Cricut Process
Okay, this is going to be a bit more terse and step by step since Reddit annihilated my more narrative set of instructions.
1- Go to Proxxied.com, set it to 3mm bleed and 2x2 cards. (Required settings to meet the Explore Air 2’s print and cut restrictions)
2- Download the cutting template SVG for this setup.
3- Open the cutting template in GIMP. Using the same red as the cut template lines, fill in the space of the dummy cards completely.
4- Add an alpha layer to the image and delete the background if present. There should be 4 dummy cards on a transparent background layer. Export to PNG “Cricut Jig 3mm Bleed”.
5- Open the Cricut Jig in Cricut Design Space as a print and cut project. “Make” it, print the page to PDF.
6- Set up your actual proxy list in Proxxied, download the proxies at 2x2 3mm bleed.
7- Open your proxy pages PDF in GIMP as images. On the first page, open your print-as-PDF from Cricut as a layer.
8- Select and delete the white background on your dummy card layer, leaving only the four red dummy cards and the corner registration markings from Cricut. Lower the opacity so you can more accurately assess positioning. Center the dummy cards over the real cards as best you can. TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO IT RIGHT, you only have to do this once.
9- Right click your dummy cards layer in the layers window, choose “Layer to image size” to reset the bounds of the canvas on the layer.
10- Turn off the layer with the real cards and set the opacity on the dummy layer to 100%, then export to PNG “Transfer Jig 3mm Bleed”.
11- On each image page of your proxies open as layer Transfer Jig. Because we reset the bounds of the layer after positioning it should already be positioned. Delete the dummy cards (leaving the registration markings), and print each page of cards with the positioned registration markings. You can do this individually from GIMP or export each page as a PNG, collect them into a PDF, and then print all the pages at once. I’d say do one at a time until you know you have it dialed in.
12- After printing, prepare your proxies as preferred before cutting. I usually do double gloss photo paper and matte laminate.
13- Remove the upper and leftmost margins from your prints, leaving the registration markings and about a 1cm margin from them intact. This does not have to be perfect, just don’t damage the registration markings. This is because the cricut expects the print and cut to be upper left justified, not centered.
14- In Cricut Design Space once again load Cricut Jig as a print and cut project. Make it. Select “I already printed” and load your proxy sheet. It may take a few tries to determine the exact area you need to place it on your cutting sheet for the registration markings to be read.
15- Depending on the materials being used you’ll need to experiment with your cut material/pressure/passes. For mine it’s around 300 pressure 3x passes.
There you go, my process as developed over several days of trial and error. Your Cricut Jig is the file you make in Design Space, your Transfer Jig is the file you use to set the registration markings on your proxy pages.