Have you ever looked at all the mats Cricut has available and wondered which one is right for your machine or project? Well, I am here to help you with that. This guide will go over each of the available Cricut mats so you will no longer be confused!
First, let’s talk about size.
Mats that are 12” x 12” or 12” x 24” will fit in most Cricut machines. These mats work in the Expression family machines, Explore family machines, and Maker machines.
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Mats that are 6” x 12” will fit in the Original Cricut and Cricut Create machines.
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For the Cricut Mini machines mats are 8.5” x 12”.
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Cricut’s newest machine, the Cricut Joy, utilizes mats that are 4.5” x 6.5” and 4.5” x 12”.
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So you can see that just by the sizes available there is already a large variety of mats. Mix that with the “grip” of the mat or specialty mats and the variety increases!
Not all, but some of the mats do come with different grips: Light, Standard, or Strong. The different mats have just the right amount of grip to hold your different materials in place while you are cutting and can be easily removed when it finishes.
There are also specialty mats such as the Cricut Cake Mats, Cricut Imagine mats, and Cricut FabricGrip mats.
So let’s go over those different Grips:
LightGrip Mat
The LightGrip Mat is a reusable adhesive cutting mat perfect for a wide range of lightweight materials. The LightGrip mat is available in 12” x 12” and 12” x 24” sizes, as well as in the Cricut Joy 4.5” x 12” mat. LightGrip mats are a light blue colored mat.
Best materials to use with:
- Printer paper
- Thin cardstock
- Vellum
- Construction paper
- Vinyl
StandardGrip Mat
The StandardGrip Mat is a reusable adhesive cutting mat perfect for a wide range of medium-weight materials. The StandardGrip mat is available in 6” x 12”, 8.5” x 12”, 12” x 12” and 12” x 24” sizes, as well as the Cricut Joy 4.5” x 6.5” and 4.5” x 12” mats. StandardGrip mats are a green colored mat.
Best materials to use with:
- Cardstock
- Pattern paper
- Embossed cardstock
- Iron-on
- Vinyl
StrongGrip Mat
The StrongGrip Mat is a reusable adhesive cutting mat perfect for heavyweight materials. The HeavyGrip mat is available in 12” x 12” and 12” x 24” sizes. StrongGrip mats are a purple colored mat.
Best materials to use with:
- Thick cardstock
- Glitter cardstock
- Magnet material
- Chipboard
- Poster board
- Fabric with stiffener
- Leather
FabricGrip Mat
The FabricGrip Mat is a reusable adhesive cutting mat that combines increased strength and density plus a light adhesive perfect for a wide variety of fabrics. FabricGrip mats are specially designed to secure fabrics for cutting, with easy release and are available in the 12” x 12” and 12” x 24” sizes. FabricGrip mats are a pink colored mat.
Best materials to use with:
- Any fabric.
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Imagine Mat
There was a mat that was made specifically for the Imagine machine. This mat has a bold black outline and marks along the edges that help calibrate the machine so it can precisely cut around the images it prints. But did you know that you can use this 12” x 12” mat in other machines that fit a 12” x 12” mat?
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Cricut Cake Mats
Each mat has an easy-to-read ruler and grid markings for convenience and accuracy. Mats are without Adhesive and made from food grade material. Cricut Cake Mats come in 12” x 12” and 12” x 24” sizes that fit the Cricut Cake Expression machine and in 6” x 12” for the Cake Mini machine.
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Cricut Joy
I already mentioned the Cricut Joy StandardGrip 4.5” x 6.5” mat along with the StandardGrip and LightGrip 4.5” x 12” mats but they also have a Card mat which is uniquely designed with a divider to protect the back of folded Cricut Insert Cards while cutting a design on the front. Pretty ingenious!
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So there you have it! But before you grab a mat and get started on that next project.... I have to share my favorite mat tip with you: How to remove your cutting material without it tearing or curling from trying to get it off the mat!
After removing your mat from the machine, turn it over on a flat surface - face down. From one corner of your mat, start pulling the mat back and roll it away from your material. Use a spatula if needed, but your material should just fall away from the mat, keeping it flat and ready to use!
Happy Cricuting!
