Have you ever looked at all kinds of Cricut mats and wondered which one is right for your project or Cricut machine? If yes, we are here to help you. In this blog, we will discuss all the available Cricut mats and guide you so you will be confused and choose the right Cricut mat that best suits your Cricut machine and fulfills all your requirements. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, all your confusion will go away, and you can decide.
What is Cricut Machine and Cricut Mat?
The Cricut is an electronic cutting machine that can cut and print different materials, such as card stock, paper, heat transfer vinyl, and adhesive vinyl. You can cut anything that you can cut with a craft knife or scissors with the help of the Cricut machine, and Cricut makes the work easier, faster, and perfect for you. Furthermore, you can make any personalized items you like, according to your wish, with the help of the Cricut machine, like customized t-shirts, mugs, wall art, party decoration, etc.
A Cricut mat is a surface used to cut projects on a Cricut; to create a project with the machine. These mats are sticky, and the stickiness of the mats decides how firm the grip is; the more substantial the grip, the heavier the material is, and the lighter the grip, the lighter the material is.
Anatomy of Cricut Mats!
Cricut mats are sticky, and the stickiness of the mats decides how firm the grip is; the more substantial the grip, the heavier the material is, and the lighter the grip, the lighter the material is. These are flexible, so you can bend them to eliminate projects that are hard to remove.
- Protective cover. A new Cricut mat has a transparent cover that protects the mat's surface; you must remove the cover before using the mat to cut your projects. Make sure to re-cover your mat after use as this will protect your mat from dust and other things sticking to the mat; dust or any other thing sticking to the mat will reduce the stickiness and life of your mat.
- Outer mat. The outer mat has no stickiness or grip; it contains information about the name of the mat and its measurements.
- Inner mat. The inner mat has a sticky part where you keep your projects before cutting them.
Different Types of Cricut Mats
There are mainly four different types of mats- green, purple, blue, and pink. These mats differ in the grip that they provide. What kind of mat you require for your project depends on the materials you want to work with; you will need a different mat for different projects. Unfortunately, the Cricut Design Space does not tell you which mat you should use with your project, so you need to take care of that.
Blue Mat
This mat is a light-grip mat designed to use with the lightweight project; to cut lightweight materials. The standard material with light grip mats is traditional paper, thin cardstock paper, regular vinyl, and construction paper.
Green Mat
This standard-grip mat is designed to work with medium-weight materials; and is the most common and affordable mat. This mat typically comes with the purchase of every Cricut machine. The common material with standard grip mats is heat transfer vinyl, permanent or removable vinyl, and cardstock.
Purple Mat
This mat is a strong-grip mat designed to work with strong-weight materials; to hold strong materials in place. Sometimes with heavy materials, like balsawood, the strength of the grip is not enough, so, in such cases, you can use the Painters tape to secure the material to the mat. The standard material with strong grip mats is chipboard, thick and glitter cardstock, leather, balsa and balsa wood, and posterboard.
Pink Mat
This mat is a fabric-grip mat designed to work with fabric materials. It can be bonded with any of the Cricut Explore machines, Cricut Maker, and the Rotatory blade. The standard material with fabric grip mats is bonded fabric, any fabric with Cricut Maker, and a rotatory blade.
Different Mat Sizes
All the Cricut mats come in two sizes; 12 x 12 inches and 12 x 24 inches. You can choose the mat size according to the size of your project; for example, if you are working with wood and fabric, you can use a 12 x 24 inches mat to cut more significant pieces, and if you want o work on small projects so, you can use 12 x 12 inches mat.
How to Take Care of Your Cricut Mat?
Taking good care of the mat is essential; it enhances your Cricut mat's life and makes it work perfectly. Here are some ways to accomplish it.
- Cover it after every use. After every use, you should cover your mat in the protective cover (that comes with it) to protect it from dust and debris; it will keep your mat sticky.
- Use suitable materials. All the mats are used with different materials, and messing things up can create problems for you.
- Clean your mats. With time your mat will start losing its grip, and there may be built-up materials on it, so you just have to clean it. Here are different ways to clean your mats.
You can use one of the following methods to clean light, standard, and strong grip mats.
- Scraper
- Roller (Lint)
- Baby wipes (Non-alcoholic)
- Water (Soapy)
To clean a fabric grip mat, do not use a scraper or soap water; you can use one of the following methods.
- Roller (Lint)
- Transfer tape
Keep your fingers off the grip while placing the project on it.
Should You Use Adhesive Spray?
Are you confused about whether you should use adhesive spray with your Cricut mats when they are losing their stickiness? The adhesive spray works very well with the mats when they are losing their grip. However, Cricut has created different mats with different grips for a reason. Spraying adhesive on Cricut mats does not make them restore to their original condition; it's just you are adding some extra stickiness to your mat, but it's not designed for every mat; using an adhesive spray, you can either make it work or ruin your mat completely. So, using an adhesive spray or not is entirely your choice.
Conclusion
Cricut mats have been customized to match commonly used crafting materials; each has just the right level of grip not only to hold your material firmly in place during cutting but also to allow you to remove the material from the adhesive surface easily. The standard-grip mat is a multi-purpose mat perfect for a wide range of medium-weight materials, including a wide range of medium-weight materials, like patterned paper, iron-on, vinyl, and cardstock.
FAQs
Question- What can you use instead of a Cricut Mat?
Answer- There are many alternatives to Cricut mat, some of those are as follows-
- Cardboard. Cardboard is readily and easily available, so it is preferred as an alternative for cutting mats.
- The bottom line. The bottom line is that it is an excellent alternative to a Cricut mat.
- Thick neoprene fabric. It is often used with hard surfaces such as plastic sheeting. It is soft but still thick enough to secure the blade.
- Plastic cutting boards. These cutting boards are rigid and can be used with a fine-edge blade to get flattened, although it can reduce the blade's lifespan.
Question- Is Cricut mat a necessary thing?
Answer- Yes! In most of the Cricut machines, a Cricut mat is a necessary thing. You will need a cutting mat to hold the material while the machine cuts it. A Cricut mat comes in varying grip strengths and sizes, so you can choose a mat that best suits your device and fulfills your needs; the mats have different colors for different grip strengths so that you do not get confused; however, if you are working with the smart material, so you do not need a Cricut mat to cut your design.
Question- What is a Cricut mat used for?
Answer- ACricut mat is a reusable, flexible cutting mat that you can use to cut your projects with a Cricut machine. Every Cricut mat has an adhesive area to hold your place during cutting in the machine, and the design can be easily removed from the Cricut mat when the cut is completed. Cricut mats are available in different sizes and grip strengths, so you can find a Cricut mat that matches your material and project design perfectly.
