Connect To The Cricut Craft Room Design Tool
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I get a lot of questions about how I use Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) with Cricut machines.
Many people think that it no longer works, and that they're forced to use Cricut's Design Space for their designs. Others previously used the discontinued Craft Room software and are looking for something else that could work.
Well, it's actually pretty easy to set it up and SCAL is one of my favorite programs to use.
If you've never used Sure Cuts A Lot Before, I'll briefly explain what it is and then go into setting it up to work with your Cricut (whether it's a Maker, Explore Air 2, Expression, etc.).
What is Sure Cuts A Lot?
Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) is a beginner-friendly program for cutting pretty much any font or shape with an electronic cutting machine. You can combine fonts, pre-existing shapes/artwork, or draw your own. The latest version, SCAL 5, brings new effects including a stencil tool so that you can easily create stencil bridges.
One of the big advantages it has over Design Space is that you can use it even offline. Not only do you need an active internet connection to cut from Design Space, you also need that connection to evendesign. That's why a lot of crafters have relied on SCAL over the years.
If you want the newer features of SCAL 3/4/5 available to your Cricut Expression, Maker, or Explore Air 2, fear not, I have two easy solutions for getting it to work.
In this tutorial, I'll go over how to use Sure Cuts A Lot with any Cricut machine (even the Expression). I'll cover all of the common issues which might come up.
Let's do it!
(If you're not sure which Cricut to buy, I have an article reviewing my favorite new machine, the Cricut Maker. If you're looking for a comparison of Cricut vs Silhouette, I've reviewed those as well.)
Using Sure Cuts A Lot with a Cricut Explore Air (or Explore Air 2)
If you have a Cricut Explore Air or Cricut Maker it's your lucky day: you can skip most of this tutorial!
You'll need to click here and download SCAL5.
With the Cricut Explore Air + its Design Space software, we can easily import images and convert them into cuttable shapes.
Since Design Space supports importing SVG graphics all we need to do is export an SVG from SCAL 5 and then import it into Design Space. If you've done this before you'll already know that it's pretty painless and one of the better features of the Explore Air model.
If you haven't imported an SVG into Design space, here's a quick video to walk you through the steps:
For the rest, read on!
Using Sure Cuts A Lot with a Cricut Expression (Method 1)
I just updated this method in September of 2020 with a new keys.h file as people were having issues with the previous one. If you tried this before and didn't have luck, please try the new file.
The first method lets us use SCAL with a Cricut directly by adding a plugin called libcutter.
I recently discovered this method on the official Cricut message boards and verified that it works. If you're a little tech-savvy and want the latest features, this is the method for you.
If it seems a bit intimidating, don't worry because I have a second method below.
- Download and install Sure Cuts A Lot 5. (If you aren't sure which version to use, make sure you download the 32 bit version of SCAL 5.)
- Download and install the latest USB Driver
- Download libcutter plugin.
- Unzip the downloaded libcutter-master.zip and you will now need to copy the needed plugin files to your SCALCutPlugins folder which will be located in your Documents folder. If the SCALCutPlugins folder cannot be found you will need to run Sure Cuts A Lot so all the default folders for the program get created and then quit the program.
- – For Windows, copy libcutter-master\Windows\Build\LibCutterPlugin.dll and libLibCutter.xml to C:\Users\{USERNAME HERE}\Documents\SCALCutPlugins
- – For Mac, copy libcutter-master\Mac\Build\libLibCutterPlugin.dylib and libLibCutter.xml to {MAC DRIVE}/Users/{USERNAME HERE}/Documents/SCALCutPlugins
- Start Sure Cuts A Lot and go to the Cutter menu and choose Manage Cutters. You should now be able to choose Cricut from the Company/Brand drop down list and click <– Add to list
- Sure Cuts A Lot should now be able to make a connection to your Cricut, however in order to cut correctly, a valid key file is needed. This is not included with the plugin due to the DMCA rules, however it can be found elsewhere. The key file must be named keys.h and also be placed in the SCALCutPlugins folder we just copied the libcutter files to in step 4. The new keys.h file may be found here and should be named keys.h!
Using SCAL with all other Cricut machines (Method 2)
For this method, I'll walk you through using an older version of the software, SCAL 2.
Downloading SCAL 2
If you don't already have SCAL 2 downloaded, you can visit SCAL's support page here and enter your name and software serial number to log in. If you've lost the serial number, visit their Serial Number Retrieval Page where you'll need your email address on file.
If you can't locate your serial number or your email address on file, you also have the option of purchasing a copy as either a digital download or a CD. They only have the Windows version available, so if you're on Mac OS you'll have to contact SCAL directly.
If you're happy using the features of SCAL 2, just follow their installation instructions and you're all set. If you need any of SCAL 4's newer features (stencil tool, brush, freehand utility) we can use them side-by-side by importing our finished designs from SCAL 4 into SCAL 2.
Importing from SCAL 4/5 into SCAL 2
- Use SCAL 4/5 to create a design like we normally would.
- Start SCAL 2 if it is not already running.
- Select Send To -> Sure Cuts A Lot 2 from the file menu.
- The design is now transferred over to SCAL 2 and ready to be cut!
If you haven't used SCAL 2 before, here's an easy tutorial now that you have it downloaded and installed:
FAQ
Why don't recent versions of SCAL work with Cricut?
Provo Craft (makers of Cricut) moved to take legal action against Craft Edge (the makers of Sure Cuts A Lot) back in 2011. They alleged that Craft Edge violated the copyright and trademarks of Cricut. The lawsuit was settled and as part of their agreement future versions of SCAL would no longer be compatible with their Cricut machines. Hopefully, in the future, they work this out!
What software does the Cricut Expression 2 use?
The Cricut Expression was designed as a standalone machine that uses Cricut cartridges instead of CAD software. It used to be compatible with Cricut's Craft Room software but it's being discontinued in June 2018.
Where can I find free images to work with SCAL?
I have a huge collection of free SVG cutting files (15,000+) that will work for Cricut/Silhouette machines. Check it out!
What's the best Cricut machine to use with SCAL??
I just reviewed the best Cricut machines of 2020, so check that out.
Connect To The Cricut Craft Room Design Tool
Source: https://www.cutcutcraft.com/sure-cuts-a-lot-cricut/
Posted by: clementwrapprand.blogspot.com
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