Review on 🔪 Cricut Explore Air 2/Cricut Maker Adhesive Cutting Mat Variety Pack (1 StrongGrip, 1 LightGrip, 1 StandardGrip) - 12"x12" - Set of 3 by Linda Diaz

These rugs seem to be much better than the rugs I used with my old Cricut years ago. The light sticky mat is particularly useful, I use it on colored paper and when drawing only for drawing on light cardboard (when I use the medium sticky mat only for drawing, I have a hard time lifting a whole sheet of cardboard). without bending it). Didn't use a hard grip mat. I doubt I'll be using it very often, but it's good to know I'll have it when I need it. These last a while, and for new Cricut users, don't forget to check the forums and YouTube for tips on using your mat. You can save paper by putting some scraps on it and planning your layout by placing each element to be cut in the exact spot where you have the trim of a certain color (that's where the grid lines are on the rug and in Cricut Design spaces). . to be useful). You can also turn your rug over and lay it face down again, and there are ways to remove lint from your rug and re-tap your not-so-tacky old rugs. Make sure you're using the right mat for the job. , and for paper. And if your paper is torn, you don't need a new knife. I did, and I was so pissed that I "needed" a new blade if the German carbides were going to last that long. Luckily I did my research before buying new. I figured I had to cut deeper because the blade was "blunt". nope It turns out that if your depth of cut is too deep for the paper, it actually tears MORE. Also, more complex cutouts or more fibrous paper may need to be cut multiple times. (Learn how to use custom settings and when to make multiple cuts.) Also, temperature and humidity can affect whether or not paper tears more easily. In my particular case, thick paper required a light matte and custom settings. The color paper setting wasn't good enough so I used the color paper setting but cut 3 times (twice wasn't good enough). Now it works great! There can be a learning curve with Cricut, but YouTube tutorials help a lot and it's worth educating yourself. A few helpful tips will help you get more out of Cricut.