How to Use Cricut Pens? [A Beginner’s Guide]

What Should You Know Before Using Cricut Pens?

All Cricut machines have their specific Cricut pens, and they are designed to fit into their clamps. These pens have Cricut written on their bodies and come in various colors, types, and weights. Check the packaging before using them; they should match your Cricut machine model. Cricut Maker’s and Cricut Explore’s pens are identical, but Cricut Joy has a different set of pens, as Cricut Joy is smaller than other models. 

So how would you know which Pen is good for you? There are a variety of Cricut pens for different uses. With the help of these pens, you can create thick and thin lines as per your need. 

Extra fine point pens (0.3): These Cricut pens create very fine lines and are ideal for small detailing on your projects and for writing words and text. 

Fine point pens (0.4, 0.5): These pens create an intermediate line between thick and thin and produce a nice finish that looks visible enough to see but not too thick. 

Pens & Markers (0.8, 1.0): These pens are used for creating a heavier line, so they can’t be used for detailing. They will be a good fit for creating thicker lines. 

Heavy / Calligraphy pens (2.0, 2.5): These pens are ideal for creating a very thick line, and most have slanted tips. You can use them when you need a thick line and project details. 

How to Use Cricut Pens to Draw?

You will have to change some settings to draw with your Cricut pens. For example, Cricut is designed to cut images by default. Hence, if you place a design, the machine will cut it instead of drawing it. You can also change any cut outline to be drawn instead of changing it to Pen. To do this, select the layer and tap Pen under the operation drop-down menu in the top toolbar. 

Now, the cut lines will change into pen lines. 

Set Text to the Pen Operation

Again, inserting text into your design will also work in the cut operation, and the machine will cut the words out of the material by default. You can change the line of text to Pen by changing the operation. Then, select the layer,  then select Pen from the Operation menu in the top toolbar. When you change the operation type, it creates outlines of letters.

Steps to Create Handwritten Text

If you want your text to look handwritten, you must change the font to a writing style. Keep the font selected, click the Style menu in the top toolbar, and search Writing under Bold, italic, etc. Once you click “Writing”, the font will change to single strokes instead of outlines. 

However, not all Cricut fonts have a Writing option. So, if you require a project with an absolute handwritten appearance, you must recognize Writing fonts by filtering them with the Font Menu. 

Find Draw Images in Cricut Design Space

You can switch any design to a pen operation. Various designs are designed to be drawn instead of cut in the Cricut Design Space Image Library. All these images are designed to create finer details with Pen. 

To find these images, click the Draw only filter under the operation type in the Image Library. It will show you many good designs that can be drawn without creating outlines. When you filter for Cut + Draw under Operation Type in the Image Library, many images will appear where Draw details are included as a separate layer on the top of Cut designs. 

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