One of my top tips is that you can use Cricut Design Space before you even purchase a machine. It is a great want to start getting familiar with the interface. I also like to recommend that people download it if they are nervous about a Cricut.com/setup being complicated to use. It is a great way to “test drive” a Cricut without spending any money.

Cricut Design Space is the only application that will communicate with your Cricut. However, there is one exception to that rule. If you have the Cricut Joy, you can give the Cricut Joy app a try. This app is not as robust as Design Space but it is perfect to make things like quick labels or cards.

Design Space is the interface you need to send your designs from your computer or mobile device to your machine. It converts the design into something that the machine can interpret. You can use it to upload your own designs or even create them right on the platform. As I mentioned above, you can pick from projects and images that are pre-loaded as well.

Once you have your design, you click “make it” to start the cut. Then there are a wide variety of materials to pick from that your machine can cut. Design Space will also tell you what blade to use as well as give you tips and tricks about your cut. For example, it will tell you to mirror your design if you are using an iron-on product.

Cricut Design Space will also communicate with your printer for print then cut. You use the software to send a print to your printer then the Cricut machine can read it and cut around the print lines. Print then cut is a really cool feature if you haven’t used it yet. NOTE: Print then cut is not compatible with Cricut Joy.

Registering your machine is something that you can do right in Design Space. This is true for the EasyPress and Mug Press as well. So, you may need Design Space for this even if you don’t have a machine.