If you are familiar with Cricut smart cutting machines, you probably know that they have revolutionized home crafting. The same project that may have taken you a full day to finish can now be done in half the time thanks to Cricut’s advanced design and computer-controlled cutting capabilities. However, Cricut is still relatively new territory for a lot of crafters. If you just enjoy arts and crafts as a hobby, you may not be too familiar with how the Cricut Maker and similar Cricut machines work.
In today’s guide, we are going to teach you everything you need to know about using Cricut with cardstock. More specifically, we will discuss how to cut cardstock on Cricut, different factors to consider when cutting cardstock paper, and even the best blade to use on your Cricut machine. So, let’s get started!
Using Cardstock With Cricut Maker
While there is plenty of standardization in the world of cardstock, there is still plenty of variation to consider before you stick your cardstock in a Cricut Maker. Not only are there tons of different brands of cardstock on the market, but there are also different sizes, textures, as well as weights and thicknesses.
First, we will examine cardstock size. Cardstock usually comes in specific sizes based on how you plan to use it. For example, you can get letter-size cardstock (8.5” x 11”), cardstock for scrapbooking, (12” x 12”), and occasionally extra large cardstock (12” by 18”). While most cardstock sizes will fit in your Cricut Maker without any issues, you may need to get a bigger Cricut cutting mat for the largest pieces of cardstock.
Next, you will want to consider the weight of your cardstock. As you may already know, cardstock weight is measured in pounds, and the weight of cardstock is also a reflection of its thickness. Some common sizes include 65 lbs. (light cardstock) and 85 lbs. (medium cardstock). These are both manageable using most Cricut machines, as you will be able to choose “cardstock” as your material during the setup process. However, if you want to use a thicker cardstock, like 100 lbs. cardstock, you may need to do a bit more customizing. We will talk about how to cut thick cardstock on Cricut a little later on.
Finally, you must consider the texture of your cardstock when using it with the Cricut Maker. Smooth cardstock is the standard cardstock you might use for a birthday card or invitation. This can generally be used with a Cricut machine without any issues. Alternatively, textured cardstock has a surface that is not completely smooth, as it may have a grid design that forms ridges along the face of the material. To cut this material, you will need to use the “Textured” setting on your Cricut Maker.
Cutting Glitter Cardstock On Cricut
Glitter cardstock is very popular for birthday cards and other celebratory messages, but it does present a unique challenge when you need to cut and shape your cardstock. Fortunately, Cricut machines are able to handle glitter cardstock without any issues — as long as you use the right settings. If you are preparing to cut glitter cardstock on your Cricut machine, you will need to follow these steps:
- Customize your design to fit your desired look
- Look through the materials list on your Cricut machine and select glitter cardstock (note: you may need to turn the smart set dial to “Custom”)
- Place your glitter cardstock onto the cutting mat as you would with any other material
- Load the mat into the machine and press “Go”
- Finally, take out the cut design
As you can see, it is not super complex to cut glitter cardstock. However, depending on the make and model of your machine, it may not have “glitter cardstock” as a preset material option right out of the box. Even if you can’t find glitter cardstock in the options, you can always turn the smart set dial to custom to let the Cricut machine know that you are using a material that is not listed. We will also address the right steps to create a custom material later in this guide.
Cutting Thick Cardstock With Cricut
Cricuts are designed to handle a wide range of materials, from extremely thin cuts of paper to much thicker, stronger materials. That said, if you don’t have the settings right, your machine may not be able to cut through very thick cardstock. For example, 100 lbs. cardstock is generally considered “heavy” and is therefore on the thicker end.
If you need to cut thick cardstock on your Cricut machine, you should not choose “cardstock” as your material. This is because the cardstock option is designed for light or medium-weight cardstock, not heavy cardstock. To make sure that the machine cuts your thick cardstock cleanly, you should select “posterboard” as your material. This way, your machine knows that it is cutting through a thicker material and will adjust its settings accordingly.
If you don’t see “posterboard” as an option, you will need to create a custom setting using the smart set dial. This is true for any cardstock that is heavier than 85 lbs. However, creating a custom material is one of the more complex processes related to Cricut machines. So, here are a few tips to help you create custom materials that match your needs:
- Check the settings for materials that are relatively close to your materials so you know roughly how much pressure to use and which multi-cut setting is needed for your cardstock
- Do not assume that thicker cardstock requires more pressure: it may just require a multi-cut setting
- Try to test out your custom materials settings before you use them on your best cardstock
- Cricut Makers can handle custom materials with a maximum thickness of 2.4 millimeters
Which Blade To Use When Cutting Cardstock
Thus far, everything has been pretty simple. Even though many Cricut owners get nervous when attempting to cut new materials, they often forget that Cricuts are specifically designed to handle hundreds of different materials with ease. However, things get a little trickier when choosing the blade type.
In many cases, your settings will help your Cricut machine pick the best blade for you. However, if you are using a custom setting or you are required to choose the blade for some other reason, you will need to know the best blade type for cutting cardstock. Generally speaking, the deep-point blade is recommended for thicker materials like chipboard, foam sheets, cardboard, and thick cardstock.
If you are using a very thin cardstock, you may be able to get by using the fine-point blade. However, you should be aware that it may not deliver a clean cut. Additionally, using the fine-point blade to cut thicker materials could wear down the blade, requiring replacement much sooner than expected.
The Bottom Line
Cutting cardstock with a Cricut machine is not rocket science, but using the wrong settings could also have disastrous results for your arts and crafts project. Therefore, it is vital that you understand how the size, weight, and texture of your cardstock can affect the final outcome. To ensure the best results, simply follow the steps in this guide or consult your Cricut manual for further guidance.
Ready to start your next project? Check out our high-quality cardstock today, and let us know how you put our cardstock to good use!