Many types of materials have been tested and work wonderfully for engraving with Cricut Maker machines. When choosing a material to engrave, check that it meets these specifications:  

• Maximum thickness: 
  • Cricut Maker 4 & prior: 2.4 mm (3/32 in)
  • Cricut Maker 5: 3 mm (1/8 in)
• Flat, not warped
• Is no wider than 28 cm (11 in) - material should not pass under star wheels or rollers placed at either side of the machine

Note: Engraving tools are not intended for use with glass at this time.

The following materials have tested engraving settings in Design Space. When your project includes an Engrave operation, these materials will appear in the Compatible materials list: 

If the material you want is not listed, test an available setting on a practice piece or on the back of your material before using your final blank.

• Start simple. If this is your first engraving project, start with a simple piece of plastic (such as acetate), a tag, charm, or other practice blank. Avoid detailed artwork, tiny text, or expensive blanks until you understand design tolerances, placement, and cleanup.  
• Test before using your final blank. Engraving results vary by material, size, artwork, and placement. Use a practice blank before engraving the final item.  
• Secure the blank well. Tape the blank down to the mat on all sides so it cannot shift. Keep tape out of the engraving area.
• Keep artwork away from the edges. Because mat loading can vary slightly due to allowances between the mat guides on the machine, keep artwork more than 5 mm from all edges of the blank.  
• Use single-line or Draw style artwork. Engraving works best with designs that are made from single lines, like Draw images or Writing Style fonts. When using artwork created for cutting, the machine will engrave along the cut paths, making the result look like an outline or “bubble” version of the design. For best results, choose designs with strong linework or prepare filled designs with line-fill techniques described below.  
• Use readable text sizes. Small lettering can be difficult to read after engraving. Use larger text, simple fonts, and test your design on a practice blank when possible.
• Support the mat. Keep rigid materials and the mat supported as they move through the machine.   

Artwork created with single lines, such as Writing Style fonts and Draw images, works best for engraving.

Artwork created for cutting will cause the machine to engrave along the cut lines, creating an outlined effect unless the artwork is built with interior linework. You can also create a “filled” look by using the techniques below. 

Continue reading for tips on creating your engraving design.

Examples:

Writing Style text / Draw image, operation changed to "Engrave"

Basic Cut objects, operation changed to "Engrave"

Basic Cut objects filled with a pattern, operation changed to "Engrave"

Single line images & fonts

Single line or writing style designs are best for text, icons, outlines, and simple artwork. Design Space has a large library of single line content.  

• Fonts: To find single line fonts, use the Writing Style filter in the font list.  
• Images: To find single line images in Design Space, use the Draw or Draw + Cut filter when searching images.  
   

Filled images & fonts

Filled artwork uses repeated lines or other shapes to create the look of a filled area. This works best for larger text, bold artwork, or objects that have space for a decorative fill.  

• Fonts: Some examples of bolder or pre-filled writing style fonts that work well with engraving include:  
  
  
   
• Images: While some Images in the Cricut library, including those created by Contributing Artists, contain interior linework that creates a more filled look, you can also add a fill manually by adding or creating a design of repeated lines or shapes.

To create a line fill or decorative fill for an image or text, use tools like Offset or Subtract to add interior linework.

For example, you can create several nested “negative offsets” inside a shape, or build a repeating pattern of lines or shapes, or select one from the Cricut library, then use Combine > Subtract to trim the pattern to fit your design. Continue reading for more information.

Offset method

You can fill a shape by creating several nested “negative offsets” inside the shape. Here's how

1. Add your shape to the Canvas and set the operation to Engrave.
2. Select the shape, then select the Offset tool.  
3. Enter a negative offset value. Recommended values: -0.020, -0.010, or -0.005
4. Click Apply.
5. Continue clicking Offset > Apply. Design Space will reuse your last setting, and because the one you just created is selected by default, this will create multiple inner outlines. Continue until you have enough to fill your shape.  
6. Attach: Select all resulting layers as well as your original layer and click Attach. This will keep everything aligned for engraving.  

“Patterns” from Image library method

1. Add your shape to the Canvas and set the operation to Engrave.
2. In Images, search “Pattern” or "line patterns".
3. Select your preferred pattern. The denser or more detailed the pattern, the better it will fill your shape.  
4. Place the pattern on top of your shape, covering it completely.  
5. Select the pattern and your shape.  
6. Click Combine > Subtract. The shape will now be filled with your pattern.

You can create a bolder result by causing the machine to make multiple passes on your engraving design. The best way to do this:  

1. Add your shape to the Canvas and set the operation to Engrave.  
2. Duplicate your design until you have 2-3 additional copies.  
3. Select all of the Engrave items and use the Align tools to center them horizontally and vertically.  
4. With all Engrave items selected, click Attach.  
5. This will cause the machine to engrave the same design multiple times in the same place, creating a bolder result.

This can mean that the blank shifted or the on-screen placement did not match placement on the mat.  

Check that:  

• The blank is taped securely on all sides.  
• The tape does not cover the engraving area.  
• The tape does not pass under the rubber rollers near the mat guides.  
• The blank did not move during loading.  
• The design location in Design Space matches the blank location on the mat.  
• The artwork is more than 5 mm from all edges of the blank.  
• The blank is at least 1 in / 2.5 cm in each direction.  

Try again with a practice blank to verify placement before engraving your final material.  

This can happen when the design is too small, the blank material has low contrast, or the boldness of the artwork depends on filled shapes instead of single lines.  It can also happen if tape covers the engraving area.  

Try this:  

• Use a larger design.  
• Ensure that the tape securing the blank to the mat does not cover the engraving area.
• Choose a design with clearer linework.  
• Test whether the design engraves better with a line-fill technique.  
• Add colorant, such as paint, ink, or stain to your engraving result to create contrast between your design and the blank.  

Many images and fonts are designed as solid shapes. When engraved, they may appear as outlines instead of having a filled look.  

Try this:  

• Use a single-line or writing-style font.  
• Use a font designed for drawing or engraving.  
• Increase the font size.  
• Use one of the fill techniques described above to add boldness/texture to your engraving result.  

This usually means the blank was not secured firmly enough, or may not be suitable for engraving with a Cricut Maker machine.

Check that:  

• The blank is flat, and not warped.  
• The blank is a compatible material (see list above).  
• The blank is taped on all sides.  
• The blank clears the bar and star wheels.
• The mat is supported and not flexing during engraving.  

Pause the project and check the blank before continuing. Material that is too thick, too wide, or not secured well can interfere with movement of the tool carriage and mat through the machine.  

Check that:  

• The blank is a compatible material (see list above).
• The material is not wider than 11 in / 28 cm.  
• The blank clears the machine bar.  
• The white star wheels are moved all the way to the right for thicker materials.  
• The mat is not blocked in front of or behind the machine.  
• The blank is not lifting from the mat.  
• Do not continue if the blank interferes with movement of the tool carriage or mat.  

Use a soft cloth or compressed air to remove dust or debris created by engraving. Always dust toward the outside of the machine rather than into or through the machine.  

No. Engraving Tip is not compatible with Cricut Explore family machines.  

No. Custom material settings cannot currently be created for Engraving Tip.  

Some materials are not compatible with the Engrave operation, so they appear greyed out. When using Engraving Tip, select a material from the Compatible tab.

Engraving follows line paths. If a font or image is built as a solid shape, it will engrave as an outline unless it is prepared with a fill method.  

Single-line, writing-style fonts usually work best for smaller text. Filled fonts may work better at larger sizes. Some fonts in the Cricut library that are designed with some fill elements are: