What is a Cricut Mat, and How Many Types are There?
If you are dealing with what is a Cricut mat and its types, then you are in the right place. Whether you are a new joiner or a senior crafter, you need to know the cutting mats’ basics. All the crafting materials are placed on its surface, helping the user to cut down all the projects. Currently, there are four types of Cricut products available for the DIYers.
Moreover, choosing the correct one is important without risking the craft’s quality. Although, it depends upon the material type you’ll be using while designing the project. Let’s skip to the good part by suggesting details about this supply, its uses, and its varieties.
What is a Cricut Mat and Its Key Features?
First of all, let’s focus on what a Cricut mat is and its features. This crafting accessory is a flexible and reusable mat utilized during the crafting process. Additionally, it has a strong adhesive area spread across the mat, which holds the material strongly in place. Some of the common features of this smart cutting mat features are:
- Firstly, it is easy to remove the cutting material from it and store it away for the next project.
- Secondly, this item can be used multiple times by covering it up from the specific plastic sheet and last long upto 40–50 washes.
- Thirdly, this Cricut mat is available in different types and colors with strong adhesive and supports most materials.
- Lastly, they are cost-efficient, and the new user can easily purchase them for crafting.
4 Different Cricut Mats Available for Cutting Machines
Apart from learning about the smart cutting machine and its features, let’s pay attention to the cutting mat varieties. However, knowing completely about each of them can be a little confusing. Let’s break the ice and understand them via the coming pointers:
1. LightGrip Mat (Blue)
In this situation, the Light-Grip mat has a little adhesive designed to work well with light-weighted material. As per the DIYers, this product is highly used with standard paper, scrapbook paper, light cardstock, and many more. Additionally, it clutches down the material in its place during the cutting process. Lastly, it is available in Blue color and supports the Maker & Explore machine.
2. StandardGrip Mat (Green)
Furthermore, this is the best option for what is a Cricut mat. This product is specially developed for medium-weighted materials. Most of the crafters recommend this Cricut product. Other than that, it is one of the reusable mats, which makes it simple to remove finished pieces once the cut is completed. In addition, it is offered to the DIYer in green color.
3. StrongGrip Mat (Purple)
So forth, the StrongGrip mat is developed for heavyweights materials. The materials list includes specialty cardstock, chipboard, mat board, etc. Secondly, this cutting machine ensures the perfect adhesion ratio with the longest possible life. Thirdly, it has been upgraded with water-based paint and adhesive. For the best performance, opt for the correct type of material.
4. FabricGrip Mat (Pink)
Meanwhile, this supply combines increased strength and density plus a little adhesive. Most of the fabrics are cut down with a Rotary blade or Bonded-Fabric blade. Remember, this Cricut cut-die machine product is used with cotton, denim, polyester, etc. With two mats included, one can be loaded to cut down in Cricut. Prepare the next material for further process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Can Cricut Cut Without Cutting Mat?
Answer: There is a complete possibility that the crafter can simply cut down the various materials without cutting a mat. However, they need to purchase Smart Materials, which supports some of the smart cut-die models. One must simply load the material and let the machine do the work. It will examine the sensors and cut down the loaded item. However, it should be a DIYer’s duty to load the correct product before starting the cut-down method.
Question: How Can I Make Cricut Mat Sticky Again?
Answer: If your respective is losing its stickiness and damaging the project, you must re-stick it for future reference. To maintain the mat quality, keep it covered with the cover sheet, and clean it regularly. However, if you want to make your mat stickier, buy the new best-quality adhesive and spread it equally across the mat. Ensure that you also cover the edges equally without any thickness.
Question: What is a Cutting Mat Cleaning Process?
Answer: Some of the common methods that will help the DIYers in cleaning their respective mat are as follows:
- Firstly, you can use the fresh lint roller to remove leftover material or small bits of materials.
- Now, wipe with alcohol-free baby wipes by moving them in a circular motion gently using at least 1–2 wipes.
- Then, use the tweezers or scraper tool to remove the fuzz or bits of material from the cutting mat.