Cricut cut settings chart: material, blade, pressure

How Cricut cut settings work

When you click Make in Design Space, you choose a material from the list, for example Premium Vinyl or Medium Cardstock. That choice sets the cut pressure, the number of passes and sometimes the blade Design Space asks you to load. On the next screen you can switch Pressure between Less, Default and More. That is the main adjustment you have for a stock material.

If no preset fits, you can create a custom material in Design Space's materials settings, where you pick the blade, set a cut pressure value and the number of passes. Start from the closest existing material rather than from scratch. On older Explore machines with a dial, set the dial to Custom to use the full Design Space material list.

Cricut cut settings chart

Cricut Joy and Joy Xtra take only the fine point blade, so anything in the deep point, Knife Blade or rotary rows is not supported on them. The Knife Blade and rotary blade need the Adaptive Tool System, which only the Cricut Maker family has. Try any combination in the cut settings finder.

Open the cut settings finder →

Which blade cuts what

The fine point blade is the default in every machine and handles vinyl, iron-on, paper and cardstock. The deep point blade has a steeper angle and a black housing; it cuts thicker items, and the site's tool data puts its limit at about 1.5 mm. The Knife Blade works like a craft knife and cuts dense material up to 2.4 mm (3/32 in) in several passes. The rotary blade rolls through fabric without a backer.

For more detail on each blade, see Cricut blades explained. For wood and chipboard, read how to cut wood with a Cricut.

How to adjust when a cut fails

For vinyl and iron-on the target is a kiss cut: the blade goes through the vinyl and only scores the clear or paper liner. If the material shifts during the cut, the mat has usually lost its tack; see Cricut mat not sticky. If vinyl will not cut at all, Cricut not cutting through vinyl walks through every cause.

1. 1

   Cut a small test shape, such as a 1 inch star, before the full design.

2. 2

   If the vinyl does not weed, check the blade tip for stuck vinyl or a chip before changing anything else.

3. 3

   Set Pressure to More and cut another test shape.

4. 4

   If the liner or backing is cut through, set Pressure to Less or pick a thinner material preset.

5. 5

   If thick material is still attached, add a pass rather than unloading the mat.

6. 6

   Change one setting at a time so you know what fixed it.

Custom materials: when and how

Create a custom material when you cut a brand or thickness that is not in the list and the closest preset is not quite right. In Design Space, open the materials settings, add a new material, give it a clear name such as the brand and thickness, choose the blade, then set cut pressure and passes. Save it and run a test shape.

Raise pressure in small steps and add a pass before you jump to a much higher pressure. Too much pressure on thin material drags and tears it. On a Maker, if you are cutting thick material often, our guide to cutting machines for thick materials compares the machines that handle it best.

Note.Write your working custom settings down or name them clearly. When a firmware or app update changes the list, you can rebuild them quickly.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Cricut setting for vinyl? Pick the matching vinyl material in Design Space, use the fine point blade on a StandardGrip mat and leave pressure on Default. Only change to More if a test cut does not weed cleanly.

Can I see the actual pressure number for a Cricut material? For custom materials yes, you set a pressure value and passes in the materials settings. For stock materials you choose Less, Default or More.

Why does my Cricut cut through the backing? The pressure or material setting is too heavy for the vinyl, or you picked a thicker material. Choose the exact vinyl type and set Pressure to Less.

Does the Cricut Joy have different settings? The Joy uses the same Design Space materials, but only the fine point blade, so it cuts vinyl, iron-on, paper and card, not thick materials.