Products and Devices to Use With a Cricut Machine
Design Space is a free design app for Cricut smart cutting machines available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Here are the current minimum system requirements for the application. Note: Requirements may change over time. Cricut also previously had software called Cricut Craft Room, which allowed the older machines to work on a computer. Unfortunately, this software (and support for it) was discontinued in 2018 when Cricut Design Space was launched.
July 9, 2019 by MarkCreate Knock Out Text in Design Space – this advanced method will help you create some amazing things all with the design features of Cricut Design Space. Tips for Using Cursive Fonts – cursive fonts can be tricky and many do not understand how to use them correctly. Cricut Design Space and Cricut Access. Design Space is a user-friendly / shockingly easy-to-learn, software design package and digital resource library which is compatible with a range of devices – I primarily use my laptop (Windows) but I also have the App on my Android (it works on iOS and Mac too!) ‘Cricut Access' is the optional. Design Space® is a companion app that works with Cricut Maker™ and Cricut Explore® family smart cutting machines. Browse thousands of images, ready-to-make projects, and fonts in the Cricut.
We get a lot of questions about what types of Products and Devices to Use With a Cricut Machine. Whether a beginner or Cricut pro, you will probably find something here that is new to you. These aren't items that are specifically designed for the Cricut but they complement it very well.
Products and Devices I Use With My Cricut
![Space Space](https://www.practicalwhimsydesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/Cricut-Maker.jpg)
First thing first, I'm going to start with my handy-dandy iPad. I rave about this all the time. It really is a game changer for our crafting! This is just a simple sixth-generation iPad but it works just great for our purposes. It's Wi-Fi only so that is one thing to consider. Most people nowadays simply use the personal hotspot on their smart phones.
What Machines Does Cricut Design Space Work With Cricut Expression
We absolutely love designing on the iPad – you can even design projects on the go! It's so great that the Cricut Maker even has a handy dock for it!
Rubbing Alcohol and Dispenser Pump
Next up, rubbing alcohol. We had no idea how many people would be impressed by our little dispenser pump from the Dollar Tree. This thing's a game changer. Emagic logic platinum 5. If you want the perfect amount of rubbing alcohol, this is definitely the way to go. You need rubbing alcohol to clean your surfaces before applying vinyl to them. Any slick surface needs to be cleaned with rubbing alcohol so that any dirt, oils, and finger residue is gone. This will ensure that your vinyl sticks really well to your surface and that your project lasts much longer.
Cricut Printable Guide
One thing we find ourselves referencing time and time again is this amazing Cricut Printable Guide that we've created at Makers Gonna Learn. You get this if you are a member! It is 20 pages of Cricut goodness from terminology to tips & tricks to referencing what temperature we recommend for different things. You can view it as a PDF and save it to your smartphone, laptop, or iPad as a reference there but many of our members like to print it out and laminate it.
ATG Gun
Next up is our ATG gun. This can be found at your local Michaels store. It's really awesome for all your 3D paper crafting projects. Now, if you're like me and not a huge fan of the pink, this is pretty much the same as the Scotch ATG 714. The pink one was made specifically for Michaels and is a bit more affordable because you can use your Michaels coupon for it. You will see huge savings using one of these ATG guns as opposed to those small tape dispensers.
LA's Totally Awesome
We have another Dollar Tree product LA's Totally Awesome. I have seen mixed reviews on this product but I honestly think that chances are, if you don't like it, it's because you aren't using it correctly.
We have a video explaining exactly how to clean your Cricut mats to get the longest life out of the mat. In it, we give very solid and strict instructions on how to take advantage of this product and clean your mats. We clean our mats using this method and they last for a long time!
VLR
Next, we have VLR. You are going to love this product! You can find it on Amazon and you're going to want to have some on hand if you do a lot of iron-on projects. This can remove heat transfer vinyl from your shirt. If you aren't happy with the way you positioned your design or it just didn't turn out the way you had hoped, this product is crazy awesome!
We have a video on using VLR and Removing HTV from Fabric. Check that out to see how quickly and effortlessly it works. It is a game changer for your crafting because I feel like it allows me to get a little bit edgier and take more risks with my projects. I know if I mess up, I'm not ruining the shirt!
Masking Tape Transfer Sheets
One of our newer products we've been talking about and using here at Makers Gonna Learn are these masking tape transfer sheets. We are all about saving money here and not just buying things for the sake of it, but these are amazing! This is a 6 by a 100 feet roll that I got from Auntie Tay for about $11. This is perfect for print and cut projects, for curved surface projects, and for vinyl projects. This really does the trick and you're going to love it!
Printers
Probably the most asked question that I get via email and our Facebook community is what printer do I recommend and I have to say the Canon TS-8120. We love this printer and you are going to love it too. It's under $100, the ink refills are competitively priced and you're going to get great results. If you want a lightweight, accessible crafting printer, this is an amazing solution.
Canon does have larger printers, if you're interested in larger printing and using things like seamless 12 by 12 paper and things like that but for us, this is what we find yourself gravitating towards time after time. We get great results from it! I highly recommend it for you to upgrade or treat yourself to a Canon TS-8120.
Computer
Another product we are always going to ask about is what computer do we design with and I have to say that I am Apple all the way. I have a MacBook Pro with the touch bar. It's super awesome but you do not need something that powerful to use Cricut Design Space.
If you're not really using it for gaming or photo editing or video editing, anything in the MacBook Air lineup is going to be perfect for you. It's at the perfect price point for a durable long lasting machine. You are going to be paying a little bit more for a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro but from my experience, it's worth it. I still have all of the Macs I've ever purchased and they are still running great. Plus, if you already have an iPhone, the compatibility is flawless and you're going to love it!
We love talking about products and devices we use with our Cricut. These are not really Cricut related items but they are must-haves for us in our Cricut workroom! They will definitely help you have a lot of fun and take full advantage of your machine.
Update (7/16/18): As of 9am MT today, Cricut Craft Room has been officially shutdown and is no longer available for legacy machine owners to access. If you have any questions about this news, please read our original announcement below or contact our Member Care team.
Cricut has long paved the way in the creative space by offering innovative products that expand the possibilities of what anyone can make. Free 3d drawing. Over the last five years, we've made incredible strides with the launch of our Cricut Design Space® software, compatible with the Cricut Explore family and the Cricut Maker, that allows our members to access a wide variety of content instantly from any mobile device.
With the evolution of Cricut Design Space, we've had to review other software platforms in our portfolio and make some tough decisions. We have unfortunate news for members who still use Cricut Craft Room: We will be closing Cricut Craft Room as of July 15, 2018. Cricut Craft Room was built on Adobe Flash technology, a now outdated plug-in. Adobe Flash is no longer supported by Adobe, and that has created numerous vulnerabilities in the software—including speed and performance. This means you will no longer be able to access Cricut Craft Room on your desktop if you still use a legacy machine, including Cricut Personal, Create, Expression, Expression 2, Mini, Cake, Cake Mini, and Imagine. Moving forward, please do not sign-up for a Cricut Craft Room subscription as it will no longer work with your legacy machine after July 15, 2018.
We understand this is going to cause frustration for a number of our active Cricut Craft Room members. We are fully committed to helping you understand what this means and, importantly, we want to make sure you have as smooth a transition as possible during this time. To help with this transition, we have a special offer for legacy machine owners who have not yet upgraded to our latest machines: You'll get $75 off any Explore machine or bundle on Cricut.com. This applies to all of our U.S., Canada, U.K., EU and other international members. Please refer to the eligibility section in the FAQs below to see if you're eligible for this offer.
All Cricut Craft Room members who have opted-in to Cricut's emails will receive their code by April 28 to redeem on cricut.com, and the code will be good through July 15, 2018. After July 15, 2018, the code will expire. If you do not receive your code by email by Saturday, April 28, please contact Cricut Member Care.
Our members are incredibly important to us and we know this transition won't be easy for everyone, but we want to make it as seamless as possible. We have such a passionate community of makers and we want to inspire you to stay part of it. Please check out our Q&A below for more information, or feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
Thank you for being a valued member of the Cricut family.
Cricut Content
What qualifies as a legacy machine?
- Any machine that was created before the Explore family of machines qualifies as a legacy machine as it is not compatible with our current design software, Design Space. The first Explore machine launched in 2014.
- Cricut no longer produces these machines. Legacy machines include Cricut Personal, Create, Expression, Expression 2, Mini, Cake, Cake Mini, and Imagine.
What is Design Space?
- Cricut Design Space® is a robust web-based platform that you can access on your computer, phone or tablet. The Design Space mobile app will be coming to international users soon.
- You can access Design Space for free by visiting design.cricut.com and signing in with the same email and password you use for Cricut Craft Room. You'll have access to thousands of projects and designs, as well as tools to help you make any project your heart desires.
![Work Work](https://www.laurascraftylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/How-Does-the-Cricut-Machine-Work-Cricut-Explore.jpg?x65262)
First thing first, I'm going to start with my handy-dandy iPad. I rave about this all the time. It really is a game changer for our crafting! This is just a simple sixth-generation iPad but it works just great for our purposes. It's Wi-Fi only so that is one thing to consider. Most people nowadays simply use the personal hotspot on their smart phones.
What Machines Does Cricut Design Space Work With Cricut Expression
We absolutely love designing on the iPad – you can even design projects on the go! It's so great that the Cricut Maker even has a handy dock for it!
Rubbing Alcohol and Dispenser Pump
Next up, rubbing alcohol. We had no idea how many people would be impressed by our little dispenser pump from the Dollar Tree. This thing's a game changer. Emagic logic platinum 5. If you want the perfect amount of rubbing alcohol, this is definitely the way to go. You need rubbing alcohol to clean your surfaces before applying vinyl to them. Any slick surface needs to be cleaned with rubbing alcohol so that any dirt, oils, and finger residue is gone. This will ensure that your vinyl sticks really well to your surface and that your project lasts much longer.
Cricut Printable Guide
One thing we find ourselves referencing time and time again is this amazing Cricut Printable Guide that we've created at Makers Gonna Learn. You get this if you are a member! It is 20 pages of Cricut goodness from terminology to tips & tricks to referencing what temperature we recommend for different things. You can view it as a PDF and save it to your smartphone, laptop, or iPad as a reference there but many of our members like to print it out and laminate it.
ATG Gun
Next up is our ATG gun. This can be found at your local Michaels store. It's really awesome for all your 3D paper crafting projects. Now, if you're like me and not a huge fan of the pink, this is pretty much the same as the Scotch ATG 714. The pink one was made specifically for Michaels and is a bit more affordable because you can use your Michaels coupon for it. You will see huge savings using one of these ATG guns as opposed to those small tape dispensers.
LA's Totally Awesome
We have another Dollar Tree product LA's Totally Awesome. I have seen mixed reviews on this product but I honestly think that chances are, if you don't like it, it's because you aren't using it correctly.
We have a video explaining exactly how to clean your Cricut mats to get the longest life out of the mat. In it, we give very solid and strict instructions on how to take advantage of this product and clean your mats. We clean our mats using this method and they last for a long time!
VLR
Next, we have VLR. You are going to love this product! You can find it on Amazon and you're going to want to have some on hand if you do a lot of iron-on projects. This can remove heat transfer vinyl from your shirt. If you aren't happy with the way you positioned your design or it just didn't turn out the way you had hoped, this product is crazy awesome!
We have a video on using VLR and Removing HTV from Fabric. Check that out to see how quickly and effortlessly it works. It is a game changer for your crafting because I feel like it allows me to get a little bit edgier and take more risks with my projects. I know if I mess up, I'm not ruining the shirt!
Masking Tape Transfer Sheets
One of our newer products we've been talking about and using here at Makers Gonna Learn are these masking tape transfer sheets. We are all about saving money here and not just buying things for the sake of it, but these are amazing! This is a 6 by a 100 feet roll that I got from Auntie Tay for about $11. This is perfect for print and cut projects, for curved surface projects, and for vinyl projects. This really does the trick and you're going to love it!
Printers
Probably the most asked question that I get via email and our Facebook community is what printer do I recommend and I have to say the Canon TS-8120. We love this printer and you are going to love it too. It's under $100, the ink refills are competitively priced and you're going to get great results. If you want a lightweight, accessible crafting printer, this is an amazing solution.
Canon does have larger printers, if you're interested in larger printing and using things like seamless 12 by 12 paper and things like that but for us, this is what we find yourself gravitating towards time after time. We get great results from it! I highly recommend it for you to upgrade or treat yourself to a Canon TS-8120.
Computer
Another product we are always going to ask about is what computer do we design with and I have to say that I am Apple all the way. I have a MacBook Pro with the touch bar. It's super awesome but you do not need something that powerful to use Cricut Design Space.
If you're not really using it for gaming or photo editing or video editing, anything in the MacBook Air lineup is going to be perfect for you. It's at the perfect price point for a durable long lasting machine. You are going to be paying a little bit more for a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro but from my experience, it's worth it. I still have all of the Macs I've ever purchased and they are still running great. Plus, if you already have an iPhone, the compatibility is flawless and you're going to love it!
We love talking about products and devices we use with our Cricut. These are not really Cricut related items but they are must-haves for us in our Cricut workroom! They will definitely help you have a lot of fun and take full advantage of your machine.
Update (7/16/18): As of 9am MT today, Cricut Craft Room has been officially shutdown and is no longer available for legacy machine owners to access. If you have any questions about this news, please read our original announcement below or contact our Member Care team.
Cricut has long paved the way in the creative space by offering innovative products that expand the possibilities of what anyone can make. Free 3d drawing. Over the last five years, we've made incredible strides with the launch of our Cricut Design Space® software, compatible with the Cricut Explore family and the Cricut Maker, that allows our members to access a wide variety of content instantly from any mobile device.
With the evolution of Cricut Design Space, we've had to review other software platforms in our portfolio and make some tough decisions. We have unfortunate news for members who still use Cricut Craft Room: We will be closing Cricut Craft Room as of July 15, 2018. Cricut Craft Room was built on Adobe Flash technology, a now outdated plug-in. Adobe Flash is no longer supported by Adobe, and that has created numerous vulnerabilities in the software—including speed and performance. This means you will no longer be able to access Cricut Craft Room on your desktop if you still use a legacy machine, including Cricut Personal, Create, Expression, Expression 2, Mini, Cake, Cake Mini, and Imagine. Moving forward, please do not sign-up for a Cricut Craft Room subscription as it will no longer work with your legacy machine after July 15, 2018.
We understand this is going to cause frustration for a number of our active Cricut Craft Room members. We are fully committed to helping you understand what this means and, importantly, we want to make sure you have as smooth a transition as possible during this time. To help with this transition, we have a special offer for legacy machine owners who have not yet upgraded to our latest machines: You'll get $75 off any Explore machine or bundle on Cricut.com. This applies to all of our U.S., Canada, U.K., EU and other international members. Please refer to the eligibility section in the FAQs below to see if you're eligible for this offer.
All Cricut Craft Room members who have opted-in to Cricut's emails will receive their code by April 28 to redeem on cricut.com, and the code will be good through July 15, 2018. After July 15, 2018, the code will expire. If you do not receive your code by email by Saturday, April 28, please contact Cricut Member Care.
Our members are incredibly important to us and we know this transition won't be easy for everyone, but we want to make it as seamless as possible. We have such a passionate community of makers and we want to inspire you to stay part of it. Please check out our Q&A below for more information, or feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
Thank you for being a valued member of the Cricut family.
Cricut Content
What qualifies as a legacy machine?
- Any machine that was created before the Explore family of machines qualifies as a legacy machine as it is not compatible with our current design software, Design Space. The first Explore machine launched in 2014.
- Cricut no longer produces these machines. Legacy machines include Cricut Personal, Create, Expression, Expression 2, Mini, Cake, Cake Mini, and Imagine.
What is Design Space?
- Cricut Design Space® is a robust web-based platform that you can access on your computer, phone or tablet. The Design Space mobile app will be coming to international users soon.
- You can access Design Space for free by visiting design.cricut.com and signing in with the same email and password you use for Cricut Craft Room. You'll have access to thousands of projects and designs, as well as tools to help you make any project your heart desires.
Can I still use my legacy machine without Cricut Craft Room?
- All of our legacy machines, except for the Cricut Mini, can run independently of Cricut Craft Room software using physical cartridges. Digital content from Cricut Craft Room will no longer be available for use with your legacy machine.
- Cricut Design Space is not compatible with legacy machines.
- Once Cricut Craft Room is unavailable, the Cricut Mini will be unusable as it is not a standalone machine. If you are a Cricut Mini owner and would like to review our warranty statement, please click here.
- We have created a special offer for legacy machine owners who have not had the opportunity to upgrade. They will receive a promotion code for $75.00 off the purchase of any Explore machine or bundle on Cricut.com.
- This offer will also apply for our international members and the currency will be translated accordingly.
If I purchased content in Cricut Craft Room, what happens to my content if I upgrade machines?
- Purchased content from Cricut Craft Room will automatically transfer over to Design Space. You may access this content by going to design.cricut.com and signing in with your Cricut Craft Room email and password.
- Your purchased content will be available in Design Space under 'Images' and then filter by 'Purchased.'
Will I be able to see all my saved projects from Cricut Craft Room in Design Space?
- Due to compatibility issues, any projects saved in Cricut Craft Room will not be accessible in Design Space. You may upload your artwork or re-create saved projects. An exclusive webinar training regarding this process will be available at help.cricut.com.
Cricut Cut Design Space
If I upgrade, will I be able to use the content from my physical cartridges?
- With our Explore machines, you will have the ability to link your physical cartridges to Design Space. The cartridge port on an Explore machine is for linking cartridges only, not for standalone use. If you have already linked your cartridges in Craft Room, they will automatically be available in Design Space under the same login information.
- Cartridges can only be linked to one Cricut ID. If you have purchased any used cartridges that were linked by the previous owner, they will not link to your Design Space account.
I also use Cricut DesignStudio on my legacy machine. Will Cricut continue to support that software?
- Cricut DesignStudio, an older software once available on CD, will no longer be supported. If you currently have the software activated on your computer, it will still be available for use with various legacy machines; however, it will no longer be supported from a Member Care or activation standpoint.
Upgrade Eligibility
What are the benefits of Design Space?
- Design Space is cloud-based, so your files are accessible from any phone, tablet, or PC, any time. You can start on your phone, continue on your laptop, and even work offline on your Apple device – keeping your creativity going.
- Design Space has over 60,000 digital images and thousands of ready-to-make projects ranging from vinyl to paper to leather and so much more. You can easily upload your own artwork on your desktop or on your iOS device.
How do I know if I'm eligible for the $75 off Explore family offer related to the Cricut Craft Room shutdown?
What Cricut Machines Work With Design Space
- Any Cricut Craft Room legacy machine owner who has not previously upgraded to an Explore family or Maker machine will be eligible for the offer.
- The offer will be redeemable from Sunday, April 22 to Friday, July 15, 2018.
- This offer is only redeemable for one machine per owner. Owners that have multiple legacy machines will not receive multiple offers to upgrade.
- If you have already upgraded to an Explore, but also own a legacy machine, your content from Cricut Craft Room will continue to be accessible in Design Space.
- Customers who are eligible and have opted-in to Cricut emails will receive a code within 7 days of this announcement. If you do not receive your code by Saturday, April 28, please contact Cricut Member Care.
- Cricut will honor upgrading any Cricut Craft Room legacy machine owner who has not already upgraded, no matter where you purchased the device. Anyone that has signed up for Cricut Craft Room after April 28, 2018 will not be eligible for the $75 off Explore family offer. All we will need when you call in, if you did not receive the code, is the serial number on your legacy machine.
What is the coupon offer and do I get anything else when I upgrade?
- You can choose from any Explore family machine or bundle on Cricut.com using a $75 off coupon code. International customers outside of the US and Canada must call Member Care to redeem their coupon code if eligible.
- This offer is not valid through any of Cricut's retail partners' websites or in-stores. The offer does not apply to Maker machines.
- All Cricut Craft Room members with an active Access subscription will receive an additional year of Cricut Access in Design Space. This means once you upgrade and register your machine in Design Space, you will immediately have Cricut Access applied to your account. To learn more about Cricut Access visit shop.cricut.com.
- When you upgrade, you will also receive two exclusive Design Space training webinars through Cricut's education program. The scheduled training sessions will take place on the below dates. To sign up for your training, click on the links below:
- Design Space 101: Part A, May 1st: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8916839579959731203
- Design Space 101: Part B, May 3rd: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8301787069033030915
- Design Space 101: Part A, May 30th: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/652050367502446339
- Design Space 101: Part B, May 31st: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7700857784965110275
- Design Space 101: Part A, June 19th: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2106034648468808195
- Design Space 101: Part B, June 20th: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2167304933926614787
How do I redeem the $75 off Explore family offer?
- Go to shop.cricut.com.
- Click on machines and choose the Explore machine you would like to purchase.
- Add the machine to your cart and click 'Checkout.'
- When you get to the checkout page, enter the discount code under 'Payment Method.'
- The code is only valid for a one-time purchase.
- International customers outside of the US and Canada must call Member Care to redeem their coupon code if eligible.
Why can't I redeem the $75 off code for Cricut Maker?
Which Cricut Machines Work With Design Space
- The Cricut Maker is the latest in our family of machines and, unfortunately, we are unable to offer any discounts on the machine at this time.
I'm an international user that doesn't have access to Design Space. When can I download the iOS or Android app and make in-app purchases in Design Space?
- We understand it is frustrating for our international members who want to access and make purchases with other currencies in Design Space through iOS and Android apps. We are working diligently to make this accessible to all members.
- We plan to roll out these features soon and will notify international members as soon as they launch.
Resources & Training
If you upgrade, we highly encourage you to take advantage of our exclusive webinar training we've created for legacy machine members. The dates for training and sign-up information is below:
- Design Space 101: Part A, May 1st: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8916839579959731203
- Design Space 101: Part B, May 3rd: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8301787069033030915
- Design Space 101: Part A, May 30th: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/652050367502446339
- Design Space 101: Part B, May 31st: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7700857784965110275
- Design Space 101: Part A, June 19th: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2106034648468808195
- Design Space 101: Part B, June 20th: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2167304933926614787
If I don't take the Design Space webinar training, are there other places for training resources?
- There are a number of places you can access Cricut training resources. The following are helpful links:
- Learn.cricut.com: Access videos, tutorials, and manuals on everything from Design Space to our suite of machines, accessories and other tools.
- Cricut YouTube: View numerous training videos and more.
- Cricut Blog: Read hundreds of tutorials from our community and get inspired by the latest and greatest projects.
- Member Care: Get in touch with our amazing Member Care team 24/7 via phone, chat or email.
What are the system requirements for Design Space?
- You can use Cricut Design Space on Desktop (PC or Mac) and mobile (iOS and Android) devices. Please find the system requirements for Design Space here.
Is an internet connection needed to use Design Space?
- Design Space for desktop or laptop computer does require a high-speed broadband internet connection. However, there is an offline feature for the iOS mobile Design Space app. Learn more here on how to use offline mode in iOS.
How will Cricut support my legacy machine after Cricut Craft Room shuts down?
- At this time, we will continue providing Member Care support for your legacy machine related to questions on how to use the machine with cartridges and general machine questions.
- We will no longer support firmware updates or any questions related to Cricut Craft Room.