How to load/unload mats and materials - Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker series machines

How to load and unload a mat

If you’re not using Smart Materials with a compatible machine, you’ll need to use a machine mat (the first Cricut Maker model, and Cricut Explore Air 2 and older must use a mat). Machine mats have an adhesive area with just the right grip to hold your material in place during cutting, then allow you to easily remove it when finished. Follow these steps to load and unload a mat.

1. Place your material on the adhesive area of the mat, aligning it with the upper left corner.
2. Select your mat Type in Design Space, then select Continue.
3. Select your Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker machine from the Connect machine drop-down.
4. Select the right setting for your material. Select Browse All Materials to search or browse through all compatible materials.
5. After selecting your material, the Load light on top of the machine will start blinking.
6. Holding the bottom-center of the mat, insert mat under guides until it touches rollers. 
7. Press the Load button. The machine will measure the mat to ensure it is the right size for your project.
8. Press the Go button when it starts flashing, and watch the magic happen!
9. When your cut is complete, press the Load button to unload the mat. 

My mat is crooked when loaded into my Cricut machine

There are a few reasons your mat might be crooked when loaded into your Cricut machine. To troubleshoot, check the following: 

1. Determine if the roller bar is loose, damaged, or uneven. If it is, take a photo or video of damage and contact Member Care for assistance. If the roller bar is not loose, damaged, or uneven, proceed to step 2.
2. Verify that you are using the correct mat size for your machine. If the mat size is correct, proceed to step 3.
3. Ensure the mat is lined up with the guides on the machine and the edge of the mat pressed firmly against the rollers before pressing the Load button. If the mat is lined up with the guides and pressed against rollers when loading, but still loads crookedly, proceed to step 4.
4. Apply light pressure when loading the mat by gently pushing the mat under the roller bar when the bar starts rolling.

Tip: Hold the bottom-center of the mat, rather than the sides or corners, and lift the bottom of the mat slightly so that the top of the mat is against, and slightly under, the rubber rings on the roller bars when loading the mat. This helps to ensure that the mat loads evenly.   

If the mat is still loading crookedly, contact Member Care for further assistance.

How to load and unload Smart Materials

Cricut Smart Materials are nifty materials designed to feed directly into your Cricut Explore 3 and Cricut Maker 3 machine without a mat. 

Smart Materials for Cricut Explore 3 and Cricut Maker 3 allow you to cut a single shape or repeated cuts up to 11.7 in (29.7 cm) wide and 12 ft (3.6 m)* long without a machine mat! Follow the steps below to load and unload Smart Materials.

Note: Cricut Explore 3 and Cricut Maker 3 can use Smart Materials without a mat. All other Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker series machines must use a machine mat.

1. When your project design is complete, select Make.
2. Select Without Mat from the Material Load Type drop-down. Design Space will tell you how much material you need. Then select Continue.

Note: Cricut Explore 3 and Cricut Maker 3 allow some space above and below your design for the for the rollers to grip and load your material, for sensors to sense that enough material is loaded, and to feed materials back and forth through the machine. To ensure you have enough Smart Materials for your design, wait to trim them until after the cut is complete.

3. Select your Cricut machine from the Connect machine drop-down.
4. Select the right setting for your material. Select Browse All Materials to search or browse through all compatible materials.
5. When the material setting is selected, the Load light on top of the machine will blink, indicating it’s ready to load your material.
6. Align material against left material guide on the machine, then slide it under the mat guides and up against the machine rollers.
   • For best results, make sure your material has a straight edge.
7. Press the load button. The machine measures your material to ensure there’s enough for your project.
   • If your material loaded crookedly it will try to realign the material as it measures.
   • Smart Materials may bow up in the middle when loading. If your material isn’t lying flat by the end of the measuring process, press the unload button, realign your material with the left material guide and under the mat guides, and reload
8. Press the Go button and watch the magic happen!
9. When your cut is complete, press the unload button.

Cricut Explore 3

Cricut Maker 3