Can cricut cut acrylic? It depends on a few different things...
There are different types of acrylic materials that you can get, and only certain ones will work in combination with your Cricut.
You can use either the Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore 2, for example, to cut through acrylic materials, but there are some limitations of what these machines can and can’t handle.
I will explain more about the different types of acrylic that you can cut below...
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Do I Have The Correct Cricut Cutting Machine For Cutting Acrylic?
If you’ve just bought a Cricut cutting machine, or you are thinking about getting one, you might be wondering about all the different tools and features that it has to offer.
These smart cutting machines are used for a variety of different purposes, mainly crafting, and they are really handy for all of your cutting needs.
They help to save you so much time, as it would take a lot longer to cut everything that you needed to by hand, especially if you are running a business that requires this.
A Cricut is an essential tool for many crafters and business owners that wouldn’t have been able to do what they love without one.
They are able to cut through a variety of different materials, depending on the specific Cricut that you choose, and there are lots of different cutting settings to utilize.
- ART AND CRAFT CUTTING MADE SIMPLE, EVEN FOR BEGINNERS - Designed with simplicity and value in mind, bust out your DIY dreams and create fresh styles for your T-shirts, home decor, and more with the Cricut Explore Air 2 classic cutting machine
- CUTS 100 plus MATERIALS WITH EASE – The included Premium Fine-Point Blade lets crafters make precise, intricate cuts from a variety of popular materials like cardstock, vinyl decal, HTV iron-on and more. Also works with glitter paper, cork, and Infusible Ink
- APP BASED CRAFTING TOOL WITH WIRELESS-BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY - With just a few clicks, create personalized and custom designs using the cloud-based Design Space app that works on mobile phones and laptops (iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac)
- KEEP YOUR SPACE NEAT AND ORGANIZED - Machine comes with built-in storage on the top and under the bottom flap for storing tools. The reusable LightGrip Machine Mat holds your materials in place so you can easily remove the finished design
- ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES - Compatible with 6 tools for cutting, writing, foiling & more. Add special accessories like Deep-Point Blade, Bonded-Fabric Blade, Foil-Transfer Tool and Scoring Stylus for limitless options (blades & tools sold separately)
- DIGITAL CONTENT BUNDLE-This machine bundle comes with a digital library of 50 images and 10 fonts. When setting up the machine, you will be guided to register and the digital content will automatically be added to your account
- CUTS 100plus MATERIALS WITH EASE – The included Premium Fine-Point Blade lets crafters make precise, intricate cuts from a variety of popular materials like cardstock, vinyl decal, HTV iron-on and more. Also works with glitter paper, cork, Infusible Ink
- WHAT'S INSIDE - (1) Everyday Iron On Vinyl Sampler, (1) Premium Removable Vinyl Sampler, Transfer Tape, True Control Knife (Blue), Cutting Mat Variety Pack of 3 (12 x 12), Basic Tool Set, and Portable Cricut Trimmer
- ART AND CRAFT CUTTING MADE SIMPLE, EVEN FOR BEGINNERS - Designed with simplicity and value in mind, bust out your DIY dreams and create fresh styles for your T-shirts, home decor, and more with the Cricut Explore Air 2 classic cutting machine
- ACCESS TO BEGINNER’S GUIDES, EXPERT-LED COURSES and WORKSHOPS – Build the skills to create w/ confidence w/ the Learning Plan built into Design Space upon registering your machine. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started on day 1.
- 2X FASTER SMART CUTTING MACHINE - Let your creativity and imagination soar with the new Cricut Explore 3 that's smarter & faster, and holds a supremacy in achieving astonishing cuts, scores, drawings & more with ultimate precision & jaw-dropping speed
- CUTS 100+ MATERIALS WITH EASE - The included Premium Fine-Point Blade lets crafters make precise, intricate cuts from a variety of popular materials like cardstock, vinyl decal, iron-on and more. Also works with glitter paper, cork, and bonded fabric
- CUTS SMART MATERIALS LIKE A BREEZE - The Explore 3 is compatible with the all new Smart Materials (up to 12 ft) like Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-On, Smart Paper Sticker Cardstock and more - all of them work without a mat. Way to go for clever crafting
- APP BASED CRAFTING TOOL WITH WIRELESS-BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY - With just a few clicks, create personalized & custom designs with this cutter using the cloud-based Design Space app that works on mobile phones & laptops (iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac)
- ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES - Compatible with 6 tools to cut, write, foil, & more. Add optional accessories like Deep-Point Blade, Foil-Transfer Tool, Scoring Stylus or Cricut Roll Holder for a complete crafts package (blades & tools sold separately)
Types of Acrylic for Cricut
There are typically lots of questions surrounding the different types of acrylic that you can use in combination with your Cricut, and we aim to answer them all in this section.
In terms of the type of acrylic that you can use for cutting with the Cricut, you will need to bear in mind the thickness of the acrylic that you are using.
The ones that are suitable for use with the Cricut Maker and Cricut Air 2 are 0.007 acrylic, 0.020 acrylic, and thin acrylic sheets with a thickness of a maximum of 1mm.
Lots of different experiments have been taking place to find out which types of acrylic work the best with these two machines, and the results are different from both of them.
These three types were the ones that the Cricut was able to cut (see also how thick Cricut can cut) all of the way through, but each machine will work better with certain types.
The majority of tests found that the maximum thickness that the Cricut Maker was able to handle was the 0.020mm acrylic.
This means that you will likely only be able to use a thickness of this size or lower.
However, the Cricut Air 2 was able to cut through acrylic materials that were up to 1mm in thickness, and it was able to cut all the way through, but just about.
What is the Best Cricut Machine for Cutting Through Acrylic and Plastic?
Due to the fact that it can cut through thicker acrylic materials, the Cricut Air 2 is the best machine to use for cutting through the acrylic (find free SVG files for Circuit Machine here).
This is due to the fact that the Cricut Air 2 can cut through acrylic of up to 1mm in thickness, but the Cricut Maker can only cut through a maximum thickness of 0.020mm.
So, if you are looking for the best possible results and more flexibility in terms of the materials used, you might want to consider the Cricut Air 2.
- ART AND CRAFT CUTTING MADE SIMPLE, EVEN FOR BEGINNERS - Designed with simplicity and value in mind, bust out your DIY dreams and create fresh styles for your T-shirts, home decor, and more with the Cricut Explore Air 2 classic cutting machine
- CUTS 100 plus MATERIALS WITH EASE – The included Premium Fine-Point Blade lets crafters make precise, intricate cuts from a variety of popular materials like cardstock, vinyl decal, HTV iron-on and more. Also works with glitter paper, cork, and Infusible Ink
- APP BASED CRAFTING TOOL WITH WIRELESS-BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY - With just a few clicks, create personalized and custom designs using the cloud-based Design Space app that works on mobile phones and laptops (iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac)
- KEEP YOUR SPACE NEAT AND ORGANIZED - Machine comes with built-in storage on the top and under the bottom flap for storing tools. The reusable LightGrip Machine Mat holds your materials in place so you can easily remove the finished design
- ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES - Compatible with 6 tools for cutting, writing, foiling & more. Add special accessories like Deep-Point Blade, Bonded-Fabric Blade, Foil-Transfer Tool and Scoring Stylus for limitless options (blades & tools sold separately)
- DIGITAL CONTENT BUNDLE-This machine bundle comes with a digital library of 50 images and 10 fonts. When setting up the machine, you will be guided to register and the digital content will automatically be added to your account
- CUTS 100plus MATERIALS WITH EASE – The included Premium Fine-Point Blade lets crafters make precise, intricate cuts from a variety of popular materials like cardstock, vinyl decal, HTV iron-on and more. Also works with glitter paper, cork, Infusible Ink
- WHAT'S INSIDE - (1) Everyday Iron On Vinyl Sampler, (1) Premium Removable Vinyl Sampler, Transfer Tape, True Control Knife (Blue), Cutting Mat Variety Pack of 3 (12 x 12), Basic Tool Set, and Portable Cricut Trimmer
- ART AND CRAFT CUTTING MADE SIMPLE, EVEN FOR BEGINNERS - Designed with simplicity and value in mind, bust out your DIY dreams and create fresh styles for your T-shirts, home decor, and more with the Cricut Explore Air 2 classic cutting machine
- ACCESS TO BEGINNER’S GUIDES, EXPERT-LED COURSES and WORKSHOPS – Build the skills to create w/ confidence w/ the Learning Plan built into Design Space upon registering your machine. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started on day 1.
- 2X FASTER SMART CUTTING MACHINE - Let your creativity and imagination soar with the new Cricut Explore 3 that's smarter & faster, and holds a supremacy in achieving astonishing cuts, scores, drawings & more with ultimate precision & jaw-dropping speed
- CUTS 100+ MATERIALS WITH EASE - The included Premium Fine-Point Blade lets crafters make precise, intricate cuts from a variety of popular materials like cardstock, vinyl decal, iron-on and more. Also works with glitter paper, cork, and bonded fabric
- CUTS SMART MATERIALS LIKE A BREEZE - The Explore 3 is compatible with the all new Smart Materials (up to 12 ft) like Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-On, Smart Paper Sticker Cardstock and more - all of them work without a mat. Way to go for clever crafting
- APP BASED CRAFTING TOOL WITH WIRELESS-BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY - With just a few clicks, create personalized & custom designs with this cutter using the cloud-based Design Space app that works on mobile phones & laptops (iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac)
- ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES - Compatible with 6 tools to cut, write, foil, & more. Add optional accessories like Deep-Point Blade, Foil-Transfer Tool, Scoring Stylus or Cricut Roll Holder for a complete crafts package (blades & tools sold separately)
What machine can cut acrylic:
How to Prepare and Cut Acrylic With Cricut Machine
When you are using the Cricut Maker, you should use the knife blade for cutting through acrylic, but if you are using the Cricut Air 2, then you should use the deep blade when cutting acrylic.
Make sure that you are sticking to the rules when it comes to the maximum thickness that you can use, as otherwise, you could end up damaging your machine.
It doesn’t really matter too much which type of acrylic that you are using, and you can purchase it from a variety of different places.
As long as they are the correct thickness, you are free to choose the type and color of the acrylic sheets yourself.
Acrylic sheets can range in price from anywhere between relatively cheap and really expensive, but this will depend on the quality and thickness of the material.
If you can’t find a store near you that sells acrylic, you will be able to get your hands on some online.
Before you cut your acrylic to the size and shape that you want, you should do any engravings first. It is much easier to keep the acrylic in place before you cut it.
If you were planning on including any designs or text, now is the time to add them. It might be worth testing on a test piece of acrylic, to make sure that everything is working as it should, and you don’t ruin your design.
In terms of the mat that you will need to use, you should use the strong grip type of mat, as this is much thicker and stickier, and it will help to keep your project in place during use.
The last thing you want is for your project to move around on the mat and mess up the cutting process, as this will ruin your work.
The last thing that you need to do for the preparation of this project is to make sure that your project is secure and in the correct position on the mat, then slide your project into the Cricut.
As soon as you are ready to go, you will need to make sure that the cut settings are correct.
You will need to use the basswood setting on your Cricut, as there is no setting that is specifically designed for use with acrylic.
You can have a go and try some different settings, but this one is known to work the best.
Last update on 2023-09-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
