Everything You Need to Know About Using Cartridges with a Cricut Explore Air
Using cartridges with Cricut Explore Air is a great way to make custom designs for your craft projects. Cartridges are plastic discs with various pre-made designs or fonts, which you can use to create unique and beautiful creations. So, how do you use cartridges with Cricut explore air?
To use cartridges, you need to link them to your Cricut account so you can access them with Design space online. Turn on your Cricut explorer and connect it to the computer; click the menu button and select “Link cartridges.”
After that, choose your Cricut device and insert the cartridge when prompted. Select the green button after it has lit up.
This blog post will show you exactly how to use special cartridges with your Cricut Explore Air machine.
Tools & Materials You Need
- Cricut Design Space Software
- Cricut Explore Air (or another older model Cricut machine)
- Physical cartridges
- USB cord
Additional Accessories
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How to Use Cartridges with Cricut Explore Air
With the help of Cricut Design Space, it’s easy for users of previous generations of Cricut machines to use cartridges again. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use them with an older machine like the Cricut Explore Air.
1. Connect Your Cricut Explore Air to Your Computer
The first thing is to connect your Cricut Explore Air machine to your computer. This can be done by either connecting it with a USB cable or via a wireless connection.
2. Link Your Cartridges to Your Account
Once the device is connected, you need to link cartridges from a Cricut.com account. If you don’t already have one, go ahead and create a new account. Log on to the website and select your device. From here, you can link the actual cartridges by selecting “Link Cartridges” from the menu.
3. Insert Your Cartridge
Upon receiving a prompt, insert your cartridge into the cartridge port on the machine’s side. The plastic cartridges are designed to fit in the machine perfectly.
4. Wait for The Green Light
Once you load the cartridge slot, Cricut will recognize it, and a green light will appear on the power button of your machine. This indicates that your cartridge is ready to use.
5. Open Design Space Online
Open your Cricut design space account by going to the website. Here, you can access all of your linked cartridges and start creating designs with them.
And that’s it. You are now ready to start creating beautiful designs with your cartridges using Cricut Explore Air.
Can I Use a Cricut Cartridge Without Linking It?
You cannot use a physical Cricut cartridge without linking it to your account. As previously mentioned, you need to link all cartridges from the Cricut website in order for them to be accessible with Design Space online.
What is the A Slot in Cricut Explore Air for?
The A slot on the Cricut Explore Air is for inserting any particular cartridge into the machine. These cartridges contain different designs and fonts that you can use for crafting projects on different materials.
Final Thoughts
Maybe you’re not ready to upgrade to the newer Cricut machines yet. Well, even though Cricut Craft Room is no longer around, you can still use your old cartridges with the legacy machines.
A lot of people have old cartridges that they loved using with the original Cricut cutting machine.
They know that they are helpful in creating unique projects if you don’t know how to make your own designs. The good news is that the individual images on the old Cricut cartridges are very valuable.
Make use of that creative value by following the steps above, link your cartridges to your account, and you’ll be able to use them with Design Space online. I hope this guide has been helpful in showing you how to use cartridges with Cricut Explore Air.
Have more questions about using Cricut? Check out this post for troubleshooting tips to connect Cricut.
5 Easy Steps to Use Cartridges with Cricut Explore Air
Follow these steps to use your old cartridges with Cricut Explore Air to make custom designs and crafts.
Materials
- Cricut Design Space
Tools
- Cricut Explore Air
- Cartridge
- USB cord
Instructions
- Connect your computer to the Cricut Explore Air cutting machine with a USB cord.
- Log onto Design Space and select "Link Cartridges" from the menu.
- Insert the cartridge into the A slot of the machine.
- Wait for the green light to appear on the cutting machine.
- Access your linked cartridge from Design Space.
Notes
You may need to use a cartridge adaptor depending on the model of your cutting machine.
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