Cut Settings Finder For Cricut And Silhouette
Pick your machine and material, enter the thickness, and get the blade, mat, pressure and number of passes to start from, with a test cut to confirm them.
Cutting machine material settings
Pick your machine and material, and the settings show up here.
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How to use these settings
Cricut machines pick their own pressure, speed and passes for each material in Design Space, so the finder tells you which material to choose there, and which blade and mat to use. Silhouette Studio lets you set the blade depth, force, speed and passes yourself, so you get numbers to start from.
Every brand and batch of material cuts a little differently, and blades dull with use. Run a small test cut each time you start a new material: it should go through the material cleanly and only lightly mark the backing.
If it doesn't cut through, raise the force or pressure a step and test again. If it cuts the backing, lower it. When the force is near the top, raise the blade depth one step and lower the force.
Cut settings by material
| Material | Cricut blade and mat | Silhouette blade, speed, force, passes |
|---|---|---|
| Adhesive vinyl, glossy or matte | Fine-Point Blade, StandardGrip, or no mat for Smart Vinyl | 1, 5, 10, 1 |
| Glitter or holographic adhesive vinyl | Fine-Point Blade, StandardGrip | 2, 5, 12, 1 |
| Printable vinyl (Print Then Cut) | Fine-Point Blade, StandardGrip or LightGrip | 1, 5, 20, 1 |
| Printable sticker paper | Fine-Point Blade, LightGrip or StandardGrip | 1, 5, 15, 1 |
| Iron-on vinyl (HTV), smooth | Fine-Point Blade, StandardGrip | 2, 6, 5, 1 |
| Glitter or flock iron-on | Fine-Point Blade, StandardGrip | 4, 5, 21, 1 |
| Copy or printer paper | Fine-Point Blade, LightGrip | Studio preset, test cut |
| Light cardstock, 65 lb (176 gsm) | Fine-Point Blade, LightGrip or StandardGrip | 4, 4, 14, 1 |
| Medium cardstock, 80 lb (216 gsm) | Fine-Point Blade, StandardGrip | 5, 4, 33, 2 |
| Heavy cardstock, 100 to 110 lb (270 to 300 gsm) | Fine-Point Blade, StrongGrip | Studio preset, test cut |
| Glitter cardstock | Fine-Point Blade, StrongGrip | 3, 3, 25, 2 |
| Magnet sheet | Deep-Point Blade, StandardGrip | 4, 5, 15, 1 |
| Craft foam, 2 mm | Deep-Point Blade, StandardGrip | Studio preset, test cut |
| Faux leather, thin | Deep-Point Blade, StrongGrip | Studio preset, test cut |
| Felt | Rotary Blade, FabricGrip | Studio preset, test cut |
| Cotton fabric | Rotary Blade, FabricGrip | Studio preset, test cut |
| Chipboard, 2 mm | Knife Blade, StrongGrip, with the edges taped down | Studio preset, test cut |
Silhouette numbers are starting points with the AutoBlade, from GM Crafts, Silhouette CAMEO 4 cut settings and Barrington Area Library, Silhouette Cameo settings (CAMEO 4 charts, checked October 2026). Always test cut. Cricut and Silhouette are trademarks of their owners; we're not affiliated.
Where the settings come from
Every result starts from the manufacturer’s own preset for that material, the one Cricut Design Space or Silhouette Studio would pick. Below it you get our notes from cutting the same material: what to change if the first test comes out wrong, and which mat to use when the preset leaves it open.
Treat a preset as a first guess. Two packs of 80 lb cardstock from different brands can cut differently, and so can the same vinyl on a new blade versus one with six months of use. That’s why every result ends with a test cut.
Cricut settings for cardstock
Cricut sorts cardstock by weight, and the weight decides the mat:
| Cardstock | Mat | Blade |
|---|---|---|
| Light, 65 lb (176 gsm) | LightGrip (blue) | Fine Point |
| Medium, 80 lb (216 gsm) | StandardGrip (green) | Fine Point |
| Heavy, 100 lb (270 gsm) | StrongGrip (purple) | Fine Point |
Pressure lives in the dropdown on the Make It screen. Cricut doesn’t list a pressure per weight, so the finder starts you at Default. If the cut doesn’t go all the way through, switch to More. If the blade scores your mat, switch to Less. (Source: Cricut cardstock instructions, last checked October 2026.)
Silhouette cut settings for vinyl
Silhouette Studio gives you four numbers to adjust: blade depth, force, speed and passes. When vinyl doesn’t weed cleanly, change force first and leave blade depth alone. In one test by Silhouette School, smooth HTV cut far cleaner at force 14 than at the default of 4. Check that the blade sits fully in the carriage with no gap before you touch any number. (Source: Silhouette School, last checked October 2026.)
How to run a test cut
Silhouette Studio has a Test button in the Send panel that cuts a small triangle inside a square. In Design Space, cut a half-inch shape in a corner of the material.
Weed the test. If it lifts off the backing in one piece and the backing has no score lines, cut the real design. If it tears or hangs on at the corners, raise pressure or force one step and test again. If the blade cuts into the backing, lower it one step.
Worked example
You’re cutting 80 lb cardstock on a Cricut Maker. The finder gives you a StandardGrip mat, the Fine Point blade, the Medium Cardstock 80 lb setting and Default pressure. Your test star cuts cleanly on three points and stays attached on the fourth, so you switch to More and test again. The second star pops out clean, and you cut the full sheet.
Before and after the cut
Sizing a bought SVG? Run it through the SVG size fixer first. For shirts, the HTV decal size calculator gives the decal size and the heat press temperature and time guide covers pressing. Batching decals, the decal nesting calculator shows how many fit per sheet. Still picking a machine? Try which cutting machine to buy. Everything sits on the craft tools hub.
FAQ
What Cricut setting do I use for cardstock?
Match the setting to the weight on the pack: Light Cardstock 65 lb, Medium Cardstock 80 lb or Heavy Cardstock 100 lb, each with its own mat from the table.
Why isn’t my Cricut cutting all the way through cardstock?
Try More pressure, then check the blade. A worn blade or a mat that has lost its grip causes most incomplete cuts.
What force should I use for vinyl on a Silhouette?
Start with Silhouette Studio’s preset for your vinyl, run the Test cut, and raise force one step at a time until it weeds cleanly.
Can I save my own settings?
Yes. The finder saves your last setup in your browser so you start where you left off.