Cricut machines are made to open with very little effort, often utilizing a slow-open mechanism. The doors will open all the way on their own with no assistance. Gentle pressure may be used to speed the opening of the machine, but forcing them aggressively can stress and damage the doors.
Note: This article concerns Cricut Maker series and Cricut Explore series machines only. For information on Cricut Joy doors, reference this article.
To properly open Cricut Maker machines
The Cricut Maker machine has a lid (top) and a door (front/bottom). These interact with each other in order to open and close.
Gently lift the lid until it magnetically disconnects from the door. The lid will raise until in its fully-open position. As the lid raises it will trigger a catch for the door to be released so they will come to a resting open position at roughly the same time.
Important: Putting stress on the door mechanisms can cause the teeth in the gears used in Cricut Maker doors to bend or break.
To close the machine, lift the bottom door first until it clicks into place. Then, gently press the lid down until it meets the closed door and the magnet engages.
To properly open Cricut Explore machines
Press the Open button on the top left of the machine. This releases catches that hold the lid and door of the machine closed. Wait until the machine doors are in a resting open position before using the machine.
To close the machine, lift the bottom door first until it clicks into place. Then, gently press the lid down until it clicks into place.