Cricut History: Types Of Cricut Machines From First To Last!
The older Cricut machines will make you cringe or laugh – or maybe both!
In this post we’re summing up the history of Cricut by taking a look at the types of Cricut machines, from the original to the latest and greatest, the Cricut Maker!
Old Cricut Machines
The old Cricut machines were very clunky, had lots of buttons, used cartridges, and had very small cutting areas!
We can be thankful that we now have machines like the Explore Air 2 and Maker, but it can be a lot of fun taking a look back on the past.
The original machines were really targeting card makers and scrapbookers. Electronic cutting machines were fairly novel, at least among home crafters, and provided a cheaper way to do it all yourself from home.
Today, Cricut machines are used for everything, from making vinyl decals and iron on transfers, to fabric and sewing projects, and even cutting cork or other types of heat transfers.
Here are the older Cricut cutting machines in general order from first to last, or see here for what is the best Cricut machine.
Original Cricut
While it may not be pretty, the Cricut Personal was the machine that started it all.
This machine used Cricut cartridges, and you did not need a computer for it to function.
It was quite a small machine, with a very limited cutting area. It could not do highly intricate cuts, nor could it complete designs larger than 5.5 x 11 inches. The cutting mat width was only 6 inches wide, so it really was a small craft cutting machine.
Cricut Create
The Cricut Create was the next machine put out by Cricut (also commonly known as Provo Craft back in the day).
The Create was the same size as the first Cricut machine, but there were a few changes. It has a slightly different design compared with the original machine, and has the new colors. The display screen was also improved.
Tech and design features were also improved, and it also came with an 8-way directional blade.
Cricut Expression
The Cricut Expression came next, and made some more significant changes.
Most notably, this was the first Cricut with a 12 x 24 inch cutting ability, and it was better at the smaller cuts. The Expression 1 could cut a wider range of materials, including thicker items like poster board and vellum.
This machine could still be used standalone without a computer, but the software for computer use was definitely improving. The precursor to Cricut Design Space was Cricut Craft Room, and this software was in full use with the Expression.
Cricut Expression 2
The Cricut Expression 2 was a very popular machine in its day!
The design of the machine was improving, though I think we can all agree that it’s still a bit ugly! It did come with a larger, faster, full color screen which made things a lot easier.
This machine also had great features and improvements such as:
- 200+ pre-loaded designs (fonts, images, sayings, etc.)
- Better manipulate designs – resizing, rotation, flipping, mirroring
- Use with Cricut Craft Room for more images
About the time the Expression 2 came out, Cricut was generally becoming more well known, and more popular among crafters.
Cricut Imagine
One of the common questions Cricut newbies have is ‘do Cricut machines print?’
The Cricut Imagine is unique, because it is the only one which could both print and cut. It was a Cricut printer and cutter! Besides the Imagine, you really need to have a contour cutting machine to do print and cut – we don’t know of any other machines that do this.
Cricut teamed up with HP to make a black and tri-color ink specially designed to work with the Imagine.
Unfortunately, the machine wasn’t the most popular for users at the time, and it was fairly quickly discontinued, while Cricut pursued creating machines more aligned to the original.
Cricut Mini
Not to be confused with the Cricut EasyPress Mini, the Cricut Mini cutting machine was another small personal cutter.
This was the first machine which required use with a computer, and it had a smaller cutting width of 8.5 inches. This machine was pitched as a quieter, more compact, and easier to transport machine, though it was not as big a hit as the Expression series.
More differences between the Original Cricut, the Expression, Expression 2, and Mini, can been seen in this table.
Cricut Cake Machine
This machine was literally used for decorating cakes, cookies, and cupcakes!
It could cut fondant, frosting sheets, gun paste, and more. However, we think this is another machine that didn’t really take off. How many people want to spend hundreds of dollars on a machine to cut icing? Nevertheless, it was a cool idea.
Check out the Cricut Cake Machine in action in the following video (set up to start when the machine comes into play)!
Cricut Explore One
The Cricut Explore One is the first machine that takes on the style of the modern Cricut cutting machines – looking very much like the machines all the way up to the Maker.
With the Explore One, you could find your own free fonts and SVGs, or choose from tens of thousands of design files in the Cricut Image Library. This machine better integrated with home computers, and was much easier to use.
It had storage compartments for extra blades, pens, etc., and could be used wirelessly with a Bluetooth adaptor.
Cricut Explore Air
The Explore Air was an extremely popular machine, and was the first Cricut to have a dual tool holder.
The materials that could be cut with the Air also increased, with over 60 different suggestions listed. It had built in Bluetooth, and had the SmartSet Dial for the most common settings.
While there is still a spot to insert a Cricut Cartridge – the design files are linked to your account, and you can basically do away with the cartridge after that.
Cricut marketing was also improving: see this Explore Air Overview!
Cricut Explore Air 2
The Explore Air 2 is still an incredibly popular machine, being significantly cheaper than the Maker.
This machine has most of the same functions and features as the Air, and the main difference is that it’s twice as fast. The Air 2 comes in more colors than any other as well – 22 at the time of writing!
Cricut Craft Room and the Cricut Image Library became Cricut Design Space, which has also recently made a big change in that it’s no longer browser based.
See this Cricut Explore Air 2 review to get a complete picture.
Cricut Explore 3
Welcome to the Cricut Explore 3! While the “Air” is gone in the name this is still a quality option with one main upgrade from the Explore Air 2.
The biggest difference between the Explore Air 2 and the Explore 3 is that you can cut Cricut’s Smart Materials with the new Explore 3. That’s a big deal if you want to avoid hassling with managing cutting mats. It also allows you to cut designs up to 12 feet long!
You can also look forward to faster cutting speeds with the Explore 3 vs the Explore Air 2. That being said – a deal on an Explore Air 2 might be totally worth it to you!
See this Cricut Explore Air 2 review to get all the major details.
Cricut Maker
The Cricut Maker is the most versatile, do-it-all machine.
This is the machine with the highest specs and greatest capabilities. It’s a big leap up from the Explore Air 2, and if it’s in your budget, the only machine you should be considering today.
The new Cricut blades (in particular the QuickSwap tools) are only compatible with the Maker, and really open up the types of projects you can complete.
Check out our Cricut Maker Review for a full run down on this machine!
Keep scrolling for info on the new Cricut Maker 3 …
The Cricut Joy
The Cricut Joy is the cutest and currently smallest Cricut machine.
It’s about 1/4 the size of the Maker and Air 2, with a cutting width of a little over 4 inches. The big difference is that it can cut longer lengths than any of the other machines – up to 20 feet!
This machine is great as a compact cutter for making cards, labels, vinyl decals, and small heat transfers. It’s easy to store and transport, and makes for a fun addition to any craft room.
See our Cricut Joy Review for everything else you need to know!
The Cricut Maker 3
Look at that beauty! The Cricut Maker 3 is the latest release from Cricut. It’s got some really nice upgrades from the original Maker that make it worth the price bump.
One of the biggest features of the Maker 3 is that you can cut without a mat using Cricut Smart Materials (just like you can with the Cricut Joy).
The Maker 3 can cut, draw, emboss, you name it! It’s compatible with 13 different tools so really any project can be completed. It’s also super fast! The new Maker 3 is twice as fast as the Maker. When you’re trying to complete large orders or projects cutting time makes a huge difference.
See our Cricut Maker vs. Maker 3 Review for everything else you need to know before you buy!
The Cricut Joy Xtra
The Cricut Joy Xtra is a very recent addition to the Cricut lineup! It gives more versatility than the original Cricut Joy but still has a small footpring.
While not as large of a cutting surface as is offered by the Maker, the Cricut Joy Xtra will cut designs that fit on the 8.2 in x 11.7 in mat, or up to 4 feet long if using smart materials.
For the price, this is a fantastic machine. If you’ll be planning to primarily use thinner materials such as vinyl, paper, and cardstock (the Joy Xtra can’t do fabric) this is a great option!
See our Cricut Joy Review for everything else you need to know!
The Cricut Venture
I see you crafters turning your side hustle into a full-on business! The Cricut Venture is the first commercial release from Cricut. It’s quite a versatile machine if you’re up for the cost!
The biggest feature of the Cricut Venture is that it can do really BIG projects! It can cut designs up to 25″ wide and 75′ long! It’s hard to imagine cutting something that huge but also, why not?!
The cutting speed is faster on the Venture than other machines so if you find yourself wasting precious time waiting for your jobs to cut this could be a great fit for you.
Comparing Cricut’s Larger Cutting Machines
Cricut has now been in the crafting game long enough to have quite a variety of offerings! It can be tricky to sort which one might be right for you but they’re also great at making each machine unique so it’ll fit your unique needs. Make sure you check out all of our Cricut related content!
Different Cricut Machines
So those are all the different types of Cricut machines, from the Original Cricut to the Maker.
We hope you’ve had fun taking a look at the old Cricut machines in particular, because it is interesting to see how we got here! If you want to see the original Cricut website, visit the WayBack Machine.
The other units that we haven’t mentioned here are the EasyPress Machines. Check out these posts for that info:
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(Please note: This post contains affiliate links. Read our full disclosure policy here.)
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I have a cricut mini, bought new but only used it a couple of times, put it up and in the midst of moving and all lost manual and don’t know how to work on it as I am a super senior, any help on this ?????
Hi Judy! Cricut’s got a great heat press guide that will help you when you select the material you’re pressing and they type of HTV you’re using. Here it is: https://cricut.com/en-us/heatguide
Is a 13 year old cricut expression worth it to buy and will it cut vinyl stencils
Hey Bonnie – I wouldn’t buy it. I’m sure it’ll still cut but you won’t get any customer support and the technology of the new machines has gotten much better.
I’m in the same boat as many. I bought a cricut machine in 2007 and updated a few years later. I was so disappointed that craft room went away as I had bought about 10 fonts and many different designs. I moved in 2017 and haven’t even desired to get my cricut out because of the frustration with losing all of the fonts I bought. Is there anyway to retrieve them?
Hi Kris! It’s definitely frustrating for the old Cricut machines and accessories to become obsolete. Unfortunately, I don’t have a great way to recover those old fonts. If you are updated to using a machine that works with Cricut Design Space their guide on using fonts should help.
HELLO
I have the first Cricut that came out when I worked at Michaels. I’ve had different ones since then and now have the Maker which is wonderful. My last one was the Expression and the Juke Box. I really like the cartridge designs but have not found ay of those in SVG files online. I heard there was an adapter that I could use to connect them to the Maker but haven’t been able to find one. I did on Etsy but got ripped off and never got it. At least I got my money back. I used Paypal and I wasn’t charged for. Would really like to get one. Can anyone tell me where to find one?
Hey Lucy, I hope you can get your hands on a Cricut adapter soon! It’s a bummer that Cricut doesn’t just sell them directly anymore.
The orignal Cricut came out in 2006 i believe, I got my Mother-in-Laws when she passed ten years ago and the receipt was still with it, it said 05/13/2006 from Michaels. I was going to sell it, but it had very low resell value and my 20Yr old son said he would take it and he’s been making vinyl stickers on it all day, now he doesn’t have to pay a third party to do it for him.
That’s amazing, Kristin! I love that the receipt was still there. Sounds like your son is making great use of the original Cricut!
Hi there I’m trying to find out about an older one never used but I cannot find it anywhere I can’t show a photo but it came in a pink box Cricut Style and comes 11.5 – 5.5
Hi Eleanor – there have now been so many Cricut machines! Do you have any specific questions about the machine? What are you trying to figure out about it?
I believe cricut released their original machine in approx 2007. It was announced earlier but met with multiple delays before Provo craft could ship them
Good to know, Brenda! I still remember seeing my principal with her brand new Cricut and I believe it was 2007. Bulletin boards were never the same after the Cricut!
Don’t forget Design STUDIO, the first software that came out for the Cricuts. And the Gypsy…
Good call, Sara! Cricut/Provo Crafts certainly has quite a long history at this point it’s hard to keep track of it all!
I believe that you left out one machine and that is the Cricut Explore, (just plain “Explore”). The Explore was the very first of the new line of machines that use only Design Space. It had two cutting heads so you could put both the cutting blade and the drawing/embossing head in at the same time and the machine would read that.. The Cricut Explore One came out after the Cricut Explore and the Cricut Explore One was an entry level machine that only had one head for cutting so you had to change out the blade when you wanted to do any embossing or drawing. It was cheaper that the other machines.
Thanks for the info, Cecelia! It’s amazing how far Cricut has come in what seems like not so long. I still remember the first time I saw the original Cricut in my principal’s office back when I was teaching.
I have the original Circut can I cut vinyl with it and are the newer blades interchangeable with the original?
Hi Debbie, I don’t think blades from your original Cricut will work with any of the new machines, I’m sorry about that. You shouldn’t have any trouble cutting vinyl with your original Cricut though!
I have a unused, unopened Cricut that looks like the original machine listed in your post. The machine was bought at Michael’s, and the box bar code reads
29-0001 Cricut Machine
0 93573 43001 5
Spanish Fort, UT 84660
© & ™ 2006 Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc.
http://www.provocraft.com
074005 RW
Part # 8103-0009
I also have 10 unused, unopened cartridges.
How can I find out more about this machine: whether it can still work with these cartridges, and what the value is?
Thank you for any guidance you can give me.
Hi there! The machine should work just fine with the cartridges only – it won’t work with Cricut Design Space that the newer machines use. As far as value I’d say it’s probably pretty low. Maybe there are Cricut collecters out there but I’m not sure of it. The newer machines offer a lot more flexibility and better cutting technology rendering the original a bit basic. Hope that helps!
Thank you, this is awesome info! Which one would be best for printing and cutting small letters and more intricate detail – using vinyl transfer for tshirts, sweatshirts, etc.
Hey Vanessa, if you’re going to be using vinyl I’d go with the Explore Air 2 (actually on a really good sale in a bundle right now). It’ll get the job done nicely and offers more cutting area than the Cricut Joy. The Maker is an amazing machine but for cutting vinyl the Explore is just as good. Cricut has new cutting machines out now, the Maker 3 and Explore 3, but you don’t need their extra functionality for making detailed cuts for shirts. Just so you know, none of the Cricut machines print, they only cut or draw/write. You can print something from a printer and then have your Cricut cut it out though with a feature called print then cut.
I need to be able to cut out stencils and vinyl adhesive what’s my best model option
Hi Sherri! You can cut stencils and adhesive vinyl with any of the new Cricut machines out now. If it’s only for small jobs the Cricut Joy would be great for you. If you want a larger cutting area go with the Explore Air 2. The Explore Air 2 is on sale for just a bit more than the Joy right now and it really will give you a lot more options down the road so that would be my suggestion. It doesn’t sound like you’d have use for the extra features of the Maker so I’d save your pennies and spend them on great stencils and vinyl! Hope that helps, let us know what you decide to get!
HSN ikeeps saying Cricut came out in 1969 but I can only find history going to 2003?
Weird, Maggie! I have no idea. Any chance they’re just talking about die cutting in general?
WOW, there’s a few models here that I hadn’t heard of before. I am so glad I bought when the Explore Air 2 became available. I heard if I had the Expression I would not be able to use Design Space. Thanks for the history lesson but I was hoping to see dates for each of the machines. I’m pretty sure the first time I saw a Cricut machine in Walmart in Canada was either the late 80’s or early 90’s.
Glad to hear you’re happy with your Explore Air 2, Sue Marie! The legacy machines were great at the time, but Design Space definitely makes the possibilities with a Cricut machine endless! As far as I know, the first Cricut came out in 2006 – I was a teacher at the time and my principal was obsessed with her Cricut for bulletin boards. There are certainly some older die-cutting machines out there though!
I recently purchased a used Cricut. I do believe it is the origional one. According to what I am reading, it can work with a computer. How does that work? I didn’t see anything in the book about it unless I missed it somehow.
Hi Jacqueline, I’d love to help but would need to know which machine it is. If it’s the original one it unfortunately won’t work with Design Space.
I bought the cricut se on the Black Friday Walmart sale. I cannot find any information about it online. Is this a newer model or an obsolete model?
Hi Bridget! Congrats on the Cricut purchase! I found the Cricut Explore Se on Walmart’s website. From what I can tell it’s like the original Explore Air machine which has been replaced by the Explore Air 2. That being said, at a cheap price that’s definitely a good purchase! It should work great and it uses Design Space just like all of the newer Cricut machines. If you have specific questions please let us know!
Is there a difference between versions of the maker? I was told to only buy from Cricut and Michaels because they have the latest model. Other stores have older model especially if champagne color. Is this true? Does it matter how old machine is? And what color is newest model?
Hey there, DeLeana! Great question – but no, the Maker is just the Maker. There are different versions of the Explore machine but not the Maker. I’d personally go with the color that was on sale, for example the blue Maker is on sale for $299 ($100 off!) on Cricut right now! As far as where you purchase from any reputable retailer should be fine.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I will investigate a newer model such as the Explore – cautiously!
Good luck! There are a lot of great bundles available!
I have a Cricut Mini and about 40 cartridges. I haven’t used it in a while and now find out it is obsolete as the Craft Room connection has been shut down for a couple of years. Do I throw it all in the trash?!! Can the cartridges be used on any of the newer Cricut machines? I’m heartsick for sure – and not too trustworthy of Cricut right now!
Hi Diane, sorry to hear you’re bummed realizing the machine is obsolete. I understand being upset! The cartridges you have could still work on another legacy machine such as the Expression or Personal but not the new Explore, Maker, or Joy.
Hi there. I have uploaded my cartridges to Design Space using the Explore and also with an adapter sold for the Maker. No lost involved. Thanks.
Awesome! It’s great to hear when it goes smoothly and folks don’t have to feel like their money was wasted on the old Cricut cartridges. Glad it worked so well for you!
Can all cartridges be used on the Cricut Personal ,Cricut CRV 001?
I’ have cartridges that were given to me and am looking at buying an older machine. Thanks
Hi Rachel, sorry it took us a bit to get back to you! Yes, all Cricut Cartridges will work on that machine. While you have those cartridges in hand I’d strongly recommend you check out a newer machine like the Joy before buying. There are so many designs that come for free with Cricut Design Space and an endless supply of freebies online. Getting a newer machine will give you better quality cuts and easier access to support too. Good luck!
i would buy them from you . i only have a few and i would love to have them
If you’d both like I’m happy to connect you two via email, just let me know : )
I recently received a used Cricut Expression machine from a friend who due to family medical emergencies was never able to use her machine. It had been boxed up and placed in her attic for 8 years or more. She bought it in 2009. It look to be in great shape even though it is old. I was wondering if I can adapt it to use with SVG transfers and the like. If so what pieces of equipment do I need? Thanks for your help.
Hey there, Barbara! You’ve got what Cricut calls a legacy machine. It’s still usable but only with physical Cricut cartridges. Sometimes I see these for sale on Craigslist so that might be somewhere to start. The Expression is not compatible with the current Design Space Software and Cricut shut down the ‘Craft Room’ software it used to work with – so no SVGs. Good luck! If you decide to buy a more updated machine here are some to consider https://www.howtoheatpress.com/cheap-vinyl-cutting-machines/
Thanks for the information. At least I know now.
You’re welcome. Cricut machines are very fun, I’d definitely recommend the Joy if you decide you want to invest in a more updated machine.