Cricut's New Cutting Machines Add Print Integration and Smaller Size

Cricut announced two new cutting machines on February 26, 2026: the Joy 2 and the Explore 5. The main feature of the Joy 2 is a "Print Then Cut" workflow that lets you print a full-color design on a regular inkjet printer, then automatically feed that printed page into the machine for cutting. The Explore 5 shrinks the company's larger cutting machine by 30% while keeping the same cutting area.

How Print Then Cut Works

The Joy 2's key innovation is a sensor system that reads alignment marks printed alongside your design. You print your full-color artwork on any standard inkjet printer, feed the page into the Joy 2, and the machine automatically cuts stickers, magnets, temporary tattoos, or other items with sub-millimeter accuracy—no manual alignment needed.

This eliminates a frustration many crafters faced: trying to line up a printed color image with cut lines by hand. The sensor detects the printed registration marks (small reference points) and tells the cutting head exactly where to cut, in real-time.

Beyond paper, the Joy 2 works with magnetic sheets and temporary tattoo material, expanding what you can make. The workflow is designed for quick project turnaround—making one-off custom items rather than batches of identical products.

Smaller Footprint, Same Cutting Power

The Explore 5 takes up 30% less desk space than the previous Explore model while maintaining the same cutting width. Both machines come with starter bundles that include tools, accessories, and sample materials to get you going. The Joy 2 is available in multiple colors, with Michaels securing exclusive versions like Jade Green.

The compact size matters. As more people work from home or create hobbies in shared spaces, desktop real estate has become a real constraint. A cutting machine that takes up a third less space makes adoption more practical.

Where This Fits in Cricut's Lineup

The original Cricut Joy launched at $179 and created an entry-level segment for people who wanted a compact cutter. The Joy 2 builds on that by adding color printing—a feature that previously required buying two separate devices or settling for limited color options.

This progression mirrors what we have seen before in other desktop tools. 3D printers started with single-color output, then evolved to multi-color while staying affordable and compact. The same is happening here: Cricut is adding sensor-driven automation to bridge the gap between what your printer can do and what a cutting machine can do, without making the machine harder to use.

Early adopters of cutting machines often ran into a real bottleneck: color registration. If you printed a photo on your home inkjet and wanted to cut it into stickers, lining up the cut lines with the printed image by eye was tedious and error-prone. This integration solves that problem with automation.

When and Where You Can Buy

The Joy 2 launches in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, March 6, 2026. This staggered rollout is typical for new hardware—manufacturing takes time, and companies manage availability by region. Cricut likely prioritized these markets because of strong existing user bases and favorable distribution networks.

The Sensor Technology Behind the Scenes

The Print Then Cut sensor is the real engineering lift. The machine has to detect printed registration marks, account for variations in how different printers lay down ink, and handle different paper thicknesses—all without requiring you to recalibrate anything. This is a shift from pure mechanical precision to hybrid electro-optical processing, where the cutting head's position is calculated based on what the sensor reads in real-time.

Why This Matters for the Market

Most cutting machines today force you to choose: precision cutting with limited color, or full-color printing with manual cutting. The Joy 2 eliminates that tradeoff by automating the handoff between the two.

The broader context here is worth considering. Over time, the gap between different crafting tools—printers, cutters, embossers—has created friction for people who want multi-step projects. The Joy 2 is part of a longer trend toward convergence, where separate tools begin to work together more seamlessly. This also means more complex projects become feasible without requiring more expertise from the user or a lengthy setup process.

Cricut's retail partnerships and bundle approach suggest the company is counting on strong demand out of the gate. Including everything a new user needs in the box lowers the barrier to entry—a strategy that has worked well in consumer electronics, where starter kits often drive adoption.