Can you believe that Cricut has been around for 20 years? To celebrate this special Anniversary and mark the occasion, the company has launched not one, but two brand-new cutting machines – the Cricut Joy 2 ($139.99 / £129.99) and the Cricut Explore 5 ($249 / £249.99) – available to buy right now from Cricut and other major retailers.
Cricut has created such a welcoming community with millions of makers worldwide, and some of the best Cricut machines have helped its users establish very successful businesses. The company hopes to continue this legacy and says it’s just getting started with making personalisation easier than ever.
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The Joy 2 is adorable. I’d say it’s just a bit bigger than palm-sized, yet it has the power to carry out full-colour Print Then Cut operations, thanks to a new sensor, for making stickers and easy card projects. The Essentials bundle also comes with enough supplies to create up to 150 projects right out of the box.
The Explore 5, on the other hand, has been redesigned to be 30% more compact than its predecessors, and is now compatible with six tools (including scoring) for a wider range of creative projects that include custom apparel, magnets, and rubber stamps. There’s also an improved snap-in pen loading process for writing and drawing,
Both of these machines mark a new era of crafting, loaded with exciting capabilities. But that’s not the only update to report. Cricut has also given its Design Space software a refresh with a smarter and simpler interface, plus guided flow creation tools that can intuitively respond to a user’s project intent, offering templates for faster creation.
There’s now less guesswork that goes into creating, and users should feel more confident from the moment inspiration strikes. The updated Design Space offers step-by-step guidance for those who need it, starting with an idea to the finished project. It will also outline the tools, materials and blanks required at each stage, making the process clearer.
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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
New software features include automatic canvas sizing for selected project types and a project preview for visualising designs on blanks. For Cricut Access subscribers, there’s now Create AI, a built-in tool to generate custom, single-layer, cut-ready designs in seconds from simple prompts.
What better time to join the Cricut community? The newest cutting machines are available now, and more accessible than ever.
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