EveryCutFileCricut mats by grip
| Mat | Color | Cricut lists it for | Machines |
|---|---|---|---|
| LightGrip | Blue | Office paper, light cardstock (65 lb, 176 gsm), vellum | Maker, Explore, Joy, Joy Xtra, Venture |
| StandardGrip | Green | Medium cardstock (80 lb, 216 gsm), patterned paper, vinyl, iron-on | Maker, Explore, Joy, Joy Xtra, Venture |
| StrongGrip | Purple | Heavy cardstock (100 lb, 270 gsm), glitter and specialty cardstock, chipboard, fabric with stiffener | Maker, Explore, Venture |
| FabricGrip | Pink | Fabric, with the Rotary Blade or Bonded-Fabric Blade | Maker, Explore |
Why the grip matters
Too strong a grip curls or tears paper as you peel it off; too light a grip lets the material lift and tear during the cut. All mats lose their stickiness with use, faster with felt and other materials that shed fibers. Silhouette sells Standard Tack and Strong Tack mats for the Cameo and lists which mat and blade fit each machine on its compatibility page.
A worked example
Our cube favor box in 80 lb (216 gsm) cardstock: the green StandardGrip mat, the Fine Point blade that came in the machine, and medium cardstock from the materials list. Its fold lines are score lines, so set them to Score and use a scoring stylus, or the Scoring Wheel on a Maker, which needs a QuickSwap housing.
Cut it
- Select Make, choose On Mat, and confirm the mat size.
- Choose your exact material from the list.
- Lay the material on the matching mat, load the mat and press Go.
- Test-cut first; if it did not cut through, or cut the mat, set the pressure to More or Less.
Write down what you used
Machine, material and its weight, mat, blade and pressure: when a cut comes out right, note all five, because the next sheet of the same material will want the same.
From the maker’s documentation: Cricut: cardstock instructions, Cricut: mats by machine, Cricut: Scoring Wheel tools, Silhouette: tool and mat compatibility.