Skip to Main Content

Cricut Maker 3 Vinyl Cutter: Home

First Steps

First Steps

Image of the 4 buttons on the Cricut maker 3

⦁    Power button:  Turns the machine on and off.
⦁    Arrows:  Feeds the material into and out of the machine.
⦁    Start button:  Starts the Cut.
⦁    Pause button:  Pauses the cut.

 

The first thing you will want to do with your Cricut Maker 3 machine is make sure you know the ins and outs of it- its relatively simple. 

First, Open the top of the machine and the rest will do the work for you. You will have to connect the white cable into a power source and into the back of the Cricut machine. After that you should find 4 buttons on the right.

Connecting the maker to your device

Connecting the maker to your device

After you have learned the layout of the machine, you’ll want to connect it to your device- download the Cricut Design Space app on your phone or tablet, or download for PC here.

You will have to Connect the Cricut machine to your device, either by bluetooth or with the USB cable that comes with it. Once that's done you can open a new project in the Cricut Design Space. There are a ton of Templates on the app you can use, or you can make your own design. If you want you can upload a file into the design space- The app allows jpg, .gif, .png, .heic, .bmp, .svg, or .dxf files. 

.svg files are great because they are vectors- you can change the size of the image without it losing quality, great for cutting out shapes and so on.
 

⦁ Tools on the machine

Tools on the machine
 

In the middle of the machine there are two clamps that move across to make your design. The left is for markers which you can use to colour your design. 
 

The right is for blades, which you can interchange for different results. When you insert the blades, make sure that it’s low enough so that it comes into contact with the paper.
 

Cutting your design

Cutting your design

When you're done with your design, click the “Make it” button on the top right. You will be brought to a page where you can move your design around- make sure it's in the right position relative to your material. 
 

You will also see a list of materials, make sure you choose the right one as it will affect how your material is cut. You can find the material in the sliding press behind the whiteboards. After that you will be prompted to load the material which you can do by pressing the arrows on the machine.
 

All you have to do now is press the start button and your cut will start.
 

Useful Tutorials

Useful Tutorials

Cricut Maker 3 beginner tutorial: 

Cutting and applying vinyl material: 

Cricut tools guide:

Cricut design space tutorial: