Edited: April 16, 2025
- Cricut Joy
Cricut Joy Xtra
Cricut Explore 3 & Explore 4
Cricut Maker 3 & Maker 4
Cricut Venture - Cricut Explore
Cricut Explore One
Cricut Explore Air
Cricut Explore Air 2
Cricut Maker
Your Cricut machine has multiple options for loading materials into the machine. When you select Make It, a pop-up window will prompt you to choose how you will load your materials. Only those options compatible with your machine and the size of your design will be available.
| Machine Model | Compatible Load Types | ||
| On Mat | Without Mat (for Cricut Smart Materials Only) | On Card Mat | |
| Cricut Joy | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
|
Cricut Joy Xtra |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cricut Explore 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cricut Explore 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cricut Maker 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cricut Maker 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cricut Venture | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cricut Maker | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Cricut Explore Air 2 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Cricut Explore | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Cricut Explore One | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Cricut Explore | ✔ | ✔ | |
Note: For machines compatible with Smart Materials: If your design is too large to be cut on a mat but the right size for a Smart Material, the load type will default to Without Mat. If your design has multiple components that are the right size for a mat or a Smart Material, the Multiple Ways option will be available.
Windows/Mac
When you select Make It, you have a chance to select a Material Load Type:
To change your load Type or material size on Windows/Mac, choose a new Material Load Type from the drop-down, or select the Material Size field on the left side of the screen to adjust the material size.
Android
Selecting a Material Load Type:
To change your Material Load Type, tap Material Load. Then choose a new Material Load Type. To change your material size, select a new size from the list (for On Mat load types) or enter in your new material length (for Smart Materials).
iOS
Selecting a Material Load Type:
To change your Material Load Type tap the mat icon at the top left of the screen. Then tap Material Load Type. Then choose a new Material Load Type.
To change your material size, tap Material Size. select a new size from the list (for On Mat load types) or enter in your new material length (for Smart Materials).
Your Cricut machine has multiple options for loading materials into the machine. Cricut Explore Air 2 and older, and Cricut Maker machines can use 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) and 12 in x 24 in (30.5 cm x 61 cm) machine mats of various grip strengths, and Cricut Card Mat 2 x 2. When you select Make It, a pop-up window will prompt you to choose how you will load your materials. Only those options compatible with your machine and the size of your design will be available.
There are two ways to change the mat size in Design Space:
- Changing the image size
- Changing the material size
Windows/Mac
Changing the image size
The maximum cutting area on a 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) mat is 11.5 in x 11.5 in (29 cm x 29 cm). If either the height or width of an image is greater than 11.5 in (29 cm) when you select Make It you will receive an alert that one of your images is too large for a 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) mat. You will have the option to continue with a larger mat or return to the Canvas to resize your image.
Image too large for 12 x 12 Mat:
Changing the material size:
To change material size, on the Prepare mats screen select a new size from the Material Size field on the left side of the screen.
Android
Changing the image size
The maximum cutting area on a 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) mat is 11.5 in x 11.5 in (29 cm x 29 cm). If either the height or width of an image is greater than 11.5 in (29 cm) when you select Make It, Design Space will default to using a 12 in x 24 in (30.5 cm x 61 cm) mat. You may either continue with a larger mat or return to the Canvas to resize your image.
Changing the material size
To change your material size, tap Material Size. Then select a new size.
iOS
Changing the image size
The maximum cutting area on a 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) mat is 11.5 in x 11.5 in (29 cm x 29 cm). If either the height or width of an image is greater than 11.5 in (29 cm) when you select Make It, Design Space will default to using a 12 in x 24 in (30.5 cm x 61 cm) mat. You may either continue with a larger mat or return to the Canvas to resize your image.
Changing the material size
To change your material size, tap Material Size. Then select a new size.
Tip: You can set a load type default through Settings. This is helpful if the majority of your projects use one load type more than any other.
Tip: When your Material Load Type is On Mat, the Material Size menu only offers material sizes larger than the largest image on the mat.