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Hinge technique for cutting printouts

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Shown here with the Cricut machine by itself, here’s a technique that is also helpful with Cricut Design Studio, the Gypsy or with Sure Cuts A Lot. Use this when you need to see in advance exactly where the Cricut is going to cut in relation to the mat. This is especially helpful when cutting around printouts, cropping photographs and any other applications where you want the printing to be perfectly centered or otherwise positioned within the cut.

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Comments

    • Yes, Barbara, on this example you could (I should have used a different example). The hinge technique is useful if your machine does not have a center point button, your shape does not have an easily visualized center, you need a high degree of accuracy, or you are using SCAL, MTC or CDS.

  2. That was the most exciting idea I have found with the cricut and what I have planned for it! Thank you- you make a great video. I bet you have a good subtle sense of humor too!

  5. Great tip! I tried centerpoint on pictures and some didn’t cut exactly where I thought they would. The hinge method would show me exactly where it would cut!! Thanks again.

  6. I really enjoyed your video. I am really new to using my Cricut and wonder if you could do everything you did except instead of having to reposition the blade back to the same coordinates, could you just have hit cut again?

    • Good question, Suzanna. That is what you do if you are using CDS, SCAL or MTC. But if you hit cut again when using a cartridge (no software) it starts where the last cut *ended*. If you start your cut at the origin point, instead of somewhere else on the mat, then you can hit the load paper button to return to the origin point. Unfortunately, that is not a convenient spot to use a hinged piece. I have suggested that Provocraft add a “return to last start” button to make this and several other procedures easier.

      • Thanks so much for this tutorial! Question — is it impossible to use coordinates with SCAL? I tried repositioning the blade, but as soon as I hit “CUT” on my computer, it just moved the blade back to the upper right corner. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a workaround for this?

  7. Thanks so much. This video is just what I was looking for. I can’t wait to try it out.

  9. Kay thanks so much for this video. I have had my Cricut for over a year now and still am not very comfortable doing lots of things. You made this seem so easy and I can’t wait to give it a try.

  10. Are there some images just too complicated to work with in Inkscape & Sure Cuts A Lot? Granted, I just started working with both about a month ago but I’ve been able to get most of what I need to work first time. My sister e-mailed me an image that has a lot of detail & it freezes up in Inkscape & when I tried just doing it in Sure Cuts a Lot, not everything seemed to trace properly. Thanks.

    • Possibly, but I’ve never had a problem in Inkscape. SCAL, though, is not made to handle heavy details and I have seen it bog down on a complicated file.

  11. Genius! Great idea! I print out alot of sentiments and love the neatness of the even cuts of the expression versus my handcut shape. I really appreciate your knowledge and your thoughtfulness in sharing this tecnique.

  12. Sincerely appreciate your tips and uploading on You Tube, so you can physically see. I have Make the Cut, Cricut and SCAL, but I have been using Make the Cut more than any other software. I really like being able to cutout my images to stamp on.

  13. Just bought a Cricut (personal) for my wife, together with the DesignStudio software, all hidden in basement for Christmas! This is THE TIP that I was looking for, thanks a lot for the video !!! I do design in the computer and normally we print and then use scissors. This is the first time we have a Cricut, so I am learning in advance all I can to help wife get started !!!

  14. We tried today the new cricut (personal) and the technique explained here. It works really well although I didnt see any coordinates on the small LCD screen. It seems the cricut personal moves the blade in pre-set intervals (same distance every time the blade cursor keys are pressed) so I ended up using one plastic border of the machine and the ruler on the mat to align the head at the same place (this for the in/out distance) and counted the times I pressed the left arrow (for the left/right distance). It worked pretty well.

    Could you please confirm if this is the appropriate method for the Personal?

    Tomorrow I will try using the software (CDS) with the hinge technique. Thanks again!

    • Kesh,
      You are correct, the exact steps in the video apply only to the Expression, Create and Cake. You have to count steps on the Original Cricut (personal) You will find it much easier to do with Cricut Design Studio as the design is always cut at the same place so long as you don’t unload the mat. No readings or counting required.

      • Kay, thanks for the reply. I discovered something: our Cricut Personal didn’t show the coordinates on the screen BEFORE upgrading the firmware. With the firmware upgrade, which I did after installing the DesignStudio, two things changed: the LCD shows the coordinates as one presses the arrow buttons and the movements are now in much smaller increments at 1/16 of an inch each time. So for people out there with the machine but not the DesignStudio, just be aware that you will not see the coordinates on the screen and the movements of the blade need to be counted or referenced to the scale on the mat.

        I didn’t try cutting with the DesignStudio though (lack of time) and made the process manually…it worked perfectly !!! We cut printouts of cupcake tags, they came out nice. Thanks again for your video!

        • Kesh,
          Thanks for sharing this. It is great news for Cricut Personal owners because they can download the free trial of CDS, update their firmware and get some new features!

  15. WoW!!!!!
    thank you so much, you save me!
    i was trying to do this a lot!! i was dissapointed and starting to give up!, but i found this!!!
    greetings from mazatlan, sinaloa, mexico.

  16. Great idea and a wonderful presentation. Answered all of my questions as it went along … like “why the green paper?”. Very well thought out. I know exactly how to proceed. Thank you so much!

  17. Ok so I’m a late bloomer…I just figured that I actually wanted to do this! So for the last 4 days I’m beating my brains out on my cricut, because I knew logically that this could be done BUT couldn’t get it going. Well here you are showing my poor tired brain that it is possible! Thank you thank you thank you. I’m going to repost this on my blog…Because I love LD graphics and love how card making just got way simpler.

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