The World of Cricut Cartridges

The creative force behind any of the Cricut line is undoubtedly the cartridges that are used with the Cricut. In fact, the Cricut Expression, Cricut Create, or the Original Cricut won’t even operate without a cartridge. Fortunately, each device comes with its own cartridge to help crafters get started using their Cricut. Once the crafter gets started, however, he will quickly realize that there are many Cricut cartridges available in several different categories.

Cricut cartridges can be broken down into essentially five different categories. There are:

• Font cartridges
• Shape cartridges
• Licensed cartridges
• Classmate cartridges
• Solutions cartridges.

In each category, crafters can be certain to find cartridges that will help them find more and more uses for their Cricut machines.

Cricut font cartridges contain fonts that range from cute and whimsical to basic and practical. Each of these cartridges contains enough designs to print an entire alphabet. In addition, some cartridges feature more than one font type and some shapes that coordinate with the font. Popular font cartridges include the Calligraphy Collection, All Mixed Up, Opposites Attract, and the Accent Essentials cartridge.

Shape cartridges are more focused on icons and shapes than they are focused on words and letters. The Wild Card cartridge is a classic example of a shape cartridge. This cartridge is filled all of the shapes needed to create cards and envelopes. The Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cartridge is another great shape cartridge that can be used as the basis for a wide variety of applications.

Unlike font cartridges or shape cartridges, licensed Cricut cartridges aren’t necessarily centered on fonts or shapes. Instead, the images on licensed cartridges are designed to coordinate with popular characters like Hello Kitty or Mickey Mouse. Some include whimsical fonts that embody the spirit of their character. Others include only shapes or words.

Cricut owners who are looking for Cricut cartridges that will help them create stunning bulletin boards or classroom aids will find everything the need in the Classmate cartridges. Geography teachers may prefer the 50 States cartridge. Elementary school teachers might enjoy the Cursive 101 cartridge. Whether users are trying to tie their bulletin boards into their current lessons or to simply create a pleasant display, the Classmate cartridges will work wonders.

Finally, the Solutions line is a line of cheap Cricut cartridges that is perfect for crafters on a budget. Although the Solutions cartridges do not include as many designs and features as the other cartridges, they also do not carry the same price tag as the other cartridges. Most cartridges carry a suggested retail price close to $90; Solutions cartridges carry suggested retail prices closer to $50. Solutions cartridges are available in almost as many styles as the other cartridges. Popular styles include Street Signs Solutions and Wedding Solutions.

The wide variety of Cricut cartridges on sale on the market offers an almost limitless array of design capabilities. In addition, new cartridges are being released regularly. With capabilities like these, it’s no wonder that Cricut machines continue to be one of the most popular scrapbooking supply available today.