Using Magnetic Sheets with Your Cricut

You finally found a cute magnet design online, loaded your sheet onto the mat, and watched your Cricut score a shallow scratch across the surface instead of actually cutting through it.

Cricut magnetic sheets are absolutely cuttable — you just need the right blade, the right settings, and a strong grip mat. Get those three things lined up and you'll be punching out clean, custom magnets in minutes.

Types of Magnetic Sheets for Cricut

Magnetic sheets for Cricut come in two main varieties, and knowing which one you have changes everything about how you work with them.

Printable Magnetic Sheets

These have a white matte coating on one side that accepts inkjet ink. You run them through your printer first, then load them into your Cricut to cut. They're perfect for photo magnets and detailed designs because the image is already part of the material. Most printable sheets are around 0.4–0.5mm thick.

Plain Magnetic Sheets

Plain sheets are just flexible magnet material with no printable surface. They're slightly thicker (usually 0.5–0.8mm) and designed to be paired with printed vinyl, adhesive paper, or other decorative layers on top. They tend to need a little more cutting power than printable versions.

Both types are thin, flexible, and behave more like a thick rubber sheet than a rigid magnet. They won't shatter or warp, but they do push back against your blade if your settings aren't dialed in.

Cutting Settings for Magnetic Material

This is where most people run into trouble. The default material settings in Cricut Design Space don't always have a "magnetic sheet" option listed, so you have to choose carefully.

Blade Selection

For printable magnetic sheets, a deep cut blade gives you the cleanest results. It's built to handle thicker, denser materials. A strong fine point blade can work on thinner printable sheets, but you'll likely need multiple passes. For plain sheets on the thicker end, stick with the deep cut blade.

Mat and Speed

Always use a strong grip mat. Magnetic material is heavy enough that it can shift mid-cut if the mat isn't grabbing it firmly. Set your speed to the slowest option available, usually 1 or 2 in Design Space. Slow speed means more control and cleaner edges.

Pressure and Passes

Start with "More" pressure in your custom settings. For thinner printable sheets, one or two passes usually does it. For thicker plain sheets, you may need three passes. Do a test cut in a corner before committing to your full design — a small square takes 30 seconds and saves a whole sheet.

In Design Space, search for "Magnet Sheet" in the custom materials list. If it's not there, try "Craft Foam" or create a custom setting with deep cut blade, slow speed, and high pressure as your starting point.

Printable Magnetic Sheet Projects

Printable magnetic sheets are where the real magic happens, especially when you use the Print Then Cut workflow in Design Space.

You design something in Design Space (or upload a PNG), send it to your inkjet printer on the matte side of the sheet, then load the printed sheet into your Cricut. The machine reads the registration marks and cuts right along your design's edges. Custom fridge magnets, photo magnets, and illustrated character magnets all work beautifully this way.

A few things to know about printing on magnetic sheets. Only use an inkjet printer — laser printers run too hot and can damage the coating. Always print on the matte white side, not the dark magnetic side. Let the ink dry for at least 5 minutes before loading into the Cricut, or you risk smearing inside the machine.

Photo magnets are genuinely one of the best uses here. Print a family photo, cut it into a clean rectangle or custom shape, and you have a real gift that cost about $0.50 in materials.

Plain Magnet Sheet Projects

Plain magnet sheets pair really well with printed adhesive vinyl or printable sticker paper. You cut the magnet to shape, then apply your decorated vinyl layer on top. It's a great approach for home decor projects like whiteboard labels and locker organizers where you want a more polished, layered look.

Whiteboard labels are a personal favorite. Cut small rectangles or tags from plain magnetic sheets, apply a white vinyl layer on top, and you've got rewritable labels you can stick to any magnetic surface and reposition whenever you want. Great for meal planning boards or kids' chore charts.

Locker decor is another solid use. Cut shapes, apply colorful HTV or adhesive vinyl, and you've got lightweight, repositionable decorations that won't scratch locker paint.

Business Uses for Custom Magnets

Business card magnets are incredibly practical, and Cricut makes them easy to produce in small batches. Design a business card layout in Design Space, print it on a printable magnetic sheet, and cut to standard business card size (3.5 x 2 inches). You can fit around 8–10 on a standard letter-size sheet.

Promotional magnets for local businesses, real estate agents, and service companies have a long shelf life — people keep magnets on their fridges for years. A batch of 50 magnets costs a few dollars in materials and can be cut and finished in an afternoon.

Tips for Clean Magnet Cuts

Keep your blade clean. Magnetic material can leave a fine residue on the blade tip after multiple cuts. Wipe it with a dry cloth between sessions.

Don't use the brayer to press magnetic sheets onto the mat too aggressively — medium pressure is enough. Too much force can make the sheet bow slightly, which throws off the cut registration.

If your cuts are ragged rather than clean, increase passes before increasing pressure. Extra pressure can drag the blade rather than push it cleanly through the material.

If you're working on multiple magnet projects and want a streamlined place to organize your designs and find new cut files, Cuttabl is worth bookmarking — it's built specifically for Cricut crafters who want to spend less time hunting for files and more time actually making things.