The Cricut Expression is one of Cricut’s most popular cutting machines. While most Cricut machines are fairly easy to connect to a computer, as are most accessory machines, the problem with Expression is that it’s now a legacy machine that Cricut no longer supports. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use it with a computer anymore. So how do you connect your Cricut Expression to a computer?
You’ll need third-party software to connect your Cricut Expression to your computer. Software you can use includes Sure Cuts a Lot and Make the Cut. As long as you have this software on your computer, you will be able to connect your Cricut Expression to your computer and use it normally.
The problem with Cricut Expression is that even though it can be quite popular and very easy to use , he no longer has the support of the company behind him. That means you’ll have to find other means of using this machine so it doesn’t end up lying useless in your house unable to do what it was specifically designed to do.
Can you still use the Cricut Expression?
With the way the world has advanced technologically, even those into arts and crafts and DIY projects have been able to use computers for their own hobbies and personal projects. From using scissors and box cutters to cutting intricate designs on paper, DIYers now use Cricut machines that basically act like printers, but instead cut different designs on paper.
The popularity of Cricut goes back over a decade. Back then, one of the most popular Cricut machines was the Expression, which is a simple machine that many people have easily been able to use to cut designs on their favorite types of paper. What you should know, though, is that it’s been over a decade since Expression was released.
Like most other companies that continually release new models of their machines, Cricut has continued to produce different paper cutting machines to the point that they eventually removed the Expression. However, that didn’t mean they stopped supporting Cricut Expression entirely, as even though Cricut stopped producing Expression, you could still use it with your computer using Cricut’s own software called Craft Room.
However , Cricut also stopped supporting the Craft Room, and that has made it nearly impossible for people to use their Cricut Expression because they can’t connect the machine with their computers. After all, there was a time when the Cricut Craft Room was the only way to connect your Expression to a computer. And Expression isn’t even compatible with Cricut’s current software called Design Space.
In that sense, does that mean you can’t connect your Cricut Expression to a computer anymore? Was the phasing out of the Cricut Craft Room the final nail in the coffin for Cricut Expression machines?
So the good news here is that even though the Cricut Craft Room was once considered the only way to connect Expression to your computer, there are other ways to connect the two machines together so you can use Expression with your computer.
But what you need to know here is that connecting your Cricut Expression to your computer will require you to use third-party software that is not licensed by Cricut but is still highly compatible with Expression. And you should also know that it can take a bit of work to connect an older machine with third-party software that is also quite old.
How does the Cricut Expression connect to a computer?
Now that you know you can still connect your Cricut Expression to a computer, let’s see how you can do it. Again, Expression can only be connected to a computer using third-party software. The two we have in mind here are Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL) and Make the Cut (MCT). Let’s see how you can use this software to connect your Cricut Expression to your computer.
SCAL
What you need to know about SCAL is that this is a fairly popular software that is used for many machines. different die-cutting tools, as people who may own different cutting machines are big fans of this software. And the reason why SCAL is so popular is that you have full control over your designs and you can use it even when you are offline.
The problem with SCAL, however, is that it is no longer compatible with the latest Cricut Expression firmware, which was the last one before Cricut discontinued Expression. That’s because Cricut made sure you couldn’t use SCAL with your Expression. As such, the only way to use your expression in SCAL is to downgrade the machine to its 2.1 firmware version.
Downgrading Cricut Expression to version 2.1 should be impossible according to Cricut. However, there is a workaround you could use to downgrade your Expression to 2.1. Check out our detailed guide on how to downgrade Expression to 2.1. Having downgraded it, you can now connect your Expression to your computer via SCAL.
MCT
Make the Cut or MCT is also quite popular software that you can use with die – cutting machines like the Cricut Expression. And it’s compatible with machines sold by other brands, too.
What makes MCT stand out is that it has many different tools that will allow your cutting machines to have an easier time when you finally use them to trim your designs on the paper of your choice. MCT isn’t as easy to use as SCAL, but it has its advantages too.
To use MCT, all you need to do is download the software onto your computer, then connect your Cricut Expression to it. But the problem here is that you will have to search for a specific plugin that will allow MCT to be fully compatible with your Cricut Expression. This can be quite a difficult process because newer versions of MCT are no longer compatible with that Cricut plugin.
So the only way to use MCT is to find an older version of the software and then look for the Cricut plugin so you can use it to connect your Expression to your computer. This is a bit more tedious than using SCAL, which has a more detailed and simple process. That’s why, if you want to connect your Cricut Expression to your computer, the best way to do it is to use SCAL.
Be sure to check out some other clever functional craft ideas through our other posts here at Craft -ILY, as well as watching some DIY and how-to videos on YouTube. Search for “Unedited Crafting” or just click the name in blue to check it out!
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