While some Cricut pros have completely mastered the art of every button, nook and cranny on a Cricut machine, others may be slightly more hesitant to push random buttons, especially if they don’t know what the end result will be.
Rather than risk ruining a perfectly good piece of cardstock or simply avoiding the buttons at all costs, here is a quick tutorial on the function and feature keys of Cricut machines.
- Material Saver/Paper Saver Key
This key allows users to be economical with their paper. Normally, in its default setting, the Cricut machine will cut out the desired letters or shapes in its standard orientation. This can be useful in and of itself for users who want to use both the cut out and the negative left behind in the paper. However, if that is not the case, simply hit the “Material Saver” or “Paper Saver” key and the Cricut will cut out the shapes/letters at the very top of the page, leaving the rest of the paper to be used again.
- Real Dial Size
This nifty little key allows users to make everything one universal size. With fonts, for instance, lowercase letters are smaller and have a lower orientation than uppercase letters. This is because Cricut cuts out words to appear as they would on any other printed material. The “Real Dial Size” button takes each letter, regardless of upper or lowercase status, and cuts them out as equal size. The letters are still designed as lowercase letters but their size and placement are relative to the uppercase letters. Letters that drop like q, y, p and g are all in alignment with every other letter.
- Space and Backspace
These keys are fairly straightforward.
- Clear Display
The “Clear Display” button is a quick and easy way to clear graphics, words or phrases. Rather than waste time hitting the Backspace button over and over again, simply hit “Clear Display” and poof! It’s gone.
- Reset All
This button is similar to the “Clear Display” button but with the capability of clearing all contents, including graphics, letters, settings and functions. It gives users a clean slate with the cartridge.
- Repeat Last
This key is essentially a re-cut key. If users want multiple cut outs of exactly the same word or graphic that they just cut, simply hit this key and the Cricut will create an exact copy.
- Sound On/Off
For those users who believe silence is golden, hit this key to silence the keypad.
- Load Last
This key loads the paper at the last point where it was last cut.
- Set Paper Size
This function is especially useful when using smaller pieces of paper or scraps. Users can set the size of the paper they are using so the Cricut can make the necessary adjustments.
- Load/Unload Paper
Cricut users are extremely familiar with these keys but for the sake of covering all the function keys, these buttons load the paper to being cutting and remove paper when cutting is completed.
Now users can Rather than completely ignoring those function keys, take full advantage of them and use them to add to your designs!
We all have them... times or issues that occur again and again when we are scrapping.
