Ever questioned which blades, housings, and machine devices are acceptable collectively together with your Cricut machine? Or, are you proceed to attempting to find out which blade cuts which supplies? If that is the case, this weblog put up is for you.
This entire info will educate you all of the items it is worthwhile to seek out out about Cricut blades and devices. On this text, I’ll make clear the a number of sorts of Cricut blades and allow you to know the correct blade to utilize for each sort of supplies.
Using the correct blade in your enterprise is the necessary factor to getting the easiest outcomes and good clear cuts. Nonetheless in case you’re new to Cricut, figuring out the entire utterly totally different blades and devices could also be overwhelming. You can be asking:
- What blades are acceptable with my machine?
- Which blade must I exploit to cut this supplies?
- What blades do I truly wish to buy?
If that is the case, you’re within the correct place. Protect learning to be taught further about Cricut blades and devices as a method to have a higher experience using your Cricut.
Mannequin new to Cricut? You can must study this Info to Cricut for Newbies, or start with this textual content about which Cricut is greatest for you.
For further particulars in regards to the Cricut devices you really need, study my Ultimate Info to Cricut Devices and Gear.
Overview of Cricut Blades and Devices
Utterly totally different Cricut machines are acceptable with a number of sorts of blades. Sooner than we get into the specifics of each blade, let me give you an abstract of which blades associate with which machine.
Cricut Pleasure
- Cricut Pleasure makes use of 1 blade, known as the Cricut Pleasure Blade.
- It may also use one software program, which is the Cricut Pleasure Foil Change software program.
- Cricut has not launched any scoring devices for the Cricut Pleasure.
Cricut Uncover 3
The Cricut Uncover sequence machines can use 3 utterly totally different blades.
Uncover sequence machines could use the following devices.
- Foil Change Gadget
- Scoring Stylus
Cricut Maker 3
Cricut Maker sequence machines can use all of the items the Uncover sequence machines can use and further.
Together with the Prime quality-Stage Blade, Deep Stage Blade, Bonded-Materials Blade, Foil Change Gadget, and Scoring Stylus, the Maker machines can use the following blades and devices.
All About Cricut Blades
Now that you have the overview, let’s discuss each of the blades and devices in further ingredient.
Cricut Pleasure Blade and Gadget
The Cricut Pleasure is a small, moveable machine that’s good for beginning crafters and quick initiatives. It has one chopping blade, known as the Cricut Pleasure Blade. It has one additional software program, known as the Cricut Pleasure Foil Change software program.
The Cricut Pleasure Blade
The Cricut Pleasure blade is an all-purpose fine-point blade designed for the smaller Cricut Pleasure chopping machine. It is advisable to use this blade for all Cricut Pleasure provides, along with Good Provides, Infusible Ink Change Sheets, paper, cardstock, adhesive vinyl, and iron-on vinyl.
Blade Housing Shade: Sliver with a white prime.
Compatibility: Cricut Pleasure machine and Cricut Pleasure Blade Housing solely.
What can the Cricut Pleasure Blade decrease?
The Cricut Pleasure blade can decrease quite a lot of elementary provides. Just a few of the commonest provides embody:
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Cardstock
- Glitter Cardstock
- Iron-On Vinyl (HTV)
- Adhesive Vinyl
- Good Label Writable Paper
- Good Iron-On
- Good Vinyl
For a whole guidelines of acceptable provides, click on on proper right here.
The Cricut Pleasure Foil Change Gadget
The Cricut Pleasure Foil Change Gadget is a software program that you might want to use with the Foil Change Sheets in order so as to add a shiny, metallic foil impression to numerous initiatives. The Pleasure Foil Change Gadget comes with 1 tip and would possibly make foil designs in a single thickness.
Blade Housing Shade: Blue with a darker prime.
Compatibility: Cricut Pleasure machine solely.
It is advisable to use the foil software program on numerous base provides, along with paper, cardstock, and thin pretend leather-based.
Cricut Uncover Sequence Blades and Devices
The Cricut Uncover Sequence machines are acceptable with three blades: the Prime quality-Stage Blade, the Deep-Stage blade, and the Bonded-Materials Blade. Each of the three blades is color-coded, so you’ll inform at a glance which blade is appropriate in your enterprise.
The Uncover sequence machines are moreover acceptable with two devices: the full-size Foil Change Gadget system and the Scoring Stylus.
Premium Prime quality-Stage Blade
The Premium Prime quality-Stage Blade is a versatile blade designed to cut intricate designs in numerous utterly totally different provides. It’s made out of German carbide steel.
The Prime quality-Stage Blade is included with every the Uncover 3 and Maker 3 machines, so that you simply gained’t should purchase the housing individually. You can purchase a few substitute blades if you need extras accessible.
That’s the blade I exploit to cut almost all of my cardstock and vinyl initiatives. I generally tend to consider it as a result of the “default” blade.
Blade Housing Shade: Gold (When you will have an older Uncover sequence machine, your Prime quality-Stage blade might need a silver housing and blade. When you will have problem with the older blades, you’ll enhance to the model new gold Premium Prime quality Stage blade throughout the gold housing.)
Compatibility: All Cricut Uncover and Cricut Maker machines.
What can the Prime quality-Stage Blade decrease?
The Prime quality-Stage blade is designed to cut gentle to medium-weight provides, like:
- Cardstock
- Paper
- Sticker Paper
- Infusible Ink Change sheets
- Adhesive vinyl
- Iron-on vinyl (heat change vinyl)
- Faux leather-based and suede
- Good Provides, like Good Vinyl and Good Iron-On
Once you select one amongst these provides in Cricut Design Home, the software program program will quick you to utilize the Prime quality-Stage blade.
What mat must I exploit with the Prime quality-Stage Blade?
Provides that use the Prime quality-Stage Blade often work biggest with the blue LightGrip mat or the StandardGrip mat. As an example, you’ll decrease cardstock with the Prime quality-Stage blade on the blue LightGrip mat and decrease vinyl with the Prime quality-Stage Blade on the inexperienced StandardGrip mat.
Deep Stage Blade
The Deep-Stage Blade is a stronger blade designed to cut thicker, heavier provides. The Deep-Stage is produced from more durable, further sturdy steel with a steeper blade angle (60-degree angle vs. a 45-degree angle on the Prime quality-Stage blade.)
This blade should not be included with the Uncover 3 or Maker 3 machines by default, so that you simply’ll should purchase the blades and housing individually.
Blade Housing Shade: Black
Compatibility: All Cricut Uncover and Cricut Maker machines.
What can the Deep-Stage Blade decrease?
The stronger blade and the steeper blade angle indicate that the Deep-Stage blade can decrease thicker provides, along with:
- Cardboard
- Chipboard
- Craft Foam
- Actual Leather-based-based
- Magnet sheets
- Stiffened Felt
- Wood Veneer
Once you select one amongst these provides in Cricut Design Home, the software program program will quick you to utilize the Deep-Stage blade.
What mat do you need to use with the Deep-Stage Blade?
Principally, the provides that need decrease with the Deep-Stage blade work biggest with the purple StrongGrip mat.
Bonded-Materials Blade
The Bonded-Materials Blade is a fine-point blade that is designed to cut bonded material. It’s just like the Prime quality-Stage blade – the one distinction is its pink color.
Blade Housing Shade: Pink
Compatibility: All Cricut Uncover and Cricut Maker machines.
The excellence between the Prime quality-Stage blade and the Bonded-Materials blade:
Why did Cricut launch the Bonded-Materials blade in pink as soon as they already have a Prime quality-Stage blade in gold? Correctly, take into account your Bonded-Materials blade like your material scissors. The separate pink housing is meant to remind you to take care of your paper chopping blades and your material chopping blades separate. That methodology, your material chopping blades gained’t be dulled by chopping cardstock.
What can the Bonded-Materials decrease?
The Bonded-Materials blade can decrease, you guess it, bonded material. To date, Cricut has purchased a line of bonded material. Ought to you may’t uncover bonded material in outlets, it’s easy to make your particular person from frequent material.
What’s bonded material?
Bonded material is any material that has been stabilized with an iron-on backing. The iron-on stabilizer makes the fabric barely stiffer and less complicated to cut.
Some well-liked stabilizers that you might want to use to make bonded material embody Heat n Bond and Marvel Beneath.
What mat do you need to use with the Bonded-Materials Blade?
You’ll decrease material with the Bonded-Materials blade on each the pink Materials Grip mat or the inexperienced StandardGrip mat.
Foil Change Gadget
The Foil Change Gadget is a specific software program that you might want to use with the Foil Change Sheets in order so as to add metallic foil gildings to your initiatives. It comes with a set of three interchangeable ideas – efficient, medium, and daring – as a method to make numerous line thicknesses.
Gadget Housing Shade: Blue
Compatibility: Cricut Uncover and Cricut Maker machines.
What provides are you able to make the most of with the Foil Change Gadget?
It is advisable to use the Foil Change Gadget with the Foil Change Sheets in order so as to add metallic designs to paper, cardstock, vellum, sticker paper, printable vinyl, and faux leather-based.
In Design Home: Once you select a Base Supplies for a enterprise design that encompasses a Foil Linetype, you’ll uncover that solely the suitable provides are enabled. So you’ll’t by probability select an incompatible base supplies.
What mat do you need to use with the Foil Change Gadget?
Counting on the underside supplies you choose, you’ll use each the blue LightGrip mat or the inexperienced StandardGrip chopping mat when using the Foil Change Gadget.
Scoring Stylus
The Scoring Stylus is used in order so as to add ranking or fold strains to paper and cardstock initiatives. The Cricut Uncover and Maker machines can keep the Scoring Stylus and a chopping blade on the equivalent time. You’ll ranking and decrease with out stopping to fluctuate out your devices.
The Scoring Stylus is greater than any of the blades that we’ve talked about up to now. It’s fashioned like a pen and in regards to the equivalent dimension as your weeding devices.
You can purchase the Scoring Stylus individually or as part of the Essential Gadget Set.
Shade: A much bigger white software program with a silver tip. The tip of the take care of is gentle purple.
Compatibility: Cricut Uncover and Cricut Maker machines.
What provides are you able to make the most of with the Scoring Stylus?
The Scoring Stylus is right for scoring paper and cardstock.
What mat do you need to use with the Scoring Stylus?
Counting on the thickness of the material you is perhaps scoring, use the Scoring Stylus with each the blue LightGrip mat or the inexperienced StandardGrip chopping mat.
Cricut Maker Blades and Devices
Cricut Maker sequence machines can use all of the items the Uncover sequence machines can use and further.
Together with the Prime quality-Stage Blade, Deep Stage Blade, Bonded-Materials Blade, Foil Change Gadget, and Scoring Stylus, the Maker machines can use the following blades and devices.
Rotary Blade
The Rotary Blade is a premium stainless steel blade which will decrease material and totally different delicate provides, all with out the utilization of a stabilizer.
Do you have to sew or quilt, the rotary blade will look acquainted to you. It’s a small spherical blade that rolls alongside the decrease strains, slicing by the fabric with out dragging or tearing.
Blade Housing Shade: The Rotary blade comes by itself silver housing with a gold gear on the prime. It’s not part of the QucikSwap system talked about beneath.
Compatibility: Solely Cricut Maker machines.
What can the Rotary Blade decrease?
The Rotary Blade can decrease every kind of fabric, along with:
- Cotton
- Canvas
- Denim
- Flannel
- Felt
- Jersey
- Linen
- Silk
- Suede
I moreover love using the Roary blade to cut delicate provides like tissue paper and crepe paper.
What mat must I exploit with the Rotary Blade?
Use the Rotary Blade to cut material on the pink FabricGrip mat, which is produced from a stronger, denser supplies constructed to withstand the higher pressure of the Rotary Blade.
What’s the excellence between the Bonded-Materials Blade and the Rotary Blade?
The Bonded-Materials Blade and the Rotary Blade are every meant to cut material, nevertheless they couldn’t be further utterly totally different.
The Bonded Materials blade is type of a bit X-Acto blade that cuts by bonded material with a pulling, slicing motion. It’s acceptable with every the Uncover and Maker machines.
Then once more, the Rotary Blade is unquestionably barely rotary blade that rolls by un-bonded material to cut with out pulling or tearing. It’s solely acceptable with the Maker machines, nevertheless I positively advocate using the Rotary Blade to cut material when you will have the selection.
Knife Blade
The Knife Blade is a superb strong blade that you might want to use to make dimensional initiatives from thick provides like balsa wood and chipboard.
Take into account the Knife Blade like a mini X-Acto in your Cricut Maker. It’s a 12mm carbide blade that slices by dense provides as a lot as 3/32 in (2.4mm) thick.
Blade Housing Shade: The Knife blade comes by itself silver housing with a gold gear on the prime. It’s not part of the QucikSwap system talked about beneath.
Compatibility: Solely Cricut Maker machines.
What can the Knife Blade decrease?
It is advisable to use the Knife blade to cut the following provides:
- Balsa wood, as a lot as 3/32″
- Basswood, as a lot as 1/16″
- Tooling leather-based, as a lot as 7 oz
- Garment leather-based, as a lot as 5oz
- Cricut Chipboard, 2mm
- Matboard, 2-ply or 4-ply
- Craft foam, as a lot as 3mm
What mat must I exploit with the Knife Blade?
Use the Knife Blade to cut provides on the purple StrongGrip mat.
What’s the excellence between the Deep-Stage blade and the Knife blade?
Every the Deep-Stage blade and the Knife blade are stronger blades which will decrease thicker provides than the same old Prime quality-Stage blade. Nonetheless that’s the place the similarities end.
- The Deep-Stage blade is true for intricate cuts in thicker, medium-weight provides.
- The Knife blade is true for cuts of affordable ingredient throughout the thickest, heavy-weight provides.
- In addition to, the Knife blade is solely acceptable with the Cricut Maker machines.
QuickSwap Devices
The following few devices we’ll seemingly be discussing are part of the Cricut Maker’s QuickSwap software program system.
This methodology consists of single QuickSwap housing and a sequence of interchangeable QuickSwap Concepts. You’ll quickly change between the utterly totally different ideas in order so as to add utterly totally different outcomes to your initiatives.
The devices throughout the half beneath are QuickSwap Concepts. Each of the QuickSwap ideas will be utilized with a single QuickSwap Housing – snap them in and out as wished.
Scoring Wheel and Double Scoring Wheel
The Scoring Wheel and the Double Scoring Wheel are two devices that you might want to use to create crisp, sharp fold strains on numerous Provides.
The cool issue about these scoring wheels is that they use as a lot as 10x the pressure of the Scoring Stylus, so it’s also possible to make increased fold strains in thicker provides.
Look: silver QuickSwap Tip with a single or double wheel. The Scoring Wheel is marked with the amount 01, and the Double Scoring wheel is marked with the amount 02.
Compatibility: Solely Cricut Maker machines.
What provides can the Scoring Wheels ranking?
Use the one Scoring Wheel to make a single, deep ranking line in lighter provides, like paper, crepe paper, and cardstock.
Use the Double Scoring Wheel to make two deep parallel ranking strains in medium-to-heavy provides, like thick cardstock, poster board, and cardboard.
What mat do you need to use with the Scoring Wheels?
Counting on the material you is perhaps scoring, you’ll use the Scoring Wheels on the blue LightGrip mat or the inexperienced StandardGrip mat.
Debossing Tip
The Debossing Tip creates crisp, detailed debossed designs in numerous provides in order so as to add dimension to your initiatives. The tip of the Debossing software program is a tiny roller ball that rolls over the material, leaving a transparent imprint.
It’s very like the scoring wheels, in a way. But it surely certainly leaves a thicker, deeper line that’s further decorative than sensible.
Look: silver QuickSwap Tip with a small ball tip. The Debossing Tip is marked with the amount 21.
Compatibility: Solely Cricut Maker machines.
What provides are you able to make the most of with the Debossing Tip?
It is advisable to use the Debossing Tip on numerous provides, along with:
- Cardstock
- Paper
- Craft Foam
- Freezer Paper
- Leather-based-based
- Posterboard
- Vellum
For a whole guidelines of acceptable provides, click on on proper right here.
In Design Home: Once you select a Base Supplies for a enterprise design that encompasses a Deboss Linetype, you’ll uncover that solely the suitable provides are enabled – so you’ll’t by probability select an incompatible base supplies.
What mat do you need to use with the Debossing Tip?
Counting on the material you’re using, you might want to use the Debossing Tip with the blue LightGrip mat, the inexperienced StandardGrip mat, and even the purple StrongGrip mat.
Engraving Tip
The Engraving Tip allows you to inscribe designs on numerous provides, like tender metals and plastic. You add engraved strains to your enterprise be chosen the Engrave Linetype in Cricut Design Home.
Look: silver QuickSwap Tip with a small pointed tip. The Engraving Tip is marked with the amount 41.
Compatibility: Solely Cricut Maker machines.
What provides are you able to make the most of with the Engraving Tip?
You’ll engrave numerous provides, along with:
- Acetate
- Aluminum sheets
- Leather-based-based
- Glitter Cardstock
- Vinyl Knowledge
In Design Home: Once you select a Base Supplies for a enterprise design that options an Engrave Linetype, you’ll uncover some supplies settings aren’t enabled – so you’ll’t by probability select an incompatible base supplies.
What mat do you need to use with the Deep-Stage Blade?
Use the chopping mat that is acceptable in your chosen supplies. Usually, that means you’ll be engraving on the purple StrongGrip mat.
Perforation Blade
The Perforation Blade makes precise perforation cuts in numerous provides. It’s the correct software program to utilize to create tear-out booklets, raffle tickets, flyers, or any enterprise which requires a transparent tear.
Look: silver QuickSwap Tip with a single, notched wheel. The Perforation Blade is marked with the amount 11.
Compatibility: Solely Cricut Maker machines.
What provides can the Perforation Blade decrease?
The perforation blade is most steadily used to make tear strains on paper and cardstock. Nonetheless, it may be used on pretend leather-based, craft foam, adhesive vinyl, and iron-on.
What mat do you need to use with the Performation Blade?
Usually, you’ll use the Perforation Blade with paper or cardstock on the blue LightGrip mat or the inexperienced StandardGrip mat.
Wavy Blade
The Wavy Blade is a gratifying methodology in order so as to add a wavy decoration decrease edge to any enterprise. You’ll change frequent decrease strains into Wavy strains by deciding on the Wavy linetype in Cricut Design Home.
Look: silver QuickSwap Tip with a wavy chopping wheel. The Wavy Blade is marked with the amount 31.
Compatibility: Solely Cricut Maker machines.
What can the Wavy Blade decrease?
It is advisable to use the Wavy Blade on numerous gentle to medium-weight provides, along with:
- Acetate
- Adhesive vinyl
- Cardstock
- Copy paper
- Cotton material
- Craft foam
- Iron-on vinyl (heat change vinyl)
- Felt
- Leather-based-based
- Linen
- Vellum
What mat do you need to use with the Wavy Blade?
Use the chopping mat that is acceptable in your chosen supplies. As an example, you’ll use the Wavy Blade with cardstock on the blue LightGrip mat, vinyl on the inexperienced StandardGrip mat, or material on the pink FabricGrip mat.
Blades for Older Cricut Machines
Legacy Cricut fashions, identical to the Create or Expression machines, use a definite set of blades. These older blades aren’t acceptable with the model new machines.
Commonplace Blade: This is usually a fine-point blade with a shiny inexperienced housing.
Deep Decrease Blade: This is usually a steeper blade that cuts thicker provides. The Deep Decrease blade housing is darkish blue. (Don’t get this blade confused with the current Deep Stage blade throughout the black housing.)
Scoring Tip: This software program is used to create ranking strains. It has a purple housing.
Cake Blade: This blade obtained right here with the Cake and Cake Mini machines. It has a white housing.
How prolonged do Cricut Blades closing?
Cricut blades do uninteresting with repeated use, so that you simply’ll wish to trade them typically.
How prolonged do they closing? Correctly, it’s dependent upon how often you make the most of your Cricut and what types of provides you chop.
You’ll know it is worthwhile to alter the blade when your cuts aren’t as clear or crisp as they was as soon as. In case your supplies begins to tear or bunch up throughout the blade, it’s maybe time to trade the blade.
Strategies to Sharpen Cricut Blades
As a result of the blades do uninteresting over time, you possibly can be questioning in case you may sharpen the blades.
Correctly, I don’t advocate sharpening them – nevertheless I do have a trick for cleaning the blades:
- Ball up a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Take away the blade housing from the machine. Press the pin of the blade housing, so the blade stands out a bit further.
- Then, poke the blade into the aluminum foil ball again and again – about 50 events.
In case you put the blade once more into the machine, it’s best to find that it cuts fairly extra cleanly.
Reverse to well-liked opinion, the aluminum foil isn’t actually sharpening the blade. But it surely certainly does clear the blade of any remaining paper or vinyl residue. And the foil methodology does help the blade decrease rather more cleanly.
Strategies to Change Cricut Blades
Proper right here’s the proper method to change the Prime quality-Stage, Deep Stage, and Bonded-Materials blades:
- Open Clamp B, and take away the blade housing out of your Cricut machine.
- Push the pin on the best of the housing and completely pull the earlier blade out from the underside.
- Take away the protective cowl from the model new blade. Insert the model new blade into the housing. The magnet throughout the housing will keep the model new blade in place.
- Change the blade housing to Clamp B and shut it.
To study to alter the Knife Blade, click on on proper right here.
To study to alter the Rotary Blade, click on on proper right here.
How To Change QuickSwap Concepts
The Cricut Maker’s QuickSwap system lets you change between scoring, debossing, and engraving options by swapping out tooltips. You solely need one housing, and chances are you’ll change out the concepts as wished.
Proper right here’s how to do that.
- Press the pin on prime of QuickSwap housing to launch the tip. Then, take away the tip.
- Whereas pressing the pin, align the model new tip with the housing, then slide the tip into place. Assure tip is firmly seated throughout the housing.
- Launch the pink to protected the model new tip in place.
Further Cricut Guides and Tutorials
Do you have to get pleasure from crafting with Cricut, you’ll like these related articles:
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