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Ok, I am at my witt's end here. I bought the Expression after frustrations for the lack of a clean cut on the original Cricut. I can't for the life of me get a clean cut on these darn princesses! So, pressure is on one from the top, speed is lowest it goes, and I have my blade at 6. I am using SU! paper, and I am thinking maybe it's too thick?
What am I doing wrong, and what is the best paper to use with this darn thing? I tried www.cricut.com, and I can't log in, their site must be down. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!
Maybe it's the size of the princess. I know that when I use my silhouette and if I try to cut something really small with details it tears the paper because it's so small. HTH
Try slowing down the speed and then gradually increasing the size of your cut. Some really intricate things just don't do too well when you're trying to cut really small. Also, is your mat REALLY sticky? Maybe your paper is shifting a tiny bit during the cutting?
Also, check your blade. The blade I got with my expression starting ripping paper after about 4 sheets. After trying several different fixes, I looked at the blade and it had a chip out of it. A new blade fixed the problem.
My machine is brand new. These are my first cuts with it, so yes, the mat is sticky, yes it's a brand new blade. The speed is the slowest, and I am doing the princesses at 6.5", so not very small. I thought I was doing everything right.
My machine is brand new. These are my first cuts with it, so yes, the mat is sticky, yes it's a brand new blade. The speed is the slowest, and I am doing the princesses at 6.5", so not very small. I thought I was doing everything right.
Not to be redundant, but did you take the blade out and look at it? I was in a similar situation and it wasn't until I bought a new blade and compared the difference. The one I got with the expression was bad. I didn't what how the blade was supposed to look until I compared it to a new one. If that's not it and you tried all the other suggestions, I don't know what it could be. Sorry.
I'm seconding the blade issue. My DH bought me a Expression for Christmas but after a few cuts, the blade was struggling. I emailed Provo Craft and they said there was a bad batch out there. I popped a new one in and it cuts like butt-ah!
__________________ Lauren
Obsessed with all consumables, but mostly paper groppi girl blogs
It could also be the paper. I am able to cut small letters with old scrapbooking papers that I have. I tried to cut the same small letters on my Bella Rose DSP and my Riding Hood cardstock and the papers were getting torn all over the place. I am using the same blade and when I go back to my old papers, they cut just fine.
A friend of mine had trouble getting clean cuts with her Cricut. I took the blade out and looked at it, and it had collected paper fuzz and bits around it; once I cleaned it up, it cut fine. So do check your blade.
Getting a good cut on the Cricut is a combination of all these suggestions...the right speed and pressure of the blade, the stickiness of the mat, the sharpness of the blade, the size of the image, the details in the image, all of which can vary for the type of paper your are cutting.
I would start with a simple design like a daisy flower or a star, and experiment a little. Then move on to a design with a small detail, like the inside of a lower case "e".
good luck...I really love mine...hope you do too!
Chris
Getting a good cut on the Cricut is a combination of all these suggestions...the right speed and pressure of the blade, the stickiness of the mat, the sharpness of the blade, the size of the image, the details in the image, all of which can vary for the type of paper your are cutting.
I would start with a simple design like a daisy flower or a star, and experiment a little. Then move on to a design with a small detail, like the inside of a lower case "e".
good luck...I really love mine...hope you do too!
Chris
I have done all that. It's only the face images on it that are not cutting well. I think it's the paper too. I think SU! is too thick. That's why my topic was WHAT PAPER DO YOU USE? I think I need some thinner paper!
I use most anything that comes to hand, but mostly Mike's and JoAnn's; ya' just have to adjust the settings, especially for very thin/fragile paper like vellum.
Paper with a coating is harder to work with.... I did not have very good luck with some silvery paper
I haven't checked it out yet, but apparently somewhere on the provocraft website there is a thread about what colors of Bazzil paper to use to make your Princesses.
I have yet to try it or even look for the thread-but thought I'd mention it.
I haven't checked it out yet, but apparently somewhere on the provocraft website there is a thread about what colors of Bazzil paper to use to make your Princesses.
I have yet to try it or even look for the thread-but thought I'd mention it.
I would love to have that list.
Update further. I bought Colormates paper, which is thinner, and for little images, it is SLIGHTLY better.
I bought a new pack of blades, tried both, not better. I have the speed lowest, blade depth the deepest (and played w/ other settings), and the pressure at the highest, and still not good. I am starting to be at a loss. I will go to the cricut chatter site to see if I can get any other help. It cuts large images fine, just really bad for the little images, like the standing princess faces. I don't want a 8" princess on a 12x12 layout. 6.5" should be decent, and it's not. That's one of hte reasons i got the Expression, I was told it would cut finer details better, but I am finding, not so much.
HELP!!!! Paper in the Cricut!
