Want to learn how to cut vinyl with Cricut but don't know how to get started? The good news is that it's easy to work with vinyl. This post will teach you how to do it and get beautiful results. Vinyl is the material you can cut and apply to create your craft projects, including tumblers, decorated mugs, stickers, and decals.
Vinyl has two parts. The upper layer is genuine vinyl and has a sticky on the backside. The back layer is a paper liner. You can think of craft vinyl as a sticker. Cutting vinyl with a Cricut machine allows you to create precise cuts and complex designs.
Cricut machines are great for creating all kinds of craft projects, from home decor to customized gifts and many more. Below we will guide you on how to cut vinyl with Cricut through the step-by-step instructions.
Cricut Guide: How To Cut Vinyl With Cricut
Follow the basic steps to cut vinyl with Cricut; let's look at each part of the procedure in more detail.
1. Design Your Project at Cricut Design Space
To learn how to cut Vinyl with Cricut, first, open the Cricut Design Space and create a new project. Add an image to the Canvas. Select one of the pre-create Cricut projects, add an image from the Cricut Access library, or upload your SVG file.
When your design is prepared, tap the green Make It button.
On your next Prepare screen, you'll notice that the pieces in your project have been separated into mats by color. Properly check that everything looks as it should.
If your design pieces are not where you want them, you can go back to your canvas screen and "Attach" them. Once everything looks as it should tap the green Continue button.
2. Put the Vinyl On Your Cricut Mat
Lay a blue or green cutting mat on your flat project surface, and remove the transparent plastic protective sheet. Lay the vinyl on your mat, paper liner side down. Try to align the edges of the vinyl with the grid on your mat.
Smooth your vinyl with a scraper tool or brayer. Try to eliminate any air bubbles that may interfere with your cut.
Put the mat in your Cricut machine. Align the edges of your mat with the guide. Then tap the Load button to load the mat into your Cricut machine.
3. Select Your Material Settings
Back to Design Space. You will be viewing the Make screen, where you choose the right cut setting for your vinyl.
Follow your on-screen steps to Set Base Material. Select a vinyl setting from the list of options. If you don't see Vinyl in the Favorites list, select Browse All materials to access the full list of material settings.
Note: If you're using the Cricut Explore Air 2, you can choose a material set by turning on the Smart Set dial on your machine.
Next, ensure you've loaded the right cutting blade into your Cricut machine (vinyl, use a fine-point blade.)
When you're prepared, tap the Go button to start cutting.
4. Weed Your Design
When your cut is finished, tap the Load button again to take off your mat. Now, you will remove the extra vinyl from the design with a weeding tool.
What is weeding? Weeding means removing extra vinyl from spaces around your design that you don't want to transfer to your final product.
Next, turn your mat upside down on a clean project surface, and peel your mat away from the vinyl. Peeling your mat off the vinyl, rather than the other way around, helps keep the vinyl from curling or cracking.
5. Prepare Your Project Surface
Ensure the project surface of your base material is dry and clean before applying vinyl. You want to remove any dust, lint, or oil that may be preventing the vinyl from sticking to your project surface. It’ll help you easily cut vinyl with Cricut.
6. Apply Transfer Tape To Your Vinyl Design
Cut transfer tape that is slightly larger than your vinyl design. Peel the backing paper off your transfer tape. Lay the transfer tape over your vinyl design, using the grid lines to keep everything straight and lined up.
Use the scraper tool to smooth out your transfer tape into your vinyl. This helps the transfer tape stay on your vinyl design.
7. Peel Your Transfer Tape and Vinyl Design Away From the Paper Liner
Slowly and carefully peel off your transfer tape at a 45-degree angle from your vinyl paper backing. The transfer tape should remove the vinyl design away from its paper backing. If the vinyl doesn't stick to your transfer tape, put your tape back down and burn it again.
8. Apply Vinyl To the Project
Use transfer tape to apply the vinyl design to your project. You can use the grid lines on your transfer tape to ensure your design is completely aligned. Apply pressure to your vinyl to adhere it to the project. Use a scraper tool to burn your design onto the project. Start in the center of your design and work towards your edges, which can become air bubbles.
9. Remove Transfer Tape
Slowly peel your transfer tape off the project surface. Try removing at 45 degrees angle. The transfer tape should be removed, leaving behind the vinyl design.
If your vinyl design does not remove from your transfer tape, put your transfer tape back down, and burn again. Then, try again.
Now you've completely removed your transfer tape; you can see your completed design. Allow your vinyl to fix for 24 hours before washing or dampening it. Letting your vinyl will give it time to form a stronger bond, and you'll get the best long-term results.
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