You can get started by watching some video tutorials that our dedicated users have put together for your viewing pleasure! These videos cover all the basic as well as advanced features. You can view them in the "Tutorial" section of the Forum. Here is a direct link! There are also tons of videos on YouTube. Click here to check out a few of them.

Make The Cut! will run on the following system running:
Windows XP (32/64bit), Vista (32/64bit) or Windows 7 (32/64bit)
256 MB. RAM
2 MB. Disk Space
800x600 or higher screen resolution
Internet Explorer 7 or newer (for Gallery functionality)
USB 1.1 Port with USB A/B printer cable
Mouse and Keyboard

Make The Cut! uses Internet Explorer as its gallery viewer. The reason why you can not download is most likely because your version of Internet Explorer is out of date. You need atleast version 7 or newer in order for the gallery to work properly. In order to update Internet Explorer to the latest version, please click here.

When there is a new version of Make The Cut!, all you have to do is go to the "Download" section of this site and click the "Download Now!" button. The demo version and the registered version are the same version. You don't have to uninstall the old version. You don't have to re-register if you paid for the application. All updates are FREE! What are you waiting for?! Go on and get the new version already!

When we started this project, we had no idea how many people used Macs to do their scrapbooking! So, we never planned on making a Mac version. Now that we see that many of you DO use Macs, I guess we have to re-think our strategy.

Right now there is no Mac version -- BUT, if you use Parallels or Bootcamp, Make The Cut! will run just fine.

Firmware is software your Cricut™ machine uses to communicate with your computer. Kind of like Make The Cut!, except the firmware runs on the actual Cricut™ machine. To ensure you have the latest and greatest firmware on your Cricut™ machine, you can download the TRIAL version of Cricut DesignStudio™ and run the firmware update.

Here is a direct link to the Cricut DesignStudio™ installer file.

You are allowed to install and register Make The Cut! on all the computers you own with a single license. We only ask that you run one copy at a time. There is more information on our terms of service in the EULA located in the Help>>About menu. Click the EULA button for the full terms.

Your Cricut™ machine's firmware is OUT OF DATE!

Firmware is software your Cricut™ machine uses to communicate with your computer. Kind of like Make The Cut!, except the firmware runs on the actual Cricut™ machine. To ensure you have the latest and greatest firmware on your Cricut™ machine, you can download the TRIAL version of Cricut DesignStudio™ and run the firmware update.

Here is a direct link to the Cricut DesignStudio™ installer file.

First: Unplug your Cricut™ machine from your computer

Second: Open Make The Cut! and click the Help menu, select Advanced, then click Download and Install Drivers

Third: In the dialog that pops up, click Install

Fourth: When installation finishes, plug your Cricut machine back in to your computer and power the Cricut machine on

Click here for a short "how-to" video showing step-by-step how to do this action.

The horizontal line is a "watermark"

Make The Cut! is a shareware application. You need to register your copy if you want to cut non-watermarked projects. After processing your order, we’ll send you a license key that will disable the watermarks from your newly cut projects. Registering online is the fastest and easiest way to order Make The Cut! Your order will be processed in real-time and you will receive your registration email immediately. All data is encrypted to provide a secure transaction.

If you lose a bar here or there, it's easy to get them back.

Just click the Help menu item, go to Advanced then select Reset Interface To Factory Settings. The next time you start Make The Cut!, the interface will be back to how it was when you first installed it!

If you want to resize a shape freely, you can either use the Object Properties window, or, when sizing with the mouse hold down the SHIFT key. Keep the shift key held during the whole time you are sizing and move the mouse to where to you want the bottom-right corner to be. When you are finished resizing, let go of the mouse and shift key.

The easiest way to move objects without accidentally sizing them is to hold the CONTROL key on your keyboard before you start to move the object. While holding the control key, you can then click anywhere on the object to move it. This is very handy for those very tiny peices that may appear after you break an object apart.

In order to enable the Shape Magic menu item in the Edit menu, you have to create what we call a Magic Selection. To do this, find a shape you want to magically edit. Next, move the mouse to the top left of the shape, outside the bounding rectangle. Click and hold the mouse and drag the mouse to the bottom right of the shape and release the mouse. Now the shape should have a thick dashed rectangle around it. Now the Shape Magic menu item will be enabled.

If you are still having problems, please watch the video tutorials for more help.

There are three ways to dismantle a shape. Breaking, Splitting, and Layering.

BREAK
When you break a shape, every inner shape becomes its own entity allowing you to move, size, remove or reuse any part of a shape you want.
LAYER
When you layer a shape, you end up with two separate entities: the background and the foreground. This is useful if you want to take a single shape and turn it into two separate colors giving the shape more depth. You can break, layer and split the resulting layers.
SPLIT
When you split a shape, every shape that isn't inside another shape becomes its own entity. This is useful when you want to split apart text. You can break, layer and split the resulting entities.

If you are still having problems, please watch the video tutorials for more help.

There are two ways to combine shapes together, Joining and Welding.

JOIN
Joining is a very basic way to combine shapes. If you join a shape, then break it apart, you should end up with what you started with. You usually will always use Join when you want to combine shapes.
WELD
Welding is a more permanent way to combine shapes. Welding will weld any intersecting lines together making them one. This is useful if you have overlapping shapes and you don't want the Cricut to cut into the other shape.

If you are still having problems, please watch the video tutorials for more help.