click the Start (Windows) icon in the lower left of your screen and select Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. You may also simply search "printers".
- Select any printer devices you're not familiar with and choose Remove.
- Once done, return to Design Space and attempt to print your project again. Available printers should now show in the printer drop-down.
My Cricut Explore, Cricut Maker, Cricut Joy Xtra or Cricut Venture is not reading sensor marks.
Follow the steps from this article if you're getting an error stating that the machine cannot read the cut sensor marks.
Additionally, Print Then Cut all in one session. To avoid error, the entire process, from printing the project to the final cut should all be done in one flow from the same device. While you can save your project within Design Space and come back to it, saving a Print Then Cut project as a PDF and printing it outside the Design Space flow will result in incorrectly sized cut sensor marks. For best results, Print Then Cut your project in a single Design Space session.
I'm getting a warning that my image is too large.
When your printable design is too large for the material size that is currently set for Print Then Cut, you will either need to resize your design to fit, or choose a larger page size. Click or tap on the warning message in the Layers panel and choose the option to auto-resize your design to fit.
Desktop
iOS
To change your page size instead, go to the Design Space menu (three lines in upper left of Home) > Settings > Print Then Cut Settings. Then choose a default page size for Print Then Cut projects.
Do I need to calibrate my machine for Print Then Cut?
Machines come pre-calibrated, but if you notice cut inaccuracies on Print Then Cut projects, calibration may help. Calibration is a series of simple cuts, questions, and answers designed to help your Cricut machine cut exactly along the edge of your printed image.
Note: Significant updates to Print Then Cut starting in June 2022 required users to recalibrate. If you haven't recalibrated for Print Then Cut since June 2022, you will be required to calibrate before you can complete a Print Then Cut project.
To recalibrate your machine for Print Then Cut:
- On desktop computer: select Design Space menu > Calibration > Print Then Cut
- On iOS or Android mobile device: select Design Space menu > Settings > Print Then Cut Settings > Calibration your machine
Then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the calibration.
My machine is cutting around each little element of my design instead of just the outer edge.
This can happen if you use Attach instead of Flatten when working with a multi-layer design for Print Then Cut. To avoid this issue, select all Layers of your design and then use the Flatten tool. In Design Space for Desktop Flatten is found in the bottom of the Layers panel. On mobile, choose Actions > Flatten. This compresses all the layers of your design into a single printable layer, and the machine will cut the outer edge only.
Turn Bleed on/off
Each image in Print Then Cut projects is given a bleed by default. The bleed is a small border around each image that allows for more precise cutting. Although we recommend printing with a bleed for best cut results, you do have the option to turn the bleed on or off.
Windows/Mac:
- Select Make It from the canvas.
- Select Continue from the Project Preview screen.
- Select Send To Printer to then turn on/off the Bleed.
iOS:
- Select Make It from the Canvas.
- Tap on the mat options button on the top-left.
- Now you can turn on/off the Bleed option.
Note: The bleed may make the printed image look fuzzy or distorted, but this border will be trimmed off in the cutting process, yielding a precisely cut image.
Important: Print Then Cut is not available on Cricut Joy.