Cutting machines and home lasers
Craft board for your Cricut, Silhouette or laser.
Taskboard® is half the density of chipboard, so a blade cuts it more easily and a laser cuts it faster. It stays flat, it is lightweight, and it paints smooth.
From $2.96 a sheet.
Why crafters use it
A board that cuts easily and paints clean.
Half the density
Half the density of chipboard. A blade cuts it more easily and a laser cuts it faster.
Paints smooth
Most craft pieces get painted. It paints smooth.
Stays flat
It stays flat.
Which machines
Cricut Maker, Silhouette Cameo and home lasers.
Cricut
Cricut Maker and Maker 3, with the Knife Blade. The Knife Blade cuts chipboard. Taskboard is half the density of chipboard, so it takes fewer passes.
Cricut Explore and Joy have no Knife Blade and cannot cut it.
Silhouette
Cameo 4, Cameo 4 Plus, Cameo 4 Pro, Cameo 5 and Portrait 3 and 4, with Silhouette's Kraft Blade for thick material.
Home lasers
xTool, Glowforge and other desktop lasers. Every laser is different, so find your settings with the circle test. Edges come out with light scorch marks that sand clean.
Cricut lists a maximum cut area and a minimum shape size for chipboard. Check them before you design. Cricut: cutting chipboard
Which sheet
One plain benefit for each thickness.
1/32" white
The lightest sheet. Also cuts with scissors.
A cutting-machine thickness.
1/16" white
Stiffer than the 1/32" sheet, lighter than the 1/8" sheet.
A cutting-machine thickness.
1/8" white
The stiffest sheet. Non-forming.
For lasers or a craft knife.
Cricut Maker
Cut it on a Cricut Maker.
These steps follow Cricut's own help pages. Each step links to its source.
1
Calibrate the Knife Blade
In Design Space, open Settings, then Machines, then Machine Calibration, and calibrate the Knife Blade first.
2
Cut the sheet to fit the mat
Trim the sheet down to the mat with a craft knife.
3
Mat, brayer and tape
Use the StrongGrip mat. Press the board down with a brayer. Tape all four edges with masking or painter's tape, out of the cut path.
4
Star wheels
Slide the white star wheels fully to the right.
5
Pick the closest material
Choose the closest Knife Blade preset, Cricut Chipboard or matboard. The Knife Blade has no custom material setting.
6
Make a test cut
Cricut warns that other chipboard can wear the blade, so test on a small shape first.
7
Let the passes run
The Knife Blade cuts in many passes. It is slow by design. Let it finish.
8
Check before you unload
If the cut is not through, press the Cricut button for another pass while the mat is still loaded.
9
Clean up
Lift the pieces off the mat. Sand any rough edge. It sands like wood.
Silhouette
Cut it on a Silhouette.
These steps follow Silhouette's own pages and manual. Each step links to its source.
1
Fit the Kraft Blade
Use the Kraft Blade made for thick material. Check the compatibility list for your machine.
2
Cut the sheet to fit the mat
Trim the sheet down to the mat with a craft knife.
3
Strong-tack mat
Press the board flat on a strong-tack mat so it cannot lift.
4
Pick the closest material
In Silhouette Studio, choose the closest material and the Kraft Blade.
5
Make a test cut
Cut a small shape first and check the edge.
6
Go slower with more passes
Silhouette's manual says thick or hard material takes more passes at a slower speed. Taskboard is half the density of chipboard, so expect fewer passes than chipboard needs.
7
Check before you unload
Make sure every piece is cut through before you take the mat out of the machine.
Home lasers
On a laser, start with the circle test.
Lens cleanliness, tube age and other things change from machine to machine, so we do not publish settings. Cut a small circle, note the setting, and use the first circle that cuts all the way through. Edges come out with light scorch marks that sand clean.
What to make
Project ideas.
Ornaments
Layered or single-layer, ready to paint.
Layered signs
Stack cut letters and shapes for depth.
Home decor
Wall pieces, frames and shelf pieces.
Gift tags
Cut from the 1/32" sheet.
Miniatures
Doll house and village pieces.
Name signs and monograms
Cut, paint, stand up.
Questions
Crafters ask.
Will it work in a Cricut Explore or Cricut Joy?
No. The Knife Blade works only on Cricut Maker machines, not on Explore or Joy. Use a Maker or Maker 3, or a laser. Source
Which Silhouette machines can cut it?
Silhouette lists its Kraft Blade for thick material on the Cameo 4, Cameo 4 Plus, Cameo 4 Pro, Cameo 5 and Portrait 3 and 4. Check their compatibility list for your machine. Source
Which thickness should I use on a cutting machine?
The 1/32" and 1/16" sheets are the cutting-machine thicknesses. The 1/8" sheet is non-forming and is for lasers or a craft knife.
Why does Taskboard need fewer passes than chipboard?
It is about half the density of chipboard, so a blade cuts it more easily and a laser cuts it faster.
Do I have to calibrate my Cricut?
Yes. Cricut says to calibrate the Knife Blade first, in Design Space under Settings, Machines, Machine Calibration. Source
My cut is not all the way through. What now?
On a Cricut, press the Cricut button for another pass before you unload the mat. Ragged edges or cuts that stay incomplete can mean the Knife Blade is worn. Cricut explains how to replace it. Source
Can I paint it?
Yes. It paints smooth.
Can I use it in a home laser such as xTool or Glowforge?
Yes. Every laser is different, so find your own settings with the circle test. Edges come out with light scorch marks that sand clean.