LD-MTC Beginner Series-Part 1: Setting Up the Cricut to use with Make-the-Cut

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Please note that this post was published on January 10, 2011. As of March 16, 2011, Make-the-Cut is no longer compatible with the Cricut. The program is compatible with many other electronic cutters. Please read here: MTC-Compatible Cutters.

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Disclaimer:

This blog uses ProvoCraft's Cricut electronic die-cutting machine with Make-the-Cut program and Lettering Delights' graphics and SVG sets. Please note that Provo Craft does not endorse the use of any 3rd party products, including 3rd party software, with their Cricut machines. Cutting or communicating to any Cricut machine with any 3rd party or non-Cricut endorsed software or device will void the warranty** of the Cricut cutting machine. As such, it might be prudent to wait until the warranty** expires on your Cricut machine before attempting to use any 3rd party products with it. 

I have been using my Cricut machine with Make-the-Cut and Lettering Delights graphics with no issues but the choice to do so is entirely yours. Use at your own risk. I will not be held responsible for the breakdown of any computers or Cricut machines.

** For the United States, the warranty period of the Cricut machine is 1 year from the date of purchase. For full details regarding the warranty of your Cricut machine, please see
http://www.cricut.com/warranty/

 

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If you are just joining us in this series, you have missed the following chapters:

- Why I am writing this series:
Because I once was a newbie...

- Who this series of tutorials is for: 
 LD-MTC Beginner Series: Why you need this.

Today we will talk about

Setting up the Cricut to use with Make-the-Cut

A. What you need

1. Cricut

To start, you need to have a Cricut machine. I am using a Cricut Expression but you can still follow this series of tutorials if you have a Cricut Personal, a Cricut Create, or a Cricut Expression. It does not even matter if you are using a Cricut Cake machine since it is basically a modified Cricut Expression. The Cricut Imagine, however, will NOT work with my tutorials because it does not work with Make-the-Cut.

2. Personal Computer

Next, you need a personal computer with Microsoft Windows and works with Make-the-Cut (MTC). I am using a laptop with Windows 7.  The system requirements of MTC as stated on the MTC website are as follows:

• Windows XP (32/64bit), Vista (32/64bit) or Windows 7 (32/64bit)
• 256 MB. RAM
• 2 MB. Disk Space
• 800x600 or higher screen resolution
• Internet Explorer 7 or newer (for Gallery functionality)

There is currently no Mac version of MTC but you can use Parallels or Bootcamp to run the program.

3. Make-the-Cut

Since I use Make-the-Cut in my tutorials, you would need that too. You could probably use the other 3rd party computer program called Sure-Cuts-A-Lot (SCAL) but I do not use SCAL and will not be showing SCAL in my tutorials. These 3rd Party computer programs basically "talk" to your Cricut and tell them what to cut.

4. Lettering Delights

Finally, you need to have something to cut out. It can be an image or a letter from a font that you have on your computer. These fonts or graphics might have been downloaded from the internet or from a cd-rom that you have purchased. For my tutorials, I will be using fonts and graphics (SVGs included) from Lettering Delights.

To learn more about the type of Lettering Delights' graphics (besides SVGs) that work well with Make-the-Cut, please read my tutorial here.

How to Choose Lettering Delights images for use with the MTC and the Cricut

B. Prepping the Cricut

1. Check Firmware
In order for MTC's latest version, v3.2 to work with the Cricut machine at "Optimal" or "Extreme Speed", you need to have the latest firmware installed on your Cricut. To see which version of firmware is installed on your Cricut, just turn on your machine and look at the LCD screen.

These are the latest firmware versions of the respective models of the Cricut machine:

Cricut Expression/Cake: 2.34 (or 2.35**)

Cricut Create: 1.54

Cricut Personal Cutter: 1.34

**If you had purchased one of the fancy colored Cricut Expressions from Walmart last year (2010), the firmware is probably 2.35 which is fine and will work with MTC v3.2.

If your machine is already installed with the latest version of firmware, you can proceed to Step 2 below.

If your machine is not installed with the latest version of firmware, you will need to do an update. To update the firmware, go to the Cricut Design Studio website and scroll down to no. 6. Note that if you do not own Cricut Design Studio, you will need to download the free trial version so that you can use it to update your firmware. You can get the free trial for the Cricut Design Studio here.

Follow closely the instructions to update your firmware. The following is a screenshot taken from the Cricut Design Studio website. You can go directly to that page by clicking here.

Once you have confirmed that your Cricut has been installed with the latest firmware, you are ready to move on to the next step.

2 : Install MTC

To follow my tutorials, you need to install MTC v3.2 in your computer. If you do not already have Make-the-Cut, you can download the free trial here. Note that the trial will allow you to cut images but it will also cut an additional line across the cutout. Once you have purchased and registered the program, it will no longer cut that extra line. You can purchase Make-the-Cut here.

3 : Connect Your Cricut to MTC

Set up your Cricut machine so that it can "see" your computer. You can do this by using a Certified USB 2.0 A/B cable to connect your Cricut machine to your computer. I am using the one that came with my Cricut Design Studio but according to the MTC website, you can use a "USB 2.0 Port with USB A/B printer cable (shielded cable recommended)". Do not use a USB hub.


This is what my USB A/B cable looks like:

This is how I connect the cable to my Cricut Expression:

This is how I connect the cable to my laptop:

If you are using a desktop computer, you should be able to locate the USB port at the back of the computer. For some computers, you may also have some USB ports in the front.


4 : Insert Cartridge
Insert a cartridge into the cartridge slot in the Cricut machine. It can be any cartridge as it is only used as a "key" to allow MTC to communicate with your Cricut.

5 : Power On

Turn on your Cricut machine. You are now ready to cut with MTC. 

C. Make a Test Cut

To make a test cut to check if your MTC is communicating with your Cricut, do the following:

1. From your computer, Start MTC

2. Click on the Import Basic Shapes icon (or use Control+Shift+B) 

3.The Basic Shapes window will open. Double-click on a shape to bring it to your mat. I am using a Square for this test.

Double Click on the Square to bring it to the mat.

4. Next, close the Basic Shapes window. Resize the Square by dragging one corner of it outwards or entering the W and H on the menu bar on top. In this test, I entered 4" for both the width and the height of the shape.

5. Place a piece of paper or cardstock onto your Cricut Cutting Mat. My Cricut is almost always set at a Pressure of 5, and a Blade Depth of 5 but you really should set the Depth Blade and Pressure on your Cricut machine that is appropriate for the cardstock that you are using. If you are using regular printer paper for this test, you can set the Pressure and Blade Depth to 3.

The cutting Speed of the Cricut is controlled by Make-the-Cut and turning the Speed Dial on the machine has no effect on how fast it cuts.

Tip: Above Rubies Studio has a great Cricut Cutting Guide for setting the Pressure and Blade Depth for different types of paper. You can get the free download here.

6. Load the cutting mat into the Cricut machine by pressing "Load Paper" on the Cricut.

D. Cutting with Make-the-Cut

1. When you have loaded the paper and mat into the Cricut, go back to the computer. In MTC, click on the "Cut Project With..." tab that is on the Top Menu Bar. Select "ProvoCraft Cricut". You will only need to do this step the first time you cut with your Cricut using MTC. You can skip this step for future cuts until such time when you change your cutting machine to one that is not a Cricut.

2. Next, click on the Blue Scissors icon to cut.

3. A new window will pop out. I always have my Speed set at "Optimal" for medium weight cardstock but for this test, I have set it at "Extreme". Click on the Start button to start cutting.

If you own a Cricut Expression, your machine might cut like this:

4. When the cutting stops, press the "Unload Paper" button on the Cricut and remove the mat and paper.

TROUBLE SHOOTING:

If your Cricut fails the test cut above, check the following:

- is the USB cord plugged in correctly?

- did you install MTC v.3.2 on your computer?

- did the firmware update complete?

The most common problem for the Cricut to not cut with MTC v3.2 as shown in the video above, is that the firmware update for the Cricut did not complete. Make sure that you follow exactly the instructions to update the firmware.

There may also be other possible reasons for the Cricut to fail my cut test. I would highly recommend that you use the MTC forum to seek additional advice. To go to the MTC forum, click here.

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If your Cricut machine passes the cut test, you are ready to follow in my next tutorial.

Tomorrow we will start on our first project. I will show you the Basic Tools of MTC including How to Import a SVG and Cut it out with your Cricut to make a simple card. 

Stay tuned.