Cricut, Inc. announced Cricut Venture™, the company’s new large-format cutting machine is now available exclusively at Harvey Norman. Cricut Venture cuts a wide variety of materials with precision at commercial speeds, as well as writes, scores, and foils. Cricut Venture builds on the existing Cricut® platform by creating new opportunities for people who are looking to expand their making capabilities, and those looking to grow and scale their creative businesses.
“Our platform is designed to inspire and empower our community of makers to customise their everyday. Our community has ambitions to grow — whether it be their love for making, a side hustle, or full time business — and are looking for ways to achieve and scale their ideas.
We created Cricut Venture for enthusiastic makers and those who sell what they make, or want to have creative control over their merchandise, without size limitations. With Cricut Venture and the full Cricut platform, our community members can bring their large format dreams to life with precision and ease,” said Nicola Dow Smith, ANZ Region Director, Cricut.
With Cricut Venture, makers can create occasions requiring larger scales and sizes, from big custom wall decals to bulk quantities of custom t-shirts or tote bags. Cricut Venture is the largest cutting machine offered by Cricut, able to cut up to 22.8 metres of repeated images. It is also the company’s fastest machine with a cutting speed of up to 63.5 centimetres per second, allowing users to get more done in less time.
Cricut Venture is designed to be beautiful and functional at the same time. The unique 45-degree angle for this cutting machine allows it to keep a small footprint with a large impact. It’s designed to sit at the edge of a table so when cutting on a mat, you don’t need to have 91 cm behind and 91 cm in front of the machine to operate. Cricut Venture is packed with functionality and can cut the most popular materials in addition to drawing, scoring, and foiling. It supports Print then Cut capability up to 24 in x 28 in (61cm x 71 cm). With a force of up to 400 gf, it allows for cutting and making projects with more than 100 different types of materials to make things like large 3D paper projects, extra-large vinyl wall decals, huge paper flowers, and making bulk quantities of sweatshirts or other clothing items.
The launch of Cricut Venture comes with an assortment of materials and accessories to help make big and make in bulk. For cutting posters, cardstock, or other specialty materials, the new performance machine mats are available in two sizes: 24 in x 12 in (61cm x 30 cm) and 24 in x 28 in (61cm x 71 cm). The angle and speed of the Cricut Venture required mats that could withstand the forces of this machine. These stronger, more durable performance machine mats come in the same three grips: Light Grip, Standard Grip, and Strong Grip. These mats are great for drawing on poster board, making bulk quantities of stickers, scoring with cardstock and even using various scraps in one go!
Cricut Venture also works with a variety of Smart Materials, just load material directly into the machine without mats and start cutting faster. Using Smart Materials means you can cut longer, larger designs without having to piecemeal parts together. They’re especially useful when making projects in bulk so you don’t have to load multiple mats after each other.
Powered by Cricut Design Space®, the central design platform where millions of users create, customise, and share projects, Cricut Venture expands the ability for users to make thanks to enhanced software features that support this new machine. Built with the user experience in mind, Cricut Design Space has been re-architected to support the larger designs enabled by Cricut Venture. This includes improvements to existing tools and the development of new features, from improved text tools and font bookmarking to editable images to automatic background removal.
Cricut Venture will be available to purchase for RRP $1499 exclusively at Harvey Norman – via a pre-order link (online only) plus a full range of materials and accessories will be available online.
Key Features:
- Works at commercial speeds – maintains incredible precision, even while cutting or drawing up to 25 inches/second (61 cm/second)
- Cuts with precision – make using popular materials like vinyl and iron-on to cardstock, plus tons of specialty materials like bonded fabric, leather, and poster boards
- Makes extra-long cuts – cuts single images up to 12 feet (3.6 metres) long and repeated images up to 75 feet (22.8 metres)
Allows for wider cuts – adjustable for 13-inch (33 cm) and 25-inch (63.5 cm) width Smart Materials™, or use any material size with compatible Cricut Performance Machine Mats for Cricut Venture (sold separately) - Writes, draws, foils & scores – embellishes with flawless text, detailed illustrations, or easy-to-fold creases for cards and 3D projects
- Space-saving design – unique, table-friendly, 45 degree angled design with built-in mat supports to use it almost anywhere, or try it with the new Docking Stand for Cricut Venture (sold separately) for even more flexibility.
Let’s take a look at a couple of ideas you could work on.
Personalized Wall Art
Materials:
- Cricut Venture
- Vinyl, paper, or wood veneer (depending on the look you want)
- Transfer tape (if using vinyl)
- Canvas, wood panel, or frame for mounting
- Weeding tools
- Paint or embellishments (optional)
- Cricut mat suitable for your material
Steps:
- Design Your Artwork
- Open Cricut Design Space and start a new project.
- Use the text tool to add a quote or phrase, or upload a custom design.
- Experiment with fonts, sizes, and layout. You can add images or shapes from the Cricut library.
- If you’re using layers of colour, make sure to separate each colour layer within your design.
- Choose Materials
- Decide on the type of material you want to use for your art. Vinyl is great for a smooth, modern finish, while paper can give a more textured look, and wood veneer adds a rustic touch.
- Ensure your material is compatible with the Cricut Venture and that you have the appropriate cutting mat.
- Cut the Design
- Load your material onto the Cricut mat, ensuring it’s smooth and secure.
- Set your material type in Cricut Design Space, then load the mat into the Cricut Venture.
- Start the cut and monitor the process to ensure precision.
- Assemble and Frame
- Once the cutting is done, carefully weed out the excess material, leaving just your design.
- If you used vinyl, apply transfer tape to lift the design off the backing and place it onto your canvas, wood panel, or other surface. Smooth it down to avoid air bubbles.
- Gently peel away the transfer tape, leaving your design on the surface.
- If desired, add additional embellishments such as paint, gems, or other decorations.
- Final Touches
- Frame your art or hang it as-is, depending on the backing you used.
- You can add a final protective layer like a clear coat or varnish to preserve the piece if needed.
Tips:
- Play with contrasting colours or metallic vinyl to make your design stand out. Consider layering multiple materials for a 3D effect.
Custom T-Shirts
Materials:
- Cricut Venture
- Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) in your chosen colours
- Weeding tools
- T-shirt(s)
- Heat press or iron
- Cricut mat for fabric
- Teflon sheet or parchment paper
Steps:
- Create a Design:
- Open Cricut Design Space and start a new project.
- Design your graphic or text, keeping in mind the size and placement of the shirt.
- Mirror the design in Cricut Design Space before cutting, especially for text, as HTV is cut with the shiny side down.
- If you’re working with multiple colours, create separate layers for each colour.
- Select Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV):
- Choose the colour and type of HTV you want (e.g., glitter, metallic, standard).
- Ensure that the HTV is compatible with fabric and washing.
- Cut the Design
- Place the HTV shiny side down on the Cricut mat.
- Load the mat into the Cricut Venture, making sure it’s smooth and secure.
- Start the cut, and once complete, carefully remove the mat from the machine.
- Weed the Design
- Use weeding tools to carefully remove the excess vinyl, leaving only your design on the carrier sheet.
- Take your time with this step to ensure all the fine details of your design remain intact.
- Apply to T-Shirt
- Preheat your t-shirt by pressing it with an iron or heat press for a few seconds. This removes wrinkles and moisture.
- Position your design on the t-shirt, ensuring it’s centred and aligned.
- Place a Teflon sheet or parchment paper over the design to protect it during pressing.
- Use a heat press (recommended) or iron to apply heat. Press firmly for the recommended time (usually 15-30 seconds).
- Peel and Wear
- Allow the design to cool slightly before peeling off the carrier sheet.
- Start peeling from one corner; if the vinyl lifts with the sheet, reapply heat for a few more seconds.
- Once fully peeled, your custom t-shirt is ready to wear!
Tips:
- Wash the t-shirt inside out to prolong the life of the design.
- Consider using a ruler or guide to ensure your design is centred on the shirt.
- Experiment with layering different colours and types of HTV for more dynamic designs.
