For the longest time, I had only heard about Print Then Cut. I had seen people do it but I never got into it. Mainly, because I didn’t have a printer. I never needed a printer, so I opted to save my money. But then, I decided I wanted a printer so I could make more projects. Because, as a crafter, more is better! So, I bought a printer and started to learn how to Print Then Cut. When you want to Print Then Cut, you need to learn how to calibrate your machine to work perfectly! And that is how we came to learn how to calibrate your Cricut for Print Then Cut using a computer.
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Supplies needed to Calibrate your Cricut for Print Then Cut using a computer
Not a crazy extensive list, but there are a few things needed to make this calibration work:
- A computer, either a desktop or laptop ( I am not including Macs here as I don’t have one, and I don’t know if there are any differences in Cricut Design Space layout on a Mac.)
- A Cricut Machine – either an Explore Series or a Maker Series machine. ( I know there is a way to print and cut with a Cricut Joy, but I’m not going over that in this blog post).
- A Printer – I’m using my Epson Eco-tank 2850.
- Paper – for calibrating the Print Then Cut. I used printer paper as I have an abundance of it, and it is not expensive. I recommend you do the same. But this calibration can be done on any paper type.
- Cutting mats
- The time needed for this can depend on how many iterations of the calibration you need to do, but I would put aside 30 minutes to get this done.
And that’s all we need, so let’s get calibrating!
How to Calibrate Print Then Cut
Before jumping in, I just want to point out that if you use multiple items to Print Then Cut, you will need to recalibrate for each machine. And when I say need, you technically don’t have to, but if you want a perfect cut, then you should. Or, you can do all the work on one item (on your computer), save the project and send it to Print Then Cut from the item that is calibrated to your Cricut ( in my case the iPad). That is what I usually do.
Having said that, in this blog post, I am focusing on the calibration process for a desktop/laptop (not a Mac). I will also post the process for an iPad (coming soon). The process is mostly the same, but some of the screens are different, so we want to make sure we are all on the same page.
So, let’s jump in!
How to Calibrate Your Cricut for Print Then Cut using a Computer
If you have never done Print Then Cut, and you have images on your canvas, when you hit Make Cricut Design Space should prompt you to calibrate. But this may not be the case, or you may have dismissed this in the past and never done it. So, we will review how to do it manually. If you have been prompted by DS, jump down a few sections to the part where you are prompted to print.
Accessing Print Then Cut Calibration
On your computer, open up your Cricut Design Space and go to your canvas.
Select the down arrow beside your user name. Then, select the Setting button.
Select the Machine Tab located near the top middle of the pop-up box that has opened.
On this tab, there are several options to select. Next to the Machine Calibration, select the drop-down menu and select your machine. In my case, I have an Explore Air 2, so I will select the Explore. Then a Start button will appear below the drop-down menu. Click the Start button.
How to Print a Calibration Sheet
A new pop-up box will appear for Machine Calibration -select the Print Then Cut button.
Again, a new pop-up box will appear. This one is requesting you select your printer, and load paper into your machine. Select the printer that you want to use, and then click the Print button.
This will print out a calibration sheet on your printer.
Once the sheet has been printed off, you can click the Continue button on your screen.
Set up the printed calibration Sheet on your Cutting Mat
Next, you will need to take the printed sheet and place it onto your cutting mat. Once you have the paper on your cutting mat, click the Continue button.
Next, you will be prompted to select your machine. If you have multiple machines, they will be listed here (if their power is turned on). Select the machine you want and DS will look to connect to that machine. The screen will change and let you know what you need in your machine – clamp A is empty, clamp B with a fine point blade, and you are ready to load the mat into your machine.
Starting the Calibration Process
Once you load the mat into your machine by pushing the flashing up-down arrow button, and then hitting the flashing C Cricut button on your machine, the Cricut will find the registration marks and start the calibration process.
The first cut will cut out the small box in the center of the calibration sheet.
When the cut is complete, DS will prompt you to tell it how the cut turned out. You have the option to select a perfect cut with the lines touching the printed area all the way around, or an imperfect cut saying that the lines were not touching the whole way through.
Make sure you do not pull your mat out of the machine. It needs to stay in for this to work.
Depending on your answer, you will proceed to either a fine calibration or a basic calibration.
In my case, I was not happy with the lines, so I selected No, Let’s proceed to a basic calibration.
Performing a Basic Calibration
Once you select the Continue button after selecting No, the machine will pull your mat in again and start cutting.
Now, your Cricut will start to cut along the lines at the top of the paper and the lines at the side of the paper.
Once the cut is complete, make sure not to remove your cut mat from the machine.
Each cut line will be in a different spot relative to the printed line. You will need to inspect the lines and tell Design Space, which line, from 1- 21 across the top, and lines A-U along the right side of the page, is closest to the printed lines. On my cut, the lines that lined up best were 11 and N. Select the ones that closest match your cuts and select the Continue button.
Now your basic calibration is complete. You will need to reprint a calibration sheet to continue. This process is the same as we mentioned above.
Performing a Fine Calibration
Once you have your next calibration sheet printed and put onto your mat, your machine will start the fine calibration process.
The machine will cut the small box again. Inspect the box that was cut out. If you are happy with the location of the cut mark, select Yes, Proceed with Fine Calibration. If you are not happy with the cut, select No, and repeat the above steps again.
Your machine will again start to cut the vertical and horizontal lines on the printed calibration sheet. You will need to inspect the lines and tell Design Space, which line, from 1- 21 across the top, and lines A-U along the right side of the page, is closest to the printed lines. On my cut, the lines that lined up best were 11 and I. Select the ones that closest match your cuts and select the Continue button.
Now the machine will cut the large box on your sheet. Compare the cut box with the prompts on the screen. Are you satisfied with the cut? Select either Yes or No. If you select Yes, your calibration will be complete. If you select No, you will be prompted to print another calibration sheet and continue the calibration process.
For my cuts, I was happy with the outcome and selected Yes.
And there you have it! You have successfully Calibrated your Computer for Print then Cut!.
Things I learned about calibrating for Print then Cut
It has only been a while since I started doing Print Then Cut. I didn’t have a printer, so I never needed to learn. But I saw all the cool things that could be done, and finally splurged and bought a printer. And, as with all new things, there were things to learn, so here is what I learned.
- If you use multiple things to connect to your Cricut, like different printers, tablets, phones, laptops and desktops, each one needs to have the Cricut recalibrated. Each item will have a slightly different output with your Cricut. Sometimes you may be lucky enough to have it work perfectly or almost perfectly while switching, but not always.
- Calibration can take a long time. There were several times when I needed to go through the calibration processes 4 to 5 times before getting everything right. So be prepared to take the time you need for a proper calibration.
- If you have multiple computers/tables that you use to connect to your Cricut, I recommend you do the design wherever you like, and then when you are ready to send it to Print Then Cut, you use the machines that are calibrated to save time. This is what I do.
- There are countless projects you can make with Print Then Cut. But not everything needs to be Print Then Cut. Some projects, specifically sublimation projects, do not need to be done on your Cricut.
- Sometimes, even if you have calibrated your machines, the project you are working on does not Print Then Cut as it should. This happens… and sadly, I don’t have a solution for it. Sometimes turning everything on and off works to clean up the issue. Sometimes starting the project from scratch helps. And sadly, sometimes it just won’t work. In those cases, I suggest you step away from the machine, take a breath and try again later, or try another project instead. As an avid Cricut user, I know that sometimes DS just doesn’t work. And it doesn’t matter what you do.
Frequently Asked Questions about Print then Cut
What is a Basic Calibration with Cricut?
A basic calibration is the first part of the calibration process. This is when your Cricut machine is working to ensure that the lines are being cut and close to where they should be.
What is a fine calibration with Cricut?
A fine calibration is when you tune your machine so that the cuts line up perfectly.
What if I select Fine Calibration instead of Basic Calibration? or Vise Versa?
If you are scared you selected the wrong calibration type, do not fear! While going through the process of either the basic calibration or the fine calibration, the prompts within DS will keep working toward a full calibration. And as you follow the steps, your machine will get more tuned. But if you select fine instead of basic, or basic instead of fine, you will notice at the end of the process that your machine is either cutting perfectly or not. If it is not, you will simply need to keep following the prompts until your machine is tuned.
So, there is no “wrong” selection. The worst that will happen is that you will need to print off a few more pages to finish the calibration process.
Did you enjoy this tutorial on How to Calibrate your Cricut for Print Then Cut using a computer?
Did you enjoy this tutorial on how to calibrate your Cricut for Print Then Cut using a computer?? Let me know if you found the information helpful. Also, let me know if you had any issues calibrating your Cricut for Print Then Cut.
If you enjoyed this blog post on calibrating your Cricut, check out other tips and tricks for crafting and Cricut here.
