CRICUT

DESIGN SPACECHEAT SHEETS

master the software, create with confidence

Megan Duesterhausfrom TheHomesIHaveMade.com

20+ Design Space Tips & Tricks

You Need To Know

Cricut Tutorials & Project Library

Cricut Machine Comparison

Guide

Cricut Design Space for

Beginners Video Series

Getting Started with Your...

Cricut Explore Air 2

Cricut Maker

Check out these links for more great

information:

HI, I'M MEGAN!

I've been working in Cricut Design Space, day in

and day out for years, in order to use my Cricut

Explore Air 2, Cricut Maker, and Cricut Joy

machines to make all sort of projects for our

home, my business, my kids, my kids' school, our

scout troop and so much more. As a result, I

have not only learned the ins and outs of all the

basic tools in Cricut Design Space, but I've also

mastered many shortcuts and nuance

techniques that take my projects to the next

level!

The following 20+ pages include a tour of the

Cricut Design Space canvas, as well as 6

comprehensive cheat sheets for the main skills

you will need to master first: Slice, Weld, Attach,

Contour, Images, and Text. I recommend

printing these sheets out and keeping them next

to you as you navigate your way through your

first few projects.

Whether you are just getting started with your

Cricut machine or are simply trying to learn

anything and everything you can, I've got many

tips, tricks and resources to help you master the

Design Space software so you can start

creating with confidence!

Let's get started!

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THE CRICUT DESIGN SPACECANVAS

The "Canvas" is where you will design anything you want to make with your Cricut machine. Spend

time learning exactly where every tool is and what it does so you can work more efficiently as you

begin creating your own designs!

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CANVAS. This is the workspace where all

designs are created, edited, re-colored,

etc. A ruler along the top and left side of

the screen identify scale.

ZOOM BUTTONS. Use these buttons (+

and -) to zoom in (as high as 700%) and

out (as low as 25%) on your design.

IMAGE. Design from the Image Library,

Shapes, or Upload menus. When

selected, includes height and width

indications, as well as Delete, Rotate,

Lock/Unlock Proportions, and Re-Size at

each of the corners.

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NEW PROJECT. Use this button to quickly

and easily start a brand new project.4

THE CRICUT DESIGN SPACE CANVAS (CONT.)

TEMPLATES.  Use this button to access

ready-made templates that can help you

size and space out common projects.

They are for reference only and won't cut

or print.

LINETYPE SELECTION. Use this

dropdown menu to designate each layer

of your design as Cut, Draw, Score, etc.

These options will change based on the

Cricut machine you have selected.

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INSERT IMAGE TOOL. Use this button to

access the Cricut Design Space Image

Library in order to select an image to

place on the canvas.

SELECT ALL TOOL. Use this button to

select or deselect all images on the

canvas at once.

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SHAPES TOOL. Use this button to add a

variety of basic (free) shapes (e.g., circle,

square, star, triangle, etc) to the canvas.

ALIGN TOOL. Use this tool to align two

or more selected images/layers to the

left, center, or right, as well as distribute

spacing horizontally and vertically.

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"READY TO MAKE" PROJECT MENU. Use

this button to access the vast collection

of ready-made projects created by

Cricut. These projects are a great way to

get started with a new machine!

FILL SELECTION.  Use this dropdown

menu to designate the fill color or

pattern for each layer when using the

Print-Then-Cut feature. This menu will

only populate with Maker/Explore

machine selection.

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INSERT TEXT TOOL.  Use this button to

add text to your projects. Once text is

added and selected, the Font Toolbar

will appear (see page 25 for more info).

EDIT TOOL. Use this button to access

basic sub-commands such as Cut, Copy,

and Paste; however, standard keyboard

shortcuts also work.

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UPLOAD IMAGES TOOL. Use this button

to upload your own PNGs, SVGs, and

JPEGs, which can then be modified,

customized and cut just like Cricut-brand

images.

ARRANGE TOOL. Use this tool to re-

order images from front to back. Access

these same commands by right-clicking

on the mouse.

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RE-DO & UN-DO.  Use these buttons to

re-do or un-do actions; they will only

highlight when these actions are

possible.

FLIP TOOL. Use this tool to flip images

either horizontally or vertically.1 1 18

THE CRICUT DESIGN SPACE CANVAS (CONT.)

SIZE SPECIFICATION.  Use this tool to

lock and un-lock an image’s proportions

and/or manually type in height and width

specifications.

LAYERS PANEL. At-a-glance, you can

see a list of the various designs on your

canvas, as well as their color and

attribute (Cut, Draw, Score, Print).

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POSITION SPECIFICATION. Use this tool

to see the X and Y coordinates for every

layer and make slight spacing

adjustments to anything on the canvas.

GROUP/UNGROUP. Use these buttons to

group/ungroup two or more selected

items.

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SAVE BUTTON.  Use this button to save

your project.

DUPLICATE TOOL.  Use this button to

quickly and easily duplicate any image or

groups of images.

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ROTATE TOOL.  Use this tool to rotate

any image by degree. Rotation can also

be done using the upper right handle on

any selected image.

COLOR SYNC TOOL. Use this tool to

easily change the color of any layer by

dragging and dropping it to other colors

already represented on the canvas.

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MY PROJECTS. Use this button to access

your saved projects.

DELETE BUTTON. Use this button to

delete any image or group of images.

You can also delete by clicking the red X

on the upper left corner of a selected

image, as well as using the keyboard

Delete key.

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MACHINE SELECTION MENU. Use this

dropdown menu to designate which

machine you are working with. This

ensures the correct tools and spacing

limitations are made available.

IMAGE LAYERS. Each design placed

onto the canvas will be listed here, with

each layer on an individual line. Both the

color and Linetype will be designated,

and the entire line will shade to grey

when the layer is selected.

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MAKE IT BUTTON.  Use this button to

send your project to be cut with your

Cricut machine.

SHOW/HIDE TOOL. Use the eye symbol

to toggle images on and off, therefor

hiding image on the canvas without

deleting it. When an image is hidden, it

will not be cut.

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THE CRICUT DESIGN SPACE CANVAS (CONT.)

SHOW TEMPLATE ON CANVAS. Use this

button to toggle your template on and

off.

ATTACH TOOL. Use this tool to attach

two or more images to each other so that

they are cut/drawn together. See page

13 for more information.

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WELD TOOL. Use this tool to combine

two or more images into one solid cut

with no seam. It will only highlight when

the action is possible. See page 11 for

more information.

CONTOUR TOOL. Use this tool to turn

any disconnected parts of a design on or

off. See page 16 for more information.

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SLICE TOOL. Use this tool to slice two

ungrouped images at a time. It will only

highlight when the action is possible. See

page 9 for more information.

FLATTEN TOOL. Use this tool to turn any

image into a Print-then-Cut design; this

action can be done and un-done at any

time.

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START A NEW PROJECTClick the plus sign (+) on your Design Space home screen or along the left-hand

toolbar within the canvas. Ensure you have the correct machine selected in the

upper right-hand corner drop-down menu.

DESIGN YOUR PROJECTAdd images to your canvas from either the Image Library, Shapes Menu, or Uploads

Library, and/or add text to your project via the Text Tool. Use the various Design

Space tools on your images and text until you have everything just as you want it.

SEND YOUR DESIGN TO CUTIn order to send your design to be cut with your Cricut machine, hit the green

"Make It" button in the upper right-hand corner. You will be forwarded to a series

of cut screens where you can make final adjustments and specifications.

MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE MAT LAYOUTSOn the first cut screen, ensure each design is being cut in the correct color. You

can easily move images around the mat (or to a different mat by clicking the dots

at the top right corner of each image) in order to change colors, conserve material,

or place designs in a specific mat location.

CUT YOUR DESIGNSOn the final cut screen, ensure you have the correct material(s) selected for your

project. Then simply follow the on-screen prompts to load/unload your mat, tools,

pens etc until your project is complete!

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So you've bought and opened your Cricut machine! You have it all set up and (hopefully!) have

made the sample projects included in the box. But now you're ready to make your own project...from

scratch! Use the following step-by-step workflow to get a sense for how a Cricut project comes

together from start to finish!

A CRICUT PROJECT START-TO-FINISH

01 THE SLICE TOOL

This tool slices one image out of another, wherever the two images overlap.

This is also the only way to "crop" images.

CHEAT SHEETS INCLUDED

02 THE WELD TOOL

This tool fuses two or more images into one design with no remaining seam

or cut line where the original images intersected.

03 THE ATTACH TOOL

This tool is used to attach shapes to each other so that their layout is

preserved on the cut mat.

040506

THE CONTOUR TOOL

This tool is used to turn various elements of a single image on and off so

they are either cut or not cut.

UPLOADING YOUR OWN IMAGES

Learn how to upload images (downloaded from other sites) into Cricut

Design Space in order to be cut with your Cricut machine.

WORKING WITH TEXT

Learn everything you need to know about adding, editing, and manipulating

text on your projects.

Cut one design out of another

Crop designs. There is no traditional cropping tool in Cricut Design Space; the Slice Tool is your

only option for cutting designs apart. To do so, use either the Square (for straight line crops) or the

Circle (for rounded crops) from the  Shapes menu on the lefthand toolbar. Simply re-size the

Square or Circle to whatever size you need and place it over the elements of the design you want

to crop. Select the two images and select Slice. Once you pull everything apart, you will see that

whatever was under the cropping shape has been sliced off, and you can delete parts of the

image that are no longer needed.

Slice large designs apart to fit on mats. The "Off the Mat" Technique can be used to break really

large designs into smaller sections that fit on standard mats. See a full tutorial here.

"Flatten" multi-layer designs. For complicated multi-layer paper designs that require precise

spacing, consider slicing your designs out of the base layer.  Place higher layers into the blank

openings to create a perfectly-smooth, perfectly placed design. See a full tutorial here.

The Slice Tool does exactly what it sounds like: it “slices” one image out of another, wherever the two

images overlap. The Slice Tool can be used on "Cut," "Draw," and "Score" designs, as well as the

other specialty Linetypes. The Slice Tool is the only way to "crop" images, and creates a permanent

change to the designs. For full step-by-step instructions, see the next page.

USE THE SLICE TOOL TO:

TROUBLESHOOTING

If the Slice Tool does not highlight when you select two designs, ensure the images are neither

grouped nor attached. Additionally, you can only slice two images at once, so if you have multiple

slices to make on a single image, you will need to do them one at a time.

WHERE TO FIND IT

The Slice Tool is the far left button

on the very bottom of the Layers Panel in the

bottom right corner of your screen.

01THE SLICE TOOL

01PLACE IMAGES

Place the two images you want to Slice

onto the canvas. For ease, place whatever

image you want cut out of the other on top.

THE SLICE TOOL

02SELECT & SLICE

Select both objects (the grey background

on the Layers Panel indicates which objects

are selected), then click the Slice Tool.

03CHECK THE LAYERS PANEL

At first, it will appear that nothing

happened on the canvas; the two images

will look exactly the same. However, in the

Layers Panel, you will see the bottom image

has been sliced.

04PULL APART

Pull the various layers apart to see that the

very bottom layer was sliced by the top one.

Delete any layers you no longer need.

WHERE TO FIND IT

The Weld Tool is the second button from the

left on the very bottom of the Layers Panel in

the bottom right corner of your screen.

Fuse two separate images into one continuous design.

Create your own designs. Every single image, including the free shapes from the Shapes menu,

can be welded together. If you don’t own a specific image, see if you can weld other

(free/owned) designs together to make what you want.

Conjoin font scripts. When using a font script, even if you reduce the letter spacing, each one will

be cut individually rather than as a solid, cursive word. Instead, ungroup all the letters and then

overlap them horizontally to your liking. Then, select all the letters and weld them together to

create a single cut. See more here.

Use weld to permanently group images. Weld is typically used to conjoin two separate images into

one, seamless design that will be cut as one continuous piece. However, the Weld Tool can be

used to join 2+ images whether they are touching or not. In this way, the Weld Tool could be used

in place of the group function; however, it cannot be un-done.

Extend patterns & borders. Many borders and patterns in the Cricut Design Space Library are

finite, meaning they don’t go on forever. If you re-size these patterns to be longer, you often

distort the width/height. The Weld Tool allows you to extend these designs infinitely without

impacting other dimensions. To do so, overlap several duplicates of the same border or pattern

end-to-end then weld them all together. See more here.

The Weld Tool fuses two or more images into one design with no remaining seam or cut line where

the original images intersected. The Weld Tool can be used on "Cut," "Draw," and "Score" designs, as

well as the other specialty Linetypes. However, the two images must be the same (e.g., Cut to Cut,

Draw to Draw), and you cannot use it on Written fonts. The Weld Tool creates permanent changes to

the involved designs, which cannot be un-done after you hit "Save." For full step-by-step instructions,

see the next page.

USE THE WELD TOOL TO:

02THE WELD TOOL

THE WELD TOOL

Place 2+ images you want to weld together onto

your canvas. In the right-hand Layers Panel, notice

the images are on individual lines, meaning they are

each unique cuts.

02WELD IMAGES TOGETHER

Select the images (all selected images will be

grayed out in the Layers Panel), then click the Weld

Tool. Any overlapping lines will disappear to create

one, single image.

03CONFIRM WELD

Notice that instead of the original separate images,

there is now a single (welded) image in the Layers

Panel.

01PLACE IMAGES

WHERE TO FIND IT

The Attach Tool is the middle button on the very

bottom of the Layers Panel in the bottom right

corner of your screen.

You want your images cut exactly as they are designed on your canvas, with all of the spacing

perfectly maintained.

You want text, score, or other Linetypes placed directly on a specific shape or in a specific place.

Images are the same color and should be cut together (by attaching two images, both shapes

must be cut from the same color).

You need (many) cuts of the same shape in the same color, but don’t need any particular

spacing/pattern maintained.

You want an image cut in a very specific spot on your cutting mat (instead, drag and drop the

image to where you want it on the CUT PREVIEW screen.)

The Attach Tool is the most confusing tool in all of Cricut Design Space. When 2+ images of the same

color are sent to cut, the software will automatically move images on your cut mat, no matter how

they are laid out on your canvas, to use the least amount of material as possible. However, if you

want your design layout to be cut EXACTLY as you designed it, you will need to attach those images

together. Therefor, the Attach Tool is used to attach selected shapes to each other, whether they are

touching or not, specifically for cutting.

ATTACHING IS NOT GROUPING

Attach is often confused with the group function. Grouping is only a function used on the design

canvas to move, size, copy images, etc. Grouping does not translate to how a design is actually cut

on your mat. However, once images are attached to each other and you hit “Make It,” your images

will be laid out exactly as you designed them.

USE THE ATTACH TOOL WHEN:

DON'T USE ATTACH WHEN:

03THE ATTACH TOOL

01PLACE IMAGES ON CANVAS

Place 2+ images you want to attach

together onto your design canvas. Before

attaching, ensure your spacing is exactly as

you want it when cut.

THE ATTACH TOOL

02ATTACH IMAGES TOGETHER

Select the images (all selected images will

be grayed out in the Layers Panel), then

click the Attach Tool.

03CONFIRM ATTACHMENT

The individual images will remain separate

cuts, but notice they are now grouped under

an Attached "set" in the Layers Panel. *NOTE:

You can always detach elements by clicking

the Attach Tool again.

04SEND TO CUT

When you send your design to cut (via the

green "Make It" button), your shapes will be

laid out exactly as they were on your design

canvas.

One of the most common uses for the Attach Tool is when you want to have the Cricut write/draw a

shape or text directly onto another cut shape. For example, if you want the word "Love, Sarah"

written onto a gift tag, you will need to attach them together. Here's how:

USING ATTACH WITH TEXT & SHAPES

01ADD DESIGNS TO THE CANVAS

02ALIGN & ATTACH

03SEND TO CUT TO SEE YOUR DESIGN

A base shape for your label or tag. Make sure it is set to "Cut."

Text/design to go on the label or tag. Make sure it is set to

"Draw" and placed "in front" of the base shape.

Start by placing two items on your design canvas:

Use the various Alignment tools (along the top toolbar) to center

the shape and text. You can also manually place the designs how

you want them. With the placement set, select both the base

shape and top text (ensure they are grayed out in the Layers

Panel), and then click the Attach Tool.

Once you click the green "Make It" button, you will see that Design

Space has "attached" the written text to your base shape.

Additionally, the software will prompt you when and where to swap

blades and pens in your machine to complete the project.

Simplify & customize images. If an image is too intricate or you don't want a particular detail

within a design, you can use the Contour Tool to remove elements.

Recolor designs. The Contour Tool is a great way to re-color various elements of a single-layer

design. Simply duplicate the design for as many colors as you want to use, and then use the

Contour Tool to turn each element on/off by color.

Get more from each image. The Contour Tool is the best way to create additional/matching

images from a single design. By contouring out different pieces, you can then rotate, re-size, re-

color, and further modify any aspect of any design to create truly unique projects!

You can contour out any line in any design, including the main outline. However, an image always

has to have at least one element turned on to be cut.

The Contour Tool will work on any ungrouped, unattached image. If you click on an image and

the Contour Tool does not highlight, be sure it is fully isolated before customizing it.

The Contour Tool can be used on designs of all Linetypes (e.g., Cut, Draw, Score, etc).

The Contour Tool can also be used to turn on/off parts of images that have already been welded

or sliced.

The most powerful customizing tool in Cricut Design Space is the Contour Tool. The best way to think

of this tool is as an on/off switch. The Contour Tool allows you to turn on and off ANY line in ANY

image, thereby letting you customize it in countless ways.

USE THE CONTOUR TOOL TO:

TROUBLESHOOTING

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WHERE TO FIND IT

The Contour Tool is the far right button on the

very bottom of the Layers Panel in the bottom

right corner of your screen.

THE CONTOUR TOOL

01PICK AN IMAGE

Place any image onto your design canvas.

Ensure it is ungrouped and unattached from

any other images. The Contour Tool works

best with images that have separate, non-

connected, elements.

THE CONTOUR TOOL

02SELECT THE CONTOUR TOOL

Select the image and click the Contour

Tool. A new window will open that shows

each individual element of the design.

03TURN ELEMENTS ON/OFF

Each element can be toggled on/off. By turning

an element "off," it will not be cut/drawn/etc.

Access each element via the right-hand list or

on the image itself. Zoom in and out to see

more detail as needed.

04EXIT THE CONTOUR TOOL

After you adjust various elements, click out

of the Contour menu to close it. Any element

toggled off will no longer be part of the

design. At any time. you can go back in and

re-contour details on/off.

Etsy

Design Bundles | Font Bundles

Creative Market

NounProject - all SVGs are available FREE for personal use

Craftables

Your favorite bloggers will often offer free SVGs to make their

projects!

WHY UPLOAD YOUR OWN IMAGES?

Although the Cricut Design Space Image Library has an extensive

collection of designs, you may want to cut an image you create

yourself (like your own hand lettering) or you find/buy online.

Uploading your own images not only gives you ultimate control

over your project but is also a great way to save money on designs

you can find for free.

WHAT TYPES OF FILES CAN BE IMPORTED?

Within Cricut Design Space, you can easily turn (almost) any JPEG,

PNG, SVG, GIF, BMP, or DXF file into a cuttable image. See the

sidebar for recommendations.

WHERE TO BUY IMAGES

You can find a vast collection of good, ready-to-cut SVG files on

these sites:

WHERE TO FIND FIND FREE IMAGES

Simple and clean images can be easily found for free via Google

search using words such as “clipart,” “icons,” “symbol,” or “coloring

page.” The following are also excellent places to look for free

designs:

When choosing images to import, it

is helpful (although not required) to

find images with transparent

backgrounds that are large, crisp,

and clean versions of simple

designs.

THE BEST FILES TO IMPORT

These are ready-made cut files

(they are the file types Cricut

Design Space reads and turns

other images into); they are the

easiest to import and will give you

the best results.

SVG

These are images with a

transparent background. Although

not as easy to use as SVGs, these

images clean up nicely and will cut

well on your Cricut.

PNG

These images will have a solid

background, meaning they will

require a bit more work to get them

cut-ready. Be sure to look for high-

resolution, simple versions to use.

JPEG

05UPLOADING YOUR OWN IMAGES

CREATING MULTI-LAYER CUT FILES

If you want to cut a multi-layer design, you

will need to create a different file for each

color/layer. To do so, upload the same image

over and over, isolating out different colors

with each save.

PRINT-THEN-CUT

An easier way to make multi-color designs

(such as a school/business logos, cartoon

character), is to save it as a Print-Then-Cut

Image rather than a cut file (described

above). This will allow you to upload a single

image and cut the entire image at once

(using the Print-then-Cut feature with your

printer+Cricut machine).

NOTES

TIPS & TRICKS

CREATE YOUR OWN PNGs

PNGs really are easier to import into Cricut

Design Space thank JPEGs since they have

nice clean borders. If you have a JPEG you

can’t get cleaned up, use this easy tutorial

for transforming it into a PNG before

uploading it to Cricut Design Space.

ZOOM IN

You may upload an image that has fuzzy

borders or tiny details that don’t look quite

right once the image is cut. To clean up these

tiny details, use the zoom keys to get in as

close as possible and do more precise

editing.

PREVIEW CUT

Once you save an uploaded file, you cannot

go back in to change it. So, as you clean up

designs, use the Preview button (in the

bottom left-hand corner) to see how the

image will look once it’s saved and cut.

ERASE LARGE DETAILS

Clicking any element of a design will make it

disappear. However, if you are trying to

remove large elements or big sections of a

design, the eraser tool (along the top left

toolbar) is often quickest and easiest.

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HOW TO UPLOAD SVG IMAGES

You will be immediately prompted to give

the SVG image a name and tags. Use

words that will help you pull the image up in

future searches. Finish by clicking Save.

Once complete, your uploaded SVG will

appear in the Upload menu and you will be

able to insert it on your design canvas and

manipulate it as you would any other

design.

CLICK "UPLOAD"

Click the “Upload” button on the very

bottom of the left-side toolbar.

FIND YOUR SVG FILE

Click the “Upload Image” button. Then,

select an SVG file you already have saved

to your computer.

NAME & TAG INSERT DESIGN ON CANVAS

01CLICK "UPLOAD"

Click the “Upload” button on the very

bottom of the left-side toolbar.

HOW TO UPLOAD PNG IMAGES

02FIND YOUR PNG FILE

Click the “Upload Image” button. Then,

select a PNG file you already have saved to

your computer.

03CONFIRM TRANSPARENCY

Your selected image will populate on the

left-hand side of the screen and should

have a blue-and-white pixelated pattern

behind the design, indicating a transparent

background.

04PICK IMAGE COMPLEXITY

Next, designate your image as Simple,

Moderate, or Complex based on the

descriptions. Click the green "Continue"

button.

Saving as a "Cut" image will create a file like

every other design in the Cricut Design Space

Library.

All of the outlines (interior and exterior) will be

cut.

You will be able to use the Slice, Weld,

Attach, Flatten, and Contour tools on this

design.

You will be able to layer this image over/under

other images as desired.

05Use the selection, eraser, zoom, and un-do

tools to get your design exactly as you want

it. Since the image already has a

transparent background, you likely won't

need to do much editing. Click "Continue."

HOW TO UPLOAD PNG IMAGES (CONT)

06Select either Print Then Cut (to print the image

on a printer and then cut it out) or Cut image

(to design with the image as you would any

other). Name and tag the design so you can

easily find it in the future.

Saving as a "Print Then Cut" image will

preserve the original design exactly,

including colors, proportions, etc. The

design will not be changeable, aside from

overall size and orientation.

These designs are intended to be printed on

a home printer and then cut out with a

Cricut using the Print Then Cut feature.

Only the surrounding outline will be cut with

the Cricut.

You will not be able to create/edit layers.

You will have limited use of the Slice, Weld,

Attach, and Flatten tools.

CUT IMAGE PRINT THEN CUT IMAGE

EDIT THE IMAGE SAVE FILE

VS

01CLICK "UPLOAD"

Click the “Upload” button on the very

bottom of the left-side toolbar.

HOW TO UPLOAD JPEG IMAGES

02FIND YOUR JPEG IMAGE

Click the “Upload Image” button. Then,

select a JPEG file you already have saved

to your computer.

03CONFIRM BACKGROUND

Your selected image will populate on the left-

hand side of the screen. Confirm the image has

a solid background by the absence of tiny blue-

and-white squares pixelating the background.

04PICK IMAGE COMPLEXITY

Next, designate your image Simple,

Moderate, or Complex based on the

descriptions. Click the green "Continue"

button.

0605REMOVE BACKGROUND

HOW TO UPLOAD JPEG IMAGES (CONT)

EDIT THE IMAGE

Continue using the selection, eraser, zoom,

and un-do tools to get your design exactly as

you want it. Use the “Preview” button along

the bottom of the screen to see how the

design will eventually look once cut.

Start cleaning up the image by clicking

anywhere on the solid background to remove

it. A blue-and-white pixelated design should

appear, indicating the design now has a

transparent background.

07CHOSE FILE TYPE

On the following screen, select either Print Then

Cut or Cut image. For JPEG designs, Print Then

Cut is usually a better option. Name and tag the

design so you can easily find it in the future.

08SAVE FILE

Once complete, your uploaded image will

appear in the Upload menu and you will be

able to insert it on your design canvas.

To add text to any project, use the Text Tool along the left-hand toolbar. Once you add text to your

canvas and select it, the Text Toolbar will appear along the top of your screen (right under the main

toolbar). Below is an explanation of the various tools available.

06WORKING WITH TEXT

STYLE. Use this dropdown menu to

designate your font as Bold, Italic,

Bold+Italic, and Writing style.

ALIGNMENT. Use this tool to left, center,

or right justify your text.2 6

FONT. Use this dropdown menu to select

your preferred font for your project.

LINE SPACING TOOL. Use this tool to

designate the spacing between each line

of text. Decreasing this number will bring

lines of text closer together.

1 5

FONT SIZE. Use this tool to re-size your

text by typing in a specific font size. You

can also re-size text with the handles on

the selected word(s).

CURVE TOOL. Use this tool to bend text

on a curve. You can curve text in

opposite directions by varying degrees.

3 7

LETTER SPACING TOOL. Use this tool to

designate the spacing between each

letter in your text. Decreasing this

number will bring letters closer together.

ADVANCED TOOLS. Use this tool to

easily ungroup letters or lines of text for

precise spacing manipulation.

4 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

To place text on your project, click the Text

Tool in the middle of the left-hand toolbar.

Once the white text box appears, type in

your desired text. Once text is selected, the

Font Toolbar will appear.

USING TEXT ON YOUR PROJECTS

By default, text will always start as a "Cut"

design, as designated by the word "Cut" in

the Layers Panel. This means your letters will

be cut out of your paper, vinyl, etc.

If you would rather your text be drawn with

Cricut Pens, change the Linetype (very top

toolbar) to Draw. Notice how the letters are

outlined instead of filled.

If you want your text to have a hand-written

appearance (instead of outlined), adjust the

font to Writing using the Style menu.

NOTE: Not every font has a "Writing" option.

PLACING TEXT CUTTING TEXT

OUTLINING TEXT WRITING TEXT

NOTES

TUTORIALS & PROJECT LIBRARY

Visit my comprehensive Tutorial & Project Library that contains in-depth Cricut Design Space tutorials,

step-by-steps for working with various materials (e.g., vinyl, iron-on, chipboard, etc),

and dozens of inspiring project ideas!

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES

VISIT THE LIBRARY

MACHINE COMPARISON GUIDE

If you're not sure which Cricut is right for

you, this guide breaks down the features,

pros, and cons of Cricut's 3 main machines.

SEE THE GUIDE

CRICUT SHOPPING GUIDE

Not sure which tools and supplies you really

need? I list out my must-have picks so you

can make any project on your To Do list!

SEE THE GUIDE

ORGANIZATION QUICK TIPE-BOOK

9 pages of strategies, projects, and

habits you can implement right away,

plus 12 colorful print-and-cut

organizational quotes to keep you

motivated!

PRINTABLEPROJECT PLANNER

12 colorful printable pages to help you

plan, organize, and carry out your next

craft, DIY, home, or organization project!

HOLIDAY PLANNINGCHECKLISTS

15+ fully editable checklists spread across

20+ printable pages, all designed to help

you streamline your holiday baking,

decor, gifting, travel, and more!

SMOOTH MOVEPLANNING KIT

20 printable pages to help you plan,

organize, and execute various aspects of

your next move, including inventories,

utility logs, expense trackers, packing

lists, and more!

INTERESTED IN MY OTHER DOWNLOADS?

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THANK YOU!

STAY IN TOUCH

Hey there, Friend!Thank you so much for downloading my Cricut

Design Space Cheat Sheets! I really hope they

help you get started creating great projects

with your Cricut. In addition to everything I have

outlined in this workbook, my #1 piece of advice

is to simply spend time playing around with the

various images, tools, and features in Cricut

Design Space. The learning curve can feel really

steep when you are just starting out. But I

promise...after your first few projects, you will

be well on your way to mastering the Design

Space software and confidently creating

amazing projects with your Cricut machine!

Megan