Saturday, September 20, 2014

Disney Characters with Cricut Explore Print Then Cut


If you are a Disney fan, the Print Then Cut feature for the Cricut Explore (available very soon through the update to Cricut Design Space) will make your crafting so much easier.


One of the most frustrating things about assembling the multi-layered Disney images at small sizes is trying to get the faces to look "normal."  The teeny tiny eyes and lips often are just too small to assemble from cut pieces to achieve a realistic look.  With the new Print Then Cut feature, you will be able to flatten an entire image to print with your regular home printer and then have the Explore cut out the shape for you.


With just a few clicks of the mouse you can select a character, size it to suit your project, flatten it for printing, and then print it and cut it out.  The Design Space program will add a bleed around the edges of the image to insure that the cut image is perfect.  When the image is printed, registration marks are printed on the same page - two at the top corners and one at the lower left corner.  The optical eye on the Explore machine will read these marks to determine the exact placement for the cut.  All you have to do is load the printed page, set the dial for the material you are cutting and press GO - the Explore does the rest.


This cut of Cinderella dancing with her Prince is only 3 1/2 inches tall.  I would never attempt this if I was cutting all of the layers for the characters - it is just too small!  It is a great size for a card and a real time saver since you will only need a few pieces to finish the card.


Most, if not all of the Disney character images on the cartridges have a shadow layer.  You can fill this shadow layer with white to create an even white edge around the cut image or use another color that coordinates with the character or the background of your project.


You don't have to use the shadow but it can be very helpful for images like this one where there is a tiny swirl at the end of Jasmine's hair.


Adding the shadow layer for a border makes the curve a little easier for the blade to follow.  This image is only 3 1/2 inches tall so you can imagine how tiny that curl is!


Remarkably, I was able to get the machine to cut the curl on one sample but there were several attempts before this one where it snagged a little.  I decided to let the printed image dry for several hours before cutting.  The solid black printed area might have had too much moisture from the inkjet which softened the paper.  This was the best cut I was able to make.  I actually prefer the look of the characters with the border to make them stand out a bit against a background.


Creating a mirror image is easily done with one click and then you can use these characters as cupcake toppers or put them in a three dimensional box card and they will look nice from all sides.

You don't have to flatten the entire image - you can also remove a few layers (perhaps a dress or the hair?) and cut them from colored cardstock to add on top of the printed image - there are so many possibilities with that option!

If you don't have already have an Explore are you getting tempted?  If you want to shop for a new machine you can find all of the bundles on the Cricut site HERE 

The red links in this post are affiliate links and I appreciate your support when you shop using these links.  Your price does not change and I may receive a commission payment that helps me to keep this blog going. 

Don't forget to use the code FREESHIP35 for free standard shipping within the continental US for orders over $35.

There are so many things you can do with the new Print Then Cut feature - I'll have some more ideas and some step by step directions to share later tonight!

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16 comments:

  1. Hi - thanks for posting this! I can wait to play with it. I really like the look with a shadowed background.

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    1. Hi Shannon! That little edge really sets off the images and it is fun to try different colors for the border.

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  2. Thank you so much for this post! I am so happy to see the Disney Cuts done with the Print and Cut. It was the one reason I purchased my Imagine Machine, which is still working, but the Disney cuts never looked this good!

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    1. You are very welcome - this is one of the really exciting ways to use the Print Then Cut feature but there are many more! I'll be posting other ideas to show off some of the things we will be able to do with the release of this update.

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  3. That is so amazing. I can't wait. Got a new printer all set up and ready to go!!!! Thanks again. Sandy C.

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    1. It really is exciting to see how many new things we will be able to do. The waiting is almost over and it sounds like you are all set!

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  4. Question...do you need a 12th printer?

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    1. You can use a regular printer that prints 8 1/2 x 11 paper. At this time the Print Then Cut does not print on larger paper. It is on the list of things that users would like but I have no idea if it will be added (or when). So if you already have a printer at home don't rush out to buy a wide format printer just yet.

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  5. This might be a crazy question, but is there any way I can print my Disney images with the Cricut software and then cut with my Silhouette Portrait? (since I have the Disney carts and already have a Portrait?)

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    1. Hi Debbie - I am not sure if this could be done...maybe... You could set up the printing from Design Space and possibly use the new mat for the Portrait to do the cut but I certainly haven't tried this. The Explore is a great machine and the price is coming done so if budget allows it would be worth having both and using each machine for the things it does best.

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  6. I know you can use any printer but what kind are you using? Mine definitely does not print this well. :)

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    1. Hi Heidi, I have an HP Photosmart All in one Model 7525 (scans, copies, faxes and prints). It has separate ink cartridges for colors which can be better than having just one black and one color cartridge since you don't have to replace an entire cartridge if one color runs out. I got the printer at Costco so I would have the extra warranty. It is wireless. I have had this printer for about a year - it is not a wide format so I can only print letter or legal size. I have been printing using just the normal settings (not "Best") on plain white cardstock from Staples. There are lots of printer options - some people are buying wide format printers in the hopes that eventually the Print Then Cut will be available for 12 x 12 paper. I hope that helps - you may just want to shop around and try to find sample prints from the printers you are considering in the stores.

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  7. I have the cricut explore and I love this machine and today did my first print and cut with it I was so pleased with the result

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    1. I am happy to hear that you are enjoying your machine. It really is wonderful to be able to print and cut these complex layered characters. Now you can use them in a small size on a card - it used to be too frustrating to try to fit together those tiny pieces!

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