If the blade cuts cleanly but the outline sits beside the printed image, check the printer scale and sheet placement before buying a blade. Print Then Cut alignment is a separate problem from a dull cutting edge.
Use a supported machine. Cricut lists Joy Xtra, Explore, Maker and Venture for Print Then Cut; original Joy does not support it. Keep the current machine selected in Design Space.
Print without changing the geometry
Print the project from Design Space and leave the scale unchanged. Avoid Fit to Page, Shrink to Fit, borderless printing, narrow-margin adjustments and any later resizing of the printed sheet. Use one page per sheet and the orientation shown in the application.
Keep all sensor marks clear. Check that the sheet lies flat on an undamaged mat in the position shown for the machine. Do not cover marks with tape, cut them away or move the image relative to them.
Use a fresh calibration sheet
For calibration, Cricut specifies plain white, non-textured copy paper and a good black print. Use the calibration flow for the actual machine, rather than calibrating on expensive reflective sticker media.
In desktop Design Space, open Settings, choose Machines, select the machine and start Machine Calibration. Choose Print Then Cut when prompted. The mobile flow is under Settings and Print Then Cut Settings. Interface wording can change, so follow the current on-screen prompts.
Follow the calibration flow for your machine
Follow the prompts for the selected machine. In Cricut's current Maker 5 and Explore 5 flow, the machine cuts a small square from the printed square. When prompted, keep the mat loaded and carefully remove the cut square, then continue. The machine scans the opening to check accuracy and makes the next cut automatically; unload only when Design Space asks.
If Design Space instead presents the numbered and lettered fine-calibration lines, inspect your sheet without unloading when instructed. Choose the cuts closest to the printed centres on your own sheet. This line-selection step applies only to that calibration flow; another user's choices are not a preset for your machine.
Finish the confirmation steps shown for your model, then print a fresh project sheet. Repeat calibration only when the prompts or results call for it. If the sensor light does not operate during calibration or marks still cannot be read, use Cricut's troubleshooting and support procedure instead of forcing a job through.
Use the correct printable material
Check the printer technology accepted by the exact printable sheet. Inkjet and laser-compatible products are different orders, and product names such as printable vinyl do not make every version safe in every printer. Keep the sheet's printing instructions with its cut setting.