Cutting pressure issues

Edited: September 30, 2024

Cricut cutting machine does not cut through my material

If your Cricut cutting machine does not cut through your material or is only scoring the material, this issue can usually be resolved with some basic troubleshooting. Check the following: 

1. Make sure the material setting you have selected in Design Space or on your Smart Set Dial matches your material. For Cricut Explore models with a Smart Set dial (Explore Air 2 and older): if the dial is set to Custom, ensure you have selected the appropriate material from the Custom Materials list. 
2. Open Clamp B and remove the blade housing from your machine. Ensure you are using a Cricut brand blade. Inspect the blade and blade housing and remove any debris that may be stuck to the blade or lodged in the blade housing. Once clean, perform a test cut. If the blade and housing are already free from debris, or cleaning it did not help, proceed to the next step.    
3. When attempting a cut, after selecting the material type, attempt the cut using the More pressure setting. If that does not help, proceed to the next step. 
   
   
   
   
4. Open the Custom Materials Settings and increase the pressure for your material setting by 2-4, then perform a test cut. You may need to increase the pressure settings 2-3 times by increments of 2-4 to see a change in the cut result. On Desktop, open the Design Space menu, then go to Settings> Machines> Custom Materials Settings. On iOS, go to the Design Space menu Settings>Custom Material Settings. 

Note: Custom material settings cannot currently be created or edited when using Design Space on your Android device, but any changes to custom material settings made using Design Space for Desktop or iOS will appear when using Android. 

5. Attempt cutting a different material, such as printer paper, using the appropriate setting for that material. Do you experience the same result? If not, it may be an issue with the original material you are attempting to cut. 
6. Replace your blade with a new Cricut brand blade. Blades can become dull with use and replacing them with a new, sharp blade often solves various issues. 
7. If the issue persists after steps 1-6 have been completed, contact Member Care for further assistance. 

Cricut cutting machine is tearing or dragging through my material

Several variables may cause a machine to tear through the material. Fortunately, this problem can usually be resolved with some basic troubleshooting steps. If your Cricut cutting machine is tearing or dragging through the material, check the following: 

1. Make sure the material setting you have selected in Design Space or on your Smart Set Dial matches your material. For Cricut Explore models with a Smart Set dial (Explore Air 2 and older): if the dial is set to Custom, ensure you have selected the appropriate material from the Custom Materials list. 
2. Verify the size and intricacy of the image. If you are cutting an image that is very intricate or small, try cutting something simpler or larger to see if that resolves the issue. If cutting a simpler image resolves the issue, try adjusting your material setting in Design Space. If you are using a Cricut Air 2 or Cricut Maker in Fast Mode, turn off Fast Mode and attempt your cut again.
3. Open Clamp B and remove the blade housing from your machine. Ensure you are using a Cricut brand blade. Inspect the blade and blade housing and remove any debris that may be stuck to the blade or lodged in the blade housing. Once clean, perform a test cut. If the blade and housing are already free from debris, or cleaning it did not help, proceed to the next step.   
4. When attempting a cut, after selecting the material type, attempt the cut using the Less pressure setting. If that does not help, proceed to the next step. 
   
   
   
   
5. Open the Custom Materials Settings and decrease the pressure for your material setting by 2-4, then perform a test cut. You may need to decrease the pressure settings 2-3 times by increments of 2-4 to see a change in the cut result. On Desktop, open the Design Space menu, then go to Settings> Machines> Custom Materials Settings. On iOS, go to the Design Space menu Settings>Custom Material Settings. 

Note: Custom material settings cannot currently be created or edited when using Design Space on your Android device, but any changes to custom material settings made using Design Space for Desktop or iOS will appear when using Android. 

6. Attempt cutting a different material, such as printer paper, using the appropriate setting for that material. Do you experience the same result? If not, it may be an issue with the original material you are attempting to cut. 
7. Replace your blade with a new Cricut brand blade. Blades can become dull with use and replacing them with a new, sharp blade often solves various issues. 
8. If the issue persists after steps 1-7 have been completed, contact Member Care for further assistance.