Cricut Imagine User Manual
CONTENTS
Diagrams...........................................................................................4
Safety Information............................................................................5
FCC Statement..................................................................................6
Getting Started................................................................................7
Installing the Cutting Blade Assembly.....................................7
Installing the HP
Calibration..............................................................................10
Positioning Your Cricut Imagine™ Machine.............................10
What Your Cricut Imagine™ Machine Can Cut..........................11
Basic Operations.............................................................................12
Setup......................................................................................12
Preparing the Cutting Mat......................................................13
Place Paper on Cutting Mat....................................................13
Print & Cut..............................................................................14
Cutting on Lightweight or Heavyweight Materials.......................18
Adjusting Blade Depth...........................................................18
Adjusting Cut Speed..............................................................19
Adjusting Cut Pressure...........................................................19
Multi-Cut................................................................................19
Basic Care.......................................................................................20
Blade Life.................................................................................20
Replacing the Cutting Blade..................................................20
Caring for the Cutting Mat.....................................................21
Maintaining the Print Cartridges.............................................21
Replacing a Print Cartridge.....................................................21
Cleaning Your Cricut Imagine™ Machine................................22
Additional Basic Care Tips.....................................................22
Advanced Cricut Imagine™ Use....................................................23
Viewing Cartridge Content....................................................23
Image Queue...........................................................................23
Image Editor............................................................................24
Layered Images.......................................................................24
Colors and User Palette..........................................................25
Editor Controls........................................................................26
Project Preview........................................................................27
Set Up Job...............................................................................27
Project Quantity.......................................................................27
Art Quantity.............................................................................28
Fit to Page................................................................................28
Auto-Fill..................................................................................28
Load Last.................................................................................28
Cut Settings.............................................................................29
Flip Horizontal..........................................................................29
®
Inkjet Print Cartridge...................................8
CONTENTS (CONTINUED)
Paper Size.................................................................................29
Settings...........................................................................................30
Print & Cut................................................................................30
Print Quality.............................................................................30
Paper Type................................................................................30
HP Ink.......................................................................................30
Clean Print Heads....................................................................30
Border Preferences..................................................................31
Size..........................................................................................31
Calibration..............................................................................31
Screen.....................................................................................31
Print.........................................................................................32
Blade.......................................................................................32
Restore Defaults......................................................................33
Troubleshooting.............................................................................34
FRONT DIAGRAM
BACK DIAGRAM
4
DIAGRAMS
SAFETY INFORMATION
Disconnect electrical power before servicing or cleaning.
Do not place your fingers or other objects in the Cricut Imagine™ while it is
connected to electrical power, powered on, or during cutting operations. Rapid
movements of the cutting carriage during operation may cause bodily injury and/
or damage to the Cricut Imagine™.
Always follow basic safety precautions when using this product to reduce risk of
injury from fire or electric shock. Read and understand all instructions in the documentation that comes with the Cricut Imagine™.
Use only a grounded electrical outlet when connecting this product to a power
source. If you do not know whether the outlet is grounded, check with a
qualified electrician.
Observe all warnings and instructions marked on the product.
Do not install or use this product near water, or when you are wet.
Install the product securely on a stable surface.
Install the product in a protected location where no one can step on or trip over
the power cord and the power cord cannot be damaged.
If the product does not operate normally, see Troubleshooting.
There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified
service personnel.
The power cord cannot be repaired. If it is defective, it should be discarded or
returned to the supplier.
Ozone-depleting chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have been eliminated from the Provo Craft manufacturing processes.
This product contains lead in the solder that might require special handling at
end-of-life.
SAFETY INFORMATION
5
FCC STATEMENT
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (in 47 cfr 15.105) has specified that
the following notices be brought to the attention of users of this product.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Shielded Cables
Use of a shielded data cable is required to comply with the Class B limits of Part
15 of the FCC Rules.
Pursuant to Part 15.21 of the FCC Rules, any changes or modifications to this
equipment not expressly approved by the Provo Craft, may cause harmful
interference and void the FCC authorization to operate this equipment.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for
a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try
to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which
the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
FCC STATEMENT
6
GETTING STARTED
Installing the Cutting Blade Assembly
Please note that the Cricut Imagine
tom of your box, separate from the machine. Before you turn the machine on, you
will need to insert the blade assembly. To do this:
1. Remove the cardboard inserts from both
sides of the carriage. Open the front door
on the Cricut Imagine
™
machine. Manually
move the blade carriage assembly to the
left by grasping the black cradle arm and
pulling the assembly toward the center of
the opening.
2. Remove the cutting blade assembly from
its bag. The blade assembly fits into the
black cradle on the left side of the carriage.
Rotate the adjustment knob on the top of
the blade assembly so that the black arrow
on the blade assembly points to the number
3 on the adjustment knob.
3. Locate the silver nut and turn it counterclockwise until it loosens enough that you
can swing the screw to the right. Be careful
not to loosen the screw too much or it will
fall out.
™
cutting blade assembly is located in the bot-
4. Open the left arm of the black cradle and
position the cutting blade assembly inside
as shown with the black arrow facing you.
Ensure that the cutting blade has been
inserted into the assembly with the sharp
blade end pointing down. Close the cradle,
swing the nut back to the left, and tighten it
by turning it clockwise.
GETTING STARTED
7
5. Return the cutter head assembly to its storage position by gently pushing the assembly
to the right until it stops.
6. Plug the machine in and press the Power
button to place the blade assembly in cutting position.
Installing the HP® Inkjet Print Cartridge
Two print cartridges are available for use with the Cricut Imagine™ machine: black
and tri-color. To install a print cartridge for the first time:
1. Turn the machine on by pressing the
Power button.
GETTING STARTED
8
2. After the initial loading screen, open the ink
access door located at the back left corner
of the machine and lift the green and black
print cartridge latches.
3. Remove the print cartridge from its package, and then remove the clear nozzle protective tape by pulling on the pink pull-tab.
CAUTION: To prevent clogs, ink failure,
and bad electrical connections, do not
touch the print cartridge ink nozzles or
copper contacts, and do not remove the
copper contacts.
4. Find the identification symbol on the print
cartridge and locate the print cartridge
latch which has the same symbol.
5. Hold the print cartridge with the copper
contacts facing the printer, and then slide
the print cartridge fully into the cradle.
NOTE: If you have trouble inserting the
print cartridge after lifting the cartridge
latch, verify that the printer is on and wait a
few seconds for the carriage to disengage
before inserting the print cartridge.
6. Push down on the print cartridge latch until
it snaps closed. Make sure the latch does
not spring back open.
NOTE: If the latch springs back open,
remove the print cartridge and repeat steps
4 and 5.
7. Close the ink access door.
GETTING STARTED
9
Calibration
Prior to your first use of your Cricut Imagine™, t he machine will run three calibration routines. There are instructions on the screen which will direct you through
each calibration process.
The first calibration is a screen calibration and will not require any printing or cutting. The next two calibrations will require you to put a 12" x 12" white piece of
paper on the mat and insert the mat into the machine. For assistance in mounting paper on the mat for the first time, please see instructions on page 13. After
inserting the second piece of 12" x 12" white paper and the cut and print are
complete, the Cricut Imagine™ will ask you to select a number and letter for which
the printed lines are cut most accurately. Click Test Cut and the machine will begin
cutting. Examine the cut in the center of the page to determine if the cut stayed
inside the printed line. If the cut was successful in staying inside the printed line,
click the Accept button. If the cut was outside of the printed lines, select Repeat
to run the test again. For more information on the Print & Cut calibrations, see the
instructions on page 32.
Positioning Your Cricut Imagine™ Machine
Place your Cricut Imagine™ machine at least 12" (30.48 cm) from the edge of your
table to prevent it from tipping and causing possible injury. Allow 12" (30.48 cm) in
the back of the Cricut Imagine™ machine for mat movement.
When positioning your Cricut Imagine™ machine, choose a location that:
• cannot be accessed by children. The Cricut Imagine™ machine is not a toy
and contains components, including a sharp blade, that could be hazardous
to children.
• is a hard, stable, and flat surface within 6 feet (1.83 meters) of a grounded
electrical outlet, and that has a minimum clearance of 12" (30.48 cm) behind the
Cricut Imagine™ machine for paper movement.
• is indoors or in a dry location where the Cricut® cartridges are not directly
exposed to the effects of the weather.
• is away from direct exposure to sunlight or extreme temperatures such as in
parked cars, storage sheds, sunrooms, etc.
WARNING! Your Cricut Imagine™ machine should never be left or stored outside,
in locations without heat or air conditioning, or in environments where the machine or cartridges can come in contact with water. It is recommended your
Cricut Imagine™ be maintained in an area with temperatures between 60 and 90 °F
(15.5 and 32.2 °C).
GETTING STARTED
10
™
What Your Cricut Imagine
Machine Can Cut
The Cricut Imagine™ machine can cut a wide range of materials, from vellum and
cardstock to poster board and vinyl. Since any material which passes through the
Cricut Imagine™ needs to flex slightly to make it successfully through the rollers,
it is not recommended that rigid materials such as thick chipboard be used in the
machine. The Cricut Imagine™ machine can, however, cut thin chipboard with the
use of the Multi-Cut function. More details about Multi-Cut can be found on
page 19.
The Cricut Imagine™ is designed to provide a print-to-cut alignment of +/-1 mm for
images up to 5.5" (140 mm) in size. Images larger than 5.5" (140 mm) may have up
to a +/-0.7% margin in the print-to-cut alignment.
TIP: The repeated cutting of heavy materials may reduce the life of your Cricut
Imagine™ machine’s cutting blade and mat. Replacement mats and blades can be
purchased anywhere that Cricut® products are sold.
GETTING STARTED
11
BASIC OPERATIONS
Setup
1. Plug your Cricut Imagine™ into a grounded
electrical outlet.
2. Turn it on by pressing the Power button to
the right side of the display.
®
3. Insert any original Cricut
cartridge you
wish to use into the slot on the left side of
the display.
BASIC OPERATIONS
12
™
4. Insert the Cricut Imagine
Art Cartridge in
the slot on the right side of the display.
5. If you do not wish to use a cartridge, selecting any of the welcome screen options will
allow you to continue.
Preparing the Cutting Mat
™
The Cricut Imagine
can cut materials as large as 12" x 12" (30.48 cm x 30.48 cm).
The machine performance cannot be assured for materials smaller than 3" x 3"
(7.62 cm x 7.62 cm). Seventy-five pound cardstock is recommended for
best results.
Place Paper on Cutting Mat
A 12" x 12" (30.48 cm x 30.48 cm) paper size is
recommended for the first try.
1. Remove clear protective cover from
cutting mat.
2. Align a corner of the paper with the
triangular icon in the top left corner of the
cutting mat.
3. Press and smooth from the center of the
paper to the edges of the cutting mat to
adhere it well. Your paper is ready to be cut.
TIP: The surface of the cutting mat has been
treated to make it slightly tacky to hold the
paper in place during cutting. Remove paper
slowly when using lightweight materials such
as vellum. If small or delicate pieces are difficult to remove, use Cricut Tools
are not included with your Cricut Imagine
but are available wherever Cricut
™
. Cricut Tools™
®
™
products
,
are sold.
BASIC OPERATIONS
13
Print & Cut
To begin working with an image, click the
Print & Cut button on the left of the Cricut
Imagine™ menu screen. You can always return
to the menu screen by pressing the Menu button to the left of the screen.
Choose an image source. This is done by
clicking on one of three content source icons
located at the lower left corner of the display.
®
The left icon is for original Cricut
ter icon is for art which comes with your Cricut
™
Imagine
Imagine
, and the right icon is for Cricut
™
cartridge art.
art, the cen-
You can scroll through the images in the
default Gallery View by clicking the screen
and dragging slowly to the left or right. Click
any image you would like to print and cut to
select it. The image that is selected will be
highlighted in white.
BASIC OPERATIONS
14
Click the green plus sign to add the image to
the Image Queue.
Another view featuring a Keypad layout is
available by clicking the drop down list in the
top left corner of the screen. To return to the
Gallery view, use the same drop down list and
select an option other than Keypad. For more
details on the two views, see page 23.
Note: Selecting All will display all images in
the gallery. Selecting Icons will only show
images with a single layer. Selecting Images
will only show the images that have more than
one layer. Selecting Bonus will show the bonus
content included with this cartridge.
Original Cricut
®
art will only be visible in
Keypad layout.
Click the Next button at the bottom right of
the Image Gallery.
This will show you a preview of your project.
The preview shows you where the images will
be located on the paper.
To the side of the preview, several job options
can be controlled. Additional information on
the controls in the Set Up Job area can be
found on page 27.
The Settings area, also accessible on the Menu
screen, contains controls for print quality,
paper type, border preferences, machine
calibrations, as well as system defaults and
information about ink levels. For information
about the Settings area, see page 30.
BASIC OPERATIONS
15
Having edited and applied the changes to your
image, click Next in the bottom right corner
to continue.
You are now prompted to load the cutting mat
with the paper. Be sure the paper is mounted
correctly according to the previous instructions. Insert the mat into the Cricut Imagine
™
with the arrow pointing toward the machine.
Insert the mat above the exposed rollers at the
label INSERT MAT HERE. Gently insert the mat
until you feel it hit the back of the print rollers.
TIP: For best results, center the mat in the
mat guide.
Hold the mat near the machine at the center,
applying gentle pressure to the mat. Click
the Go! button on the screen of the Cricut
™
Imagine
, continuing to apply pressure until
the mat is completely loaded.
BASIC OPERATIONS
16
Your project will begin printing and cutting.
You’re on the way to your fi rst of many exciting
Cricut Imagine
™
creations!
When the operation is complete, the Cricut
Imagine™ machine will eject the mat out the
front of the machine.
WARNING! Do not touch the mat during printing and cutting even if the mat
stops moving. There are many steps to printing and cutting, one of which is drying. During drying and other steps the machine may appear to be doing nothing.
Do not touch the mat until the Cricut Imagine
™
ejects it from the machine.
Gently remove images from the cutting mat. If it is difficult to remove the characters, use a craft knife or Cricut Tools
™
(sold separately) to carefully remove the images. Once all images are removed, clean off any small scraps of paper remaining
on the cutting mat. This will improve cutting mat performance in the future.
TIP: To extend the life of your cutting mat, always cover it with the protective
cover and never leave paper on it for an extended period of time.
BASIC OPERATIONS
17
CUTTING ON LIGHTWEIGHT OR HEAVYWEIGHT
MATERIALS
Your Cricut Imagine™ can cut a variety of materials. For an optimal cut on lightweight materials such as vellum or heavyweight materials such as thin cardstock,
you may need to adjust the blade depth, speed of the cut, or cut pressure.
Adjusting Blade Depth
Remove the cutting blade assembly from the Cricut Imagine™ machine to change
the setting on the adjustment knob. However, if the arrow is facing forward, you
can leave the cutting blade assembly attached and simply spin the top of the
adjustment knob to change the setting.
WARNING! Always unplug your Cricut Imagine™ machine before removing the
cutting blade assembly!
To remove the cutting blade assembly (Figure 1), first turn the Cricut Imagine™ off.
Then slide the cutting carriage aside to expose the blade clamp screw. Locate the
screw and turn it counterclockwise until it loosens enough that you can swing the
screw to the right (Figure 2). Be careful not to loosen the screw too much, or it will
fall out. Remove the cutting blade assembly from the machine. Next, locate the
adjustment knob (Figure 3) on the top of the cutting blade assembly, and turn it to
your desired setting.
Figure 3Figure 2Figure 1
The smaller the number on the adjustment knob, the shorter the blade depth will
be. Shorter blade depths are recommended for light weight materials, and longer
blade lengths for heavier materials. Reinstall the cutting blade assembly into the
Cricut Imagine
assembly. Test the setting on a scrap piece of paper and make adjustments
as necessary.
TIP: Cutting on cardstock and other heavy materials will reduce the life of your
blade, but it will produce the best cuts.
18
™
machine by reversing the procedure to remove the cutting blade
CUTTING ON LIGHTWEIGHT OR HEAVYWEIGHT MATERIALS
™
TIP: If the Cricut Imagine
produces poor cutting results, always insert a new
blade first before trying other options.
Adjusting Cut Speed
The Cut Speed setting allows you to control the cutting speed for an optimal cut
on a variety of papers. If you regularly cut on heavyweight materials, you may want
to adjust this setting up to increase the cutting speed. For lightweight materials or
for smaller, more detailed cuts, you may want to turn the setting down to decrease
the cutting speed. After each adjustment, you should test the setting with a scrap
piece of paper, readjusting as necessary until you achieve the desired results.
Controls of the Cut Speed can be found in the Project Preview screen in the Cut
Settings section. Press the up arrow to increase the speed and the down arrow
to decrease it. As a general rule, decrease the speed if your cuts are being torn.
If this doesn’t work, you may need to change the cut pressure, adjust the blade
depth, or replace the blade.
Adjusting Cut Pressure
The Cut Pressure setting allows you to control how hard the cutting mechanism
presses against the paper. For heavyweight materials, you may want to move the
setting up to increase the cut pressure. For lightweight materials, you may want
to change the setting down to decrease the pressure. After each adjustment, you
should test the setting with a scrap piece of paper, readjusting as necessary until
you achieve the desired results.
Controls for the Cut Pressure can be found in the Project Preview screen in the
Cut Settings section. Press the up arrow to increase the speed and the down arrow to decrease it. As a general rule, increase the pressure if your selections are
not being cut completely through the paper. If this doesn’t work, the cut speed or
blade depth may need to be adjusted.
Multi-Cut
The Multi-Cut function allows you to cut a selected image multiple times on top
of the original cut lines. This allows the machine to cut thicker materials, such as
thin chipboard.
Controls for Multi-Cut can be found in the Project Preview screen in the Cut Set-
tings section. You can select how many times the lines of the image should be cut
by pressing the up and down keys.
CUTTING ON LIGHTWEIGHT OR HEAVYWEIGHT MATERIALS
19
BASIC CARE
Blade Life
You can expect anywhere from 500 to 1500 single cuts from your cutting blade
before it requires replacement. Your actual cutting blade life will vary, depending on the settings you use and the materials you cut. When the quality of your
cuts decreases, it is probably time to replace your cutting blade. For best results,
use only genuine Cricut® Replacement Cutting Blades, available at participating
Cricut® retailers (part #290002).
Replacing the Cutting Blade
WARNING! Always unplug your Cricut Imagine™ before replacing the
cutting blade.
To change the cutting blade, you must first remove the cutting blade assembly. To
remove the cutting blade assembly (Figure 1), locate the screw and turn it counterclockwise until it loosens enough that you can swing the screw to the right (Figure
2). Be careful not to loosen the screw too much, or it will fall out.
Remove the cutting blade assembly from the machine. After removing the cutting
blade assembly, locate the blade release at the top of the cutting blade assembly
and push it in (Figure 3). The blade will emerge from the cutting blade assembly.
You will need to gently pull the blade away from the magnet holding it in place
(Figure 4).
To install the new blade, first remove the protective cover from the new blade.
Carefully insert the shaft of the blade into the hole in the bottom of the cutting blade assembly. The blade should be sucked up inside the shaft if properly
installed (Figure 5). The replacement cutting blade is now installed. Place the
protective cover over the old blade and dispose of it. Reinstall the cutting blade
assembly into the Cricut Imagine™ reversing the procedure to remove the cutting
blade assembly.
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5
BASIC CARE
20
WARNING! Cutting blades are extremely sharp and should be handled with the
utmost care. They are also potential choking hazards; they should be kept away
from children.
Caring for the Cutting Mat
You can expect anywhere from 25 to 40 full mat cuts (expect even more when a
cut is smaller than the full mat) from your Cricut Imagine
™
cutting mat before it
requires replacement. Your actual cutting mat life will vary, depending on the settings you use and the papers you cut. It is time to replace your mat when:
• your paper no longer sticks to the cutting mat.
• the mat becomes curled on the edges, which will affect the accuracy of the
print-to-cut alignment.
Use only genuine Cricut Imagine™ replacement cutting mats, available at retailers
everywhere (part #2000784).
Maintaining the Print Cartridges
™
The following tips will help maintain the Cricut Imagine
print cartridges and
ensure consistent print quality:
• Keep all print cartridges in their sealed packages until they are needed.
Print cartridges should be stored at room temperatures between 59 and 95 °F
(15 and 35 °C).
• Do not remove the plastic tape covering the ink nozzles until you are ready to
install the print cartridge in the printer. If the plastic tape has been removed
from the print cartridge, do not attempt to reattach it. Reattaching the tape
damages the print cartridge.
WARNING! Do not drop the print cartridge. Dropping the print cartridge may
damage it.
Replacing a Print Cartridge
1. Turn on the Cricut Imagine
™
, open the print cartridge access door located
on the back of the machine and lift the print latch for the cartridge you will
be replacing.
2. Grasp the installed print cartridge and slide it out of its cradle.
CAUTION: To prevent clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections, do not
touch the print cartridge ink nozzles or copper contacts, and do not remove the
copper contacts.
BASIC CARE
21
3. Find the identification symbol on the print cartridge and locate the print cartridge latch which has the same symbol.
4. Hold the new print cartridge with the copper contacts facing the printer, and
then slide the print cartridge into the cradle.
NOTE: If you have trouble inserting the print cartridge after lifting the cartridge
latch, verify that the printer is on and wait a few seconds for the carriage to disengage before inserting the print cartridge.
5. Push down on the print cartridge latch until it snaps closed. Make sure the latch
does not spring back open.
6. Close the print head cover.
Cleaning Your Cricut Imagine™ Machine
WARNING! Always unplug your Cricut Imagine™ before cleaning!
To clean the Cricut Imagine™ machine, gently wipe exterior panels with a damp
cloth. Immediately dry any excess moisture with a chamois or other soft cloth.
Do not use chemicals or alcohol-based cleaners (including, but not limited to,
acetone, benzene, and carbon tetrachloride) on the machine. Abrasive cleansers
and cleaning tools should also be avoided. Do not immerse the machine or any
component of it in water.
Additional Basic Care Tips
• Keep away from food and liquids.
• Keep in dry, dust-free location.
• Avoid excessive heat or cold.
• Do not leave in car, where excessive heat may melt or damage
plastic components.
• Do not expose to direct sunlight for any extended period of time.
22
BASIC CARE
ADVANCED CRICUT IMAGINE™ USE
Viewing Cartridge Content
There are two ways to browse images in the Cricut Imagine™:
Gallery View—This view displays a long, horizontal strip of images you can scroll through.
Gallery View is the default view for browsing
images on your Cricut Imagine™ Art Cartridge.
This view is not available for original
Cricut® cartridges.
Keypad—This view allows you to view up to
50 images at once, similar to the view used on
other Cricut
Image Queue
When viewing cartridge content, several icons are available at the bottom of the
screen to allow you to control the Image Queue. Selecting an image in the queue
by clicking it and then clicking the green plus icon in the top right corner of the
image will add the image to the Image Queue. Clicking the Edit icon in the top
left of the image will allow you to make changes to the image using the Image
Editor. You can also make changes to an image in the gallery by selecting it and
clicking the Edit icon. Other controls include:
®
machines.
Backspace—removes the
last image added to the
Image Queue
Undo—reverses the last
change to the Image Queue
Redo—reverses the effect
of the Undo function,
making the change to the
Image Queue again
Duplicate—duplicates
the selected image in the
queue, available only after
clicking an image in the
Image Queue
Clear All—removes all images from the Image Queue
ADVANCED CRICUT IMAGINE™ USE
23
Image Editor
The Image Editor allows you to make changes to individual images such as altering
the color, orientation, size, and composition. Changes made in the Image Editor
will affect only the particular image, whereas changes made in the Project Preview
section will affect all of the images in the project.
To access the Image Editor click the in the gallery view.
Layered Images
Some images which come on the Cricut Imagine
™
Art Cartridge are separated into
individual elements called layers. This gives you an additional level of control over
the color and size of each layer of the image in your project. Not only can each
of these layers be individually changed to suit your needs, but they can also be
printed and cut separately.
Images on original Cricut® cartridges can be colored and sized, but are not separated into layers and thus will be changed as a single image. This means that you
cannot recolor or resize only a portion of an image which comes from an
original cartridge.
™
You can control whether an image from a Cricut Imagine
Art Cartridge is printed
as a single image or in layers using the Combine and Layers buttons at the top left
of the Image Editor. Selecting Combine will cause the edited image to be printed
and cut as a single image (Figure 1). Selecting Layers will print and cut each layer
of the image separately (Figure 2).
ADVANCED CRICUT IMAGINE™ USE
24
Figure 1 Figure 2
Colors and User Palette
Images on Cricut Imagine™ Art Cartridge come with a pre-selected palette of colors and patterns you can use to customize entire layered images or the individual
layers inside of the images. To do this, navigate to the Image Queue or Gallery
view and:
• click to select the image you would like to customize.
• click the Edit icon to open the Image Editor.
If you wish to change only a single layer of an image, click the layer to select it.
NOTE: The image at the far left of the image editor shows all the layers assembled. The images to the right of this image represent all of the individual layers. If
there are no images to the left, then you are working with an image that only has
one layer.
• Choose the new color for the layer from the strip of colors just below the image.
• Click the color to select it.
• Click Apply.
NOTE: If you don’t see the color you want to change the layer or image to, you
can use the scroll bar to see other choices or follow the instructions below for
creating a custom color.
Images from original Cricut® cartridges can also be customized with a new color.
However, because they don’t have a particular palette associated with them like
ADVANCED CRICUT IMAGINE™ USE
25
™
the images on the Cricut Imagine
Art Cartridges, you will need to use the colors
available on the Cricut Imagine™ Art Cartridge or create a custom color on the
User Palette. Follow these instruction to create a custom color.
• Click the multi-colored button at the bottom left of the screen.
• Click a blank square in the Custom Colors area to select it.
• Drag the indicator around the circle until you fi nd the color you want.
• Use the arrows at the top and bottom of the control to the right of the color
wheel to adjust the luminosity of the color. You can also enter exact RGB values
if you know them using the Red, Green, and Blue controls below the Custom
Colors section.
• Click Apply.
The custom color is automatically applied to the selected image and will
appear across the bottom of the image editing strip to the left of the
multi-colored button.
™
NOTE: You can use patterns and colors from any Cricut Imagine
your original Cricut
®
images.
cartridge with
Editor Controls
Undo—reverses the last
change to the image
Flip Vertical—fl ips the orientation of the entire image vertically or a selected
portion of the image if it
Redo—reverses the effect
of the Undo function,
making the change to the
image again
Revert—erases all changes
made to the image
has been separated
into layers
Flip Horizontal — fl ips the
orientation of the entire
image horizontally or a
selected portion of the
image if it has been separated into layers
True/Relative Size—toggles between allowing you to resize images
in Relative mode, which sizes images with relation to the key height
character in your text, and Tru e mode, which sizes images independent of any other image
ADVANCED CRICUT IMAGINE™ USE
26
Project Preview
This screen provides options to set up the project including making changes to the
paper size, allowing you to print and cut on the unused portions of the previous
project, and altering the orientation of the images in the project. Where changes
made in the Image Editor will affect only the particular image being changed, all
changes made in this section will affect the entire print job.
Set Up Job
The Set Up Job section of the Project Preview
allows you to configure various details of the
project such as repeating the images or project to fill a page.
Project Quantity
This control can be used to repeat the entire
project. This is often useful when you need to
cut your project several times. You can change
the number of times the project is repeated by
clicking the up and down arrow.
ADVANCED CRICUT IMAGINE™ USE
27
Art Quantity
This control can be used to repeat all the images in your queue and minimize the amount
of paper used for the project. This is often useful when you need several of each part of your
project or wish to fill up the empty space on
a page. You can change the number of times
the project is repeated by clicking the up and
down arrow. The additional, repeated images
will be added to the Project Preview section
to the left.
Fit to Page
This control will change the size of the images
in the project to fit the entire page. The Project Preview to the left provides a visual indication of the size of each image in the project.
Auto-Fill
This control is similar to the Project Quantity control. However, instead of choosing a
specific number of times to repeat the entire
project, using Auto-Fill repeats the project
until the page is full. The additional, repeated
projects are reflected in the Project Preview
section to the left.
ADVANCED CRICUT IMAGINE™ USE
28
Load Last
Checking the Load Last option on the Project
Preview indicates that you would like to use
the paper used for the last project for the
current project. The Cricut Imagine
™
keeps
track of what parts of the paper were used for
the last project. When the Load Last option is
selected, the new project will be automatically
repositioned to use the remaining space on
the paper.
Cut Settings
The Cut Settings section of the Project
Preview allows you to change the multi-cut,
speed, and pressure values.
Flip Horizontal—Clicking this button fl ips the
horizontal orientation of the images in
the project.
Paper Size—The paper size area allows you
to change the size of the paper being printed
on. This size can be changed in increments of
one-half inch.
ADVANCED CRICUT IMAGINE™ USE
29
SETTINGS
The settings screen provides control over general settings for your
Cricut Imagine™.
Print & Cut
Choosing Print & Cut will print the project on the paper, and then cut the images
out. Print Only will print the project on the paper without cutting the images out.
Cut Only will cut the images out without printing them.
Print Quality
This option provides control over the quality of the printing done on the project.
Best Quality uses the most ink, but provides the most rich and accurate color
recreation. This option also takes the most time to print. Draft Quality uses less
ink and prints faster, but the image colors resulting from using this setting will not
be as vivid as they would be when using Best Quality.
Paper Type
This option allows you to specify the type of paper being printed on and cut,
which effects not only the amount of ink being used in the print process, but also
the amount of dry time between printing and cutting. Select Glossy when using
photo paper or other papers which have a glossy fi nish. Select Matte for regular
paper with a matte fi nish. Select Vinyl when printing on Cricut Imagine™
Printable Vinyl.
HP Ink
30
This section has an indicator for the black and color ink cartridges
for the Cricut Imagine
™
. If the ink level for either cartridge gets low,
a LOW indicator will show up for the cartridge. If ink levels are suffi cient, the indicator will read OK.
Clean Print Heads
This control will clean the print heads. It should be noted that, unlike
other printers, a page will not be printed when you clean the print
heads. You will, however, see and hear the print cartridge moving
during the cleaning process. As the cleaning process uses some ink, it
should only be used when necessary.
SETTINGS
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