Did you know that you only need one Universal Overlay for all square-shaped cartridges? These cartridges were all launched after August 2013. Sometimes they are referred to as "SM" cartridges, or just "small" cartridges. Because you only need one universal overlay for these 80+ cartridges, it means just one overlay to learn, organize, and store!
*The Universal Keypad Overlay is sold separately. It is available for purchase here.
Universal Keypad Overlay explained:
In this post we will be breaking down the differences between the two styles of cartridges and why you need to be using all cartridges to maximize your creativity. It is important to note that ALL Cricut Cartridges will work with ALL Cricut Machines (with the exception of the obsolete Cricut Mini Machine). But as you probably know, there are two different ways to use Cricut Cartridges, depending on if the cartridge was designed before August 2013 (traditional way), or if it was designed after (updated way), and also depending on which Cricut Machine you are using. There are new Cricut Cartridge users everyday and this is one of the trickiest things to understand as they get started, depending on which style of cartridge they are first introduced to. Yet both the traditional way and updated way are super easy to use, and neither slow down Cricut creators from finding their inspiration.
Traditional Cartridges: Designed before August 2013. These cartridges work with all Cricut Machines.
Every Cricut cartridge prior to August of 2013 was made with its own unique keypad overlay and instructional handbook. It's easy to tell which cartridges will have their own overlay, versus requiring a Universal Keypad Overlay. It's pretty easy to spot the traditional way of designing with Cricut. One indicator is the cartridge storage binders will be tall and rectangular shaped, and its dimensions are about 8x4x2 inches. Another hint would be that it includes a keypad overlay, and the overlay is specifically designed for the cartridge it came with. The keypad overlay will be included when you purchase one of these cartridges. An example of one of these titles is Wrap it Up Cricut Cartridge. These cartridges will work with all Cricut die-cutting machines, but you particularly get the most use out of them with legacy machines; Expression, Expression 2, Personal Cutter, Create, Imagine, and Cake Machines. The Expression 2 and Imagine will not use overlay in general, as they have touchscreen keypads built into the machines.You can also link all of your Cricut Cartridges to Design Space by using a USB Cricut Cartridge adapter and connecting it to your computer. That way the content on the cartridges are compatible with machines such as Explore and Maker.
Updated/Small/SM Cartridges: Cricut Cartridges designed after August of 2013 require a Universal Keypad Overlay. These cartridges work with all Cricut Machines.
These cartridges are easy to spot. The cartridge binder is half the size as the traditional cartridges, which is great for saving space. They come in a square-shaped storage binder, which is about 4x4x2 inches. Inside is the cartridge and a square-shaped instructional booklet that will give you step-by-step instructions on how to use the cartridge with the Universal Overlay. The Universal Overlay is not included inside the cartridge binder, it is sold separately. You can purchase one here. The good news is you only need one Universal Overlay. Your Universal Overlay is compatible with all square-shaped cartridges. One example of these cartridges is 3D Floral Home Decor Cricut Cartridge. These newer cartridges have the same amount of great content as the older cartridges, they just take up a lot less room on the craft shelf. It's nice to save some space with these cartridges, and its great to have this universal approach where you can expect consistent and efficient instructions and tips for your Cricut. Each cartridge has its own instructional handbook that goes hand in hand with the Universal Keyboard Overlay. These newer cartridges will work the same way as the older ones as far as machine compatibility. These cartridges will work with all Cricut die-cutting machines, but you particularly get the most use out of them with legacy machines; Expression, Expression 2, Personal Cutter, Create, Imagine, and Cake Machines. The Expression 2 and Imagine will not need the overlays, as they have touchscreen keypads built into the machines.You can also link all of your Cricut Cartridges to Design Space by using a USB Cricut Cartridge adapter and connecting it to your computer while logged in to Design Space. That way the content on the cartridges are even compatible with the Cricut Maker, as you link them to your Design Space account. Cricut Explore Machines all have a Cartridge port where you can plug in your cartridge to the machine and it will load it directly into Design Space. No need for an additional Cricut Cartridge Adapter unless you are using Maker.
Recap:
If the cartridge storage binder is rectangular-shaped then it was designed with its own unique keypad overlay. If it is square-shaped then it will require a Universal Keypad Overlay when using it with specific Legacy machines. The Universal Keypad Overlay is the new way of designing and cutting with Cricut Cartridges and Cricut Machines. You only need one Universal Keypad Overlay as they work with all of the small, square-shaped cartridges and legacy Cricut Machines (i.e., Cricut Expression Machine, Original Personal Cricut Machine V1, Cricut Create Machine, and Cricut Cake Machines). The cartridges made before 2013 are taller and rectangular-shaped, and come with a keypad overlay designed for that specific cartridge. The smaller, square-shaped cartridges like the ones made by Anna Griffin, for example, are designed to work with the Universal Keypad Overlay. In total there are 450+ Cricut Cartridges. The last 100 or so cartridges that released are these updated, small, square-shaped cartridges made after 2013 that will work in conjunction with the Universal Keypad Overlay. Each handbook is inside the cartridge binder and it will explain how to use the Universal Keypad Overlay. There are also many tutorials online.
Cricut Machines that require the use of a cartridge and overlay:
- Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter
- Cricut Expression
- Cricut Create
- Cricut Cake Expression
- Cricut Cake Mini
Cricut Cartridges that require a Universal Keypad Overlay:
*Cartridge titles with links below will take you to the item available for sale on CraftyCartridges.com.
- 3D Floral Home Decor
- 50 States
- All Occasion Box Cards
- Animal Kingdom
- Anna’s Bridal and Baby Soirees
- Anna’s Christmas Cards & Embellishments
- Anna’s Christmas Cards & Embellishments 2
- Anna’s Christmas Kitsch
- Anna’s Decorative Monograms
- Anna’s Elegant Embellishments
- Anna’s Elegant Embellishments 2
- Anna’s Fancy Lettering
- Anna’s Flourish Cards and Embellishments
- Anna’s Garden Cards and Embellishments
- Anna’s Holiday Home Decor
- Anna’s Lace Cards and Embellishments
- Anna’s Lovely Layered Cards
- Anna’s Lovely Layered Cards 2
- Anna’s Ribbons & Bows
- Anna’s Seasonal Soirees
- Anna’s Soiree Lettering
- Anna’s Sophisticated Soirees
- Anna’s Splendid Soirees
- Anna’s Summer Soirees
- Anna’s Winter Wonderland
- Be Prepared for Boy Scouts
- Best of Cricut Home Decor
- Best of Cricut Party & Gifting
- Bits & Pieces
- Box It Up
- Chalkboard Fonts
- Charmed
- Christmas Cards
- Christmas Village
- Crazy Cool Cards
- Create A Critter
- Create A Critter 2
- Create A Friend
- Creative Everyday Cards
- Creative Holiday Cards
- Creepy Critters
- Daisy Chain
- Days and Dates
- Decorate! Celebrate!
- Dimensional Paper Art
- Disney – Classics
- Disney – Frozen
- Do Your Best for Cub Scouts
- Edge to Edge
- Elegant Edges
- Everyday Fonts
- Family Album
- Fancy Boxes
- Fontastic Fonts
- Four Seasons Home Decor
- Heidi Swapp Font, Phrases & Icons
- Holiday Snowflakes
- Holidays Through the Year Iron-on
- Holly and Ivy
- Home Decor Vinyl Wall Art
- Home for the Holidays – Spring and Summer
- Home Organization
- Indie Days
- Intricate Cut Quotes
- Library Fonts
- Life is a Beach
- Love Struck 2010
- Lyrical Letters 2
- Market Street Fonts
- Merry and Bright
- Merry Everything
- Mondo Fonts
- Monogram Motifs
- Monster Bash
- Ornamental Iron
- Outdoor Man
- Photo Booth Props
- Potions and Spells
- Pretty Packages
- Sesame Street – Elmo & Friends Holiday
- Sesame Street – Elmo’s Party
- Sesame Street – Font
- Sesame Street – Friends
- Sesame Street – Seasons
- Signature Script Fonts
- Simple Everyday Cards
- Simple Holiday Cards
- Small Talk Frames & Tags
- Split Monograms
- Spring Fling
- Storybook
- Summer Love
- To You From Me
- Type Candy Font
- Valentine’s Day
- Very Merry Tags
Cricut Cartridges were designed with (and include) their own unique keyboard overlay. These cartridges are not compatible with a Universal Keypad Overlay.
- 3 Birds Life’s a Party
3 Birds on Parade
9 Months
A Child’s Year
A Frightful Affair
A Quilted Christmas
Accent Essentials
All Mixed Up
All Occasion Collection
All Sports
All Wrapped Up
Alphalicious
Animal Antics
April Showers
Art Deco
Art Nouveau
Ashlyn’s Alphabet
Autumn Celebrations
B is for Boy
Baby Shower
Baby Steps
Base Camp
Baseball
Basketball
Beep, Beep
Best Images of 2006
Best Images of 2007
Best Images of 2008
Best Images of 2009
Best Images of 2010
Best of Cricut Cards
Beyond Birthdays
Billionaire
Birthday Bash
Birthday Cakes
Blackletter
Block Party
Bloom
Boho Graphics Iron-on
Botanicals
Boys Will be Boys
Bridal Shower
Brooklyn Iron-on
Bump in the Night
Cake Basics
Cake Everyday Sampler
Calligraphy Collection
Camp Out
Campin’ Critters
Car Decals
Carousel
Celebrate with Flourish
Celebrations
Cherry Limeade
Children Around the World
Chip Decor
Chore Chart
Christmas
Christmas Cheer
Cindy Loo
Classically Modern Cards
Close To My Heart – Art Philosophy
Close To My Heart – Artbooking
Close To My Heart – Artfully Sent
Close To My Heart – Artiste
Close To My Heart – Artistry
Country Life
County Fair
Creative Cards
Creative Memories – Be Young
Creative Memories – Cheerful Seasons
Creative Memories – Divine Wedding
Creative Memories – Holiday Frames and tags
Creative Memories – Reminisce Accents
Creative Memories – Stork’s Delivery
Creative Memories – This & That Cricut Cartridge
Creative Memories – Tiny Treasures
Creative Memories – Tis the Season
Creative Memories – Total Sports
Creative Memories – Traveler
Cricut Alphabet
Cricut Classic Font
Cricut Decals
Cricut Essentials
Cricut Font and Basic Shapes
Cricut Office Help
Cricut Sampler
Crocs Rule
Cupcake
Cupcake Wrappers
Cursive 101
Cuttin’ Up
Damask Decor
DC Comics – Batman: The Brave and the Bold
DC Comics – Superman
Designer’s Calendar
Destinations
Dino Play
Disney – Hannah Montana
Disney – Mickey and Friends
Disney – Mickey Font
Disney – Pooh and Friends
Disney – Pooh Font
Disney – Princess Dreams Come True
Disney – Princess Happily Ever After
Disney – Tinker Bell & Friends
Disney Pixar – Best of Pixar
Disney Pixar – Cars
Disney Pixar – Toy Story
Don Juan
Doodlecharms
Doodletype
Dr. Checkup
Dude!
Easter 2010
Elegant Cakes
Enjoy the Seasons
Everyday Paper Dolls
Everyday Pop-Up Cards
Extreme Fonts
Fabulous Finds
Fancy Frames
Fast Food
Father’s Day
Feeling Groovy
Floral Emporium
Florals Embellished
Flower Shoppe
Folk Art Festival
Fontopia
Forever Young
Formal Occasion
Four Legged Friends
Frame of Mind
French Manor
Freshly Picked
From My Kitchen
Fun in the Sun
Garden Soup
George and Basic Shapes
Giant Flowers
Gingerbread
Girl’s Makeup Party
Give a Hoot
Go Canada!
Going Places
Graphically Speaking
Greeting Cards Inside & Out
Groovy Times
H2O
Handy Man
Happy Graduation
Happy Hauntings
Heritage
Holiday Cakes
Home Accents
Home Decor
Home for the Holidays – Fall & Winter
Hoot ‘n’ Holler
Independence Day
Indie Art
Inspired Heart
Jasmine
Jolly Holidays
Joys of the Season
Jubilee
Just a Note
Just Because Cards
Kate’s ABCs
Lacy Labels
Learning Curve
Letter Envy
Live Simply
Locker Talk
Love is in the Air
Love You a Latte
Lovely Floral
Luau
Lyrical Letters
Makin’ the Grade
Martha Stewart Elegant Cake Art
Martha Stewart Seasonal Cake Art
Meow
Mini Books
Mini Monograms
Mini Monsters
Mother’s Day 2010
Mother’s Day Bouquet
My Community
My Quiet Book
My World
Nate’s ABCs
New Arrival
New Testament
Nickelodeon – SpongeBob Squarepants
Nifty Fifties
Noah’s ABC Animals
Nursery Rhymes
October 31st
Old West
Ole
Once Upon a Princess
Opposites Attract
Ornamental Iron 2
Out of Character
Over the Hill
Pack Your Bags
Pagoda
Paisley
Paper Doll Dress Up
Paper Dolls Teen Scene
Paper Lace
Paper Lace 2
Paper Play
Paper Pups
Paper Trimmings
Pet Shop
Phrases
Picturesque
Pink Journey
Pirates & Mermaids
Plantin Schoolbook
Playtime
Pop-Up Neighborhood
Potpourri Basket
Preserves
Pretty Pennants
Princess Party
Printing 101
Printing Press
Pumpkin Carving
Quarter Note
Recess
Ribbons & Rosettes
Robot Party
Robotz
Rock Princess
San Serif
Sanrio – Hello Kitty Font
Sanrio – Hello Kitty Greetings
Savory
Scandinavian Christmas Cards
Sentimentals
Serenade
Shall We Dance?
Simple Cards
Simple Cut Collection
Simple Pop-up Cards
Simply Charmed
Simply Scarecrow
Simply Sweet
Slumber Party
Snow Day
Snow Folks
Snow Friends 2009-2010
Soccer
Something to Celebrate
Something to Remember
Songbird
Sophie
Sophisticated
Southwest
Speaking of Fall
Speaking of School
Speaking of Winter
Splish Splash
Sports Mania
Spring Cottage
Spring Fever Seasonal
Spring Holiday Cards
Spring Seasonal
Stamped
Stamping
Stand and Salute
Stone Script
Straight from the Nest
Street Sign
Stretch your Imagination
Suburbia
Sugar and Spice
Summer Bliss Seasonal
Summer Celebrations
Summer in Paris
Summer Vacation
Sweater Weather
Sweet Shop
Sweet Tooth Boxes
Sweet Treats
Sweethearts
Tablescapes Fall & Winter
Tablescapes Spring & Summer
Tags, Bags, Boxes & More
Tags, Bags, Boxes & More 2
Team Spirit
Tear Drop
Teddy Bear Parade
Teresa Collins – Chic & Scary
Teresa Collins – December 25th
Thanksgiving
The First Few Years
Tie the Knot
To the Cabin
Trick or Treat
Trim the Tree
Twinkle Toes
Ultimate Creative Sampler
Varsity Letter
Victorian Romance
Walk in My Garden
Wall Decor and More
Wedding
When I Was a Kid
When It’s Cold Outside
Wild Card
Wild Card 2
Wildlife
Winter Frolic
Winter Lace
Winter Woodland
Winter’s in the Air Seasonal
Word Builders 1 A Word Party
Word Builders 2 A Garden of Words
Word Builders 3 An Ocean of Words
Word Collage
Word of Mouth
Wrap it Up
Yee-haw
Zoo Day
ZooBalloo
Cricut Cartridges designed to ONLY work with the Cricut Imagine Machine and Cricut Expression 2 Machine. These machines are NOT compatible with Cricut Cartridge overlays., as they have a built in digital display/touch screen.
- Ancestry
Audrey
Baby Boutique
Berries & Cream
Best Friends
Better Together
Black and White
Blast Off
Blossom
Bubblegum Stripes
Buccaneer
Christmas Wish
Contemporary Nature
Country Carnival
Elise
Heirloom
Hey Diddle Diddle
Hopscotch
Imagine More
Industrial Glow
JT
Kate’s Kitchen
Lori’s Garden
Mr. Frosty
Mystical Garden
Notebook Doodles
Nursery Tails
Santa’s Village
Snapshot: Everyday
Snapshot: Nature
Snapshot: Texture
Snow Angel
Space Party
Spring Chic
Vintage Damask
Vintage Papers
Yummy12
