How to Use Cricut Design Space With Explore Air 2

If you have been wondering about how to use Cricut Design Space with your Cricut then this post is for you! This post will explain the basics of the program along with some tips which will allow you to make awesome designs with your Cricut machine.

This post has been updated as of 3/2021.

This post contains affiliate links. This means, if you make a purchase through my links, I'll receive a small portion of your purchase at no extra cost to you.

First, let's open up Cricut Design Space. This tutorial uses the desktop computer version of Design Space.

You should see a screen similar to the one below.

You will notice that the top row is "My Projects". You can click the green "View All" to see all your saved projects. If you would like to continue working on a project or edit a previous project, you can select it by clicking on the project.

If you keep scrolling down the page you can also browse any of the Ready to Make projects in the "Cricut Access" section. Ready to Make projects are projects that are already done for you and are super awesome! (You can read more about Ready to Make Projects on THIS post.) Make sure to click "View All" to see all of them if you want.

If you scroll even further down the page you will see projects from the Cricut Community. This are projects designed by Cricut users (like you!) that are shared to the community so you can make the project too. Again, click on "View All" if you want to see more of these projects. There are some pretty fun ones!

Let's start a New Project.  Scroll back up to the top of our page.  You can select the "New Project" button either by clicking on the "+" symbol under "My Projects" or by clicking on the green "New Project" button in the top right-hand corner.   A new blank canvas will open up.

If you have multiple Cricut machines, make sure the machine type you will be using for your project is selected in the menu on the top right of the window, as that will change some of the options available depending on your machine. If you only have one machine, your machine type should appear in the top right hand corner.

On the left hand side of your window you will see seven different menu options:

NEW
TEMPLATES
PROJECTS
IMAGES
TEXT
SHAPES
UPLOAD

I will explain what each of these options do in the following screen shots.

NEW PROJECT OPTION

Use this option at any time to start a new project and get a blank canvas. After you click on it you will be prompted if you want to save your current project or replace it with a blank canvas.

TEMPLATES TOOL

This is where you can set a specific type of template to help you visualize how your design will look on a certain item. It can be helpful for spacing and sizing. The template is not cut out. I usually just use a blank canvas, but that's just my preference.

On some of the templates you can change the sizing in the drop down menu to match what you are working on. In the example below the apron size can be changed from Adult to Kid.

PROJECTS

Use this option to see all the available Cricut Access (Ready to Make Projects) These are projects that are already completed for you and you can just make them! Some of the projects are customizable once you open them.

You can search specifically for projects included with Cricut Access by using the drop down menu. There are also other categories such as "Free" or "Free for Cricut Joy" These free projects  are great to try out if you are just learning to use your machine.

INSERT IMAGES TOOL

 When you click on the Images tool, you will see the Cricut library of images open. This is where you can select from thousands of images that can be inserted into your project. You can search for a specific image by using the search bar, or you can select from a category below the search bar.

Let's search for "heart" as an example.

Once, you type in heart in the search bar, all of images associated with that search term will appear. You can see there are 10,337 results. On the left hand side you will notice Filters. You can use these Filters to narrow down your results so you don't have to search through all ten thousand images!

Click on the plus symbol next to each filter to open up your options.  Click the minus symbol to close the options.

To select a filter, check the box next to it.  For example, I clicked on "Cards" under Project type. Now the results will show cards with hearts, my original search term, and there are only 119 results. Much easier to look through.

You can select multiple filters at once which will narrow your search even more.   There are options for Project Type, Operation Type, Image Complexity, Layers, Ownership, Brand, Material, and even Language. As you are searching images, you may change your mind on a filter, simply uncheck any filters you don't want to use.

If you have Cricut Access and want to see only images that come with Cricut Access than make sure to check the box next to that filter at the very top. The images with the green "a" in the left corner are ones that are included with your Cricut Access (Click HERE to read more about Cricut Access.)

If you are not a Cricut Access member, a very helpful filter is the "free" one if you scroll down the page.  Check this filter to see all the free images available with your search term.

Click on the image you would like to insert on to your canvas to select it. You can select multiple images at once. Selected images will be highlighted by a green box, and a small version of the image will appear at the bottom of the screen to show you what images you are going to insert. Click on the "Insert" button.

LINETYPE

Depending on which Cricut machine you have, there are various numbers of linetypes. The Cricut Maker has the most tools and therefore the most linetypes. For the Maker there are 8 different kinds of Linetypes depending on which blade (or pen) you are using. Cut: Usually the Fine Tip Blade (Cricut Maker, Explore Air 2 and Cricut Joy), but can also be Deep Cut (Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore Air 2), Knife Blade (Cricut Maker), Rotary Blade (Cricut Maker))
Draw: Pens (Cricut Joy, Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Maker)
Score: Scoring stylus (Cricut Explore Air 2 or Cricut Maker) or Scoring Wheel (Cricut Maker)
Engrave: Engraving Tip (Cricut Maker)
Deboss: Debossing Tip (Cricut Maker)
Wave: Wavy Blade (Cricut Maker)
Perf: Perforation blade (Cricut Maker)
Foil: Foil transfer kit, (Purchased separately that works with the Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore Air 2)

If you have a Cricut Explore Air 2, you will see the Cut, Draw, Score and Foil options.

If you have a Cricut Joy machine, you will see only two types of Linetypes, Cut and Draw.

Change your linetype to match the type of blade you will be using. Depending on what you choose, your image may change slightly. For example, when you select Draw from the Linetype Menu, the heart changes into a draw image and is no longer filled in. With Draw selected, you can click on the box next to the linetype to change the color.

You can also change the pen type by clicking on the drop down box within that menu. You'll notice your line thickness of your image changes depending on the pen type selected.

If you have a cut image that you would like to print instead, select your image, and click on the Fill drop down menu.  Select Print. Your cut image is now a printable image. For Print then Cut projects you will send your image to your printer and then your Cricut will cut it out. (Note: Print then Cut only works with the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine, not the Cricut Joy.)

If you would like to change your image color or fill it with a pattern, click on the little box to the right of the Fill option. You can select a color swatch to make it that exact color, or click on the advanced menu to select a different color.

To select a pattern, click on the pattern and a large check mark will appear. You can also click on the Edit Pattern option at the bottom to edit your pattern.

You can change the scale (size) or your pattern by sliding the circle to the right or left or by changing the number in the drop down menu.

You can also change the placement of the pattern by changing the vertical and horizontal coordinates. You can also rotate or flip the pattern with the other options.

You can also change your material color for a cut image by selecting another color in the drop down menu. The material color you choose is what mat the machine will choose to cut those layers that are that color. For example if I make one circle pink and one circle red, they will cut on two different mats. If I want them on the same mat, make sure the color is the same.

When you insert a shape or design, you can click on the little lock bottom in the bottom left corner to unlock the shape. This allows you to freely size the shape. If you wanted an exact size shape you can also select the shape and change the numbers in the menu above. There are also options to rotate your shape or position it to an exact location.

TEXT TOOL

Next, let's talk about the text tool.

When you select this option a text box will appear and you can type your desired text. The text you typed will then appear on your canvas.

To edit your text you will use the options in the tool bar across the top when your text is selected.

In the first drop down box you can change your Font. You can select from All Fonts, System Fonts (meaning ones from your computer) or Cricut fonts to browse. You can also use the search bar to look for a specific font.

A great feature is to use the Filter option on the far right side of the text menu. This allows you to filter your search. You can select either just one filter or you can select multiple criteria such as "My Fonts" and "Writing". This will then only show results that meet both of those criteria. Writing is a great one to filter if you are looking for fonts to use your Cricut pens.  In the example below I have selected "My Fonts" and "Writing" as my filters, so the only ones that show up meet those two criteria. Just click the options again to deselect them on your filters.

Multi-layer fonts are ones that have a shadow. When you type your text the default is that the shadow layer is hidden. You can simply click on the eye icon to show the shadow again. I selected a multi-layer font below, but the shadow layer is hidden until I click on the eye icon and have it shown again.

You will also notice some other text options such as Font Style, Font Size, Letter and Line Space, and Alignment. These are options you are probably used to, but you can click around for a few minutes and familiarize yourself with them.

Letter Space is a great tool to use when you have cursive letters and you want them to be closer together so they touch. Simply decrease the letter spacing by selecting the down arrow. You can see that I decreased the letter space for the word below. The font I have selected below is a "Writing" style font, meaning I can use pens to write when I make my project. Fonts that do not have a writing style will be the outline of the text (the text is not filled in when you make a project).

If you would like to edit an individual letter in your text, select your text on the canvas, click on "Ungroup" in the right hand corner. I use this to be able to rotate my letters, place them where I would like them or if I want a certain letter to be larger then the rest.  Once you are done editing the text, select it again, right click and click group so all your text can be moved and edited together again.

In the image above, my letter are isolated so I can select each one separately and rotate them.

You can also use the Curve tool to curve  your text. Select the text you wish to curve and slide the bar right or left to either curve your text downwards or upwards.

SHAPES TOOL

You can use this option to insert basic shapes into your design like a circle, square, heart, line etc. I will go into more detail on how you can edit these shapes later on in this post.

UPLOAD TOOL

This is where you can upload your very own images and designs. When you click on it you will see this screen below. You have the option to upload an image or a pattern fill. You can either drag and drop a file or selected a file by clicking on browse. Files must be .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, .svg, or .dxf.  At the bottom of your screen you will see your recently uploaded images. *Patterns you upload will appear on the main canvas next to the fill menu, under print type, pattern.

This tool is really useful if your file is already in the .svg format. Files purchased from Etsy, etc. should have that as an option and be ready to use and you won't need to do the following steps. Cleaning up other kinds of files can be a little tricky and works best with simpler, clean images. However, if you are willing to put in the time, you can also clean up harder images. For example, many people use this option to upload a photo of a loved ones handwriting to make into a keepsake.

Click on Upload Image and you will see the screen below. For example I selected a screen shot of my logo to upload.

Once you have selected a file, you will need to choose an image type. Each type has a short description next to it. Most often I use the complex image selection. Click on continue.

* Note: if your image is in .svg format already, it will be ready to use and just ask you to save the image you uploaded.

On this screen you will be able to use the tools on the left to erase the background and parts of your image you don't want. There is the Wand, Eraser and Crop tool. You can also play around with the advanced options and reduce the number of colors in your image to try and make it easier to clean up. Please note, your final cut image will only be as good as your original image.  If you have a grainy picture to start with, you will probably end up with a poor cut image.

In the example below, I used the Wand tool to erase the background of my logo. It now appears as a blue checkerboard background.

I used the Wand tool to also erase the mint flag behind my logo name.  Then I used use the erase tool to remove the dots. You can click on the Preview button to see what your cut image will look like. This will allow you to erase any parts you don't want showing up in your final image.

Once you are satisfied with your image, click on continue.  Now, you will have two options to save your image: Save as Print then Cut Image or Save as Cut Image.  I prefer to save my files almost always as a Print then Cut image.  This allows me to be able to print the image if I wanted to OR cut it. If you save as just a Cut Image, you cannot make it a printable image if you change your mind.

Now that we've discussed the left hand side of the canvas, let's discuss the options that are the right hand side.

LAYERS MENU

When you have the Layers Menu open on the right hand side of your screen, you will notice some different options on the very bottom- Slice, Weld, Attach, Flatten and Contour. These will be important when you are making your designs.

Slice– Split two overlapping layers into parts
Weld– Join multiple layers into one shape
Attach-Hold images into position for cutting, or adds writing to image layer
Flatten– Merge layers to a single printable image (very important when using Print then Cut)
Contour– Hide/Unhide lines on a layer

The Layers menu will show all of the different texts and images you have on your canvas. Each is it's own layer. If you click on a layer, you will notice the menu bar across the top of the screen change.

COLOR SYNC TOOL

Another option on the left hand side of the screen is the Color Sync tool. It has a brief description right on the menu of what it does when you select it. You can drag and drop different layers to make them the same color. This helps when you are cutting out projects with multiple colors because it will ensure you are cutting all the pieces that are the same color at the same time. This will save you so much time of having to switch the materials you are cutting back and forth because you will cut all the same color at the same time!

HOW TO USE THE SLICE, WELD, ATTACH, FLATTEN AND CONTOUR TOOLS

SLICE TOOL

The Slice tool is used to slice two overlapping layers. You can only slice two layers at a time.  This tool is useful if you want to cut out a shape or text from another shape in order to create new shapes. It is also very useful when you want a layered design but don't want overlapping parts on top of each other.

Select your two layers to slice and click on the Slice tool.

This will slice your two layers into three new layers as in the picture below. You can think of this process as using a cookie cutter and cutting cookie dough. When you are done slicing an image you will have the "cookie cutter" piece, the "cookie" piece, and the remaining "dough" piece or pieces.

You can delete any layers that you don't want in your final design either by selecting them on the layer menu and hitting delete on your keyboard, or by right clicking and selecting delete.

WELD TOOL

The Weld tool is used to join images and/or text to create a single image. It removes any overlapping cut lines in the images or text. Weld is permanent. Once you have welded an image you cannot un-weld it!

TIP: If you think you may need something un-welded later on, make a copy of your images before welding. Make sure they are all selected then group them together using the Group tool on the Layers menu. Use the little eye symbol on the right-hand side of your group on the Layers menu to hide the group.  Later on in your project if you need the un-welded images, simply click on the eye to un-hide them.  If you don't need them later on you can delete those layers.

When you weld, the layers you have selected will become one layer and one image.

ATTACH TOOL

The Attach tool is used for two different functions. One is to fasten images in their place so that when you go to cut the images it shows up exactly like you arranged it in the design screen. I know so many people create their perfect design and then go to cut it out and are confused that it's all mixed up on the mat preview. This is because the images are placed as close to together as possible on the mat to conserve materialunless you select the Attach tool.

If you want the Cricut to cut out something exactly how you have it on your canvas you will want to use the Attach option.The other function of the Attach tool is to attach a write or score line to a cut layer. For example, if you have text you want to write on an image, you will need to attach it.

FLATTEN TOOL

The Flatten tool is used with the Print then Cut feature in Design Space. It takes a multiple-layered image and "flattens" it into a single layer.

For example, in the image below I have two layers: text and a heart image. Notice that they are both cut images. Click on the Flatten tool.

Now, the layers have become one layer that is both cut and print. Your Cricut machine will print the text, but cut out the heart.  You'll also notice you can unflatten an image, or make it multiple layers again, by clicking Unflatten.

One problem I see a lot of people run into is having individual letters or images cut out when they don't want them to.  Notice in the screen shot below that I attached two printable cut images. They each have their own layer.

In this example, you would print out the heart with the words on it. But instead of just cutting out the heart, the Cricut machine would also cut out the letters in Love, which you don't want. So make sure to flatten your images!

CONTOUR TOOL

The contour tool is probably one of the most under-utilized tools in my opinion. To be honest I didn't really understand it at first. But now that I do, I find myself using it more often.

The contour tool is used to remove or hide unwanted pieces of an image or cut lines. It will only work with cut images and one layer.

For example, if you didn't want to cut out all the pieces in the butterfly image below, select it and click on contour.

You can either click on pieces directly in the image or on the right-hand side menu which you which to remove. Images will appear light grey in the image or be highlighted meaning they are removed.

Click on the X to close the contour window. Now, you'll see your image with the removed cuts.

Alternately, you could select the main portion of the butterfly in the Contour window to remove. This would leave you with just the butterfly markings to cut out. This could be useful if you planned to cut out a butterfly and then cut our vinyl butterfly markings.

Another example, uses this Hello I'm New Here Image.  If you just wanted the "Hello" part of the image to cut out, click on Contour.

Select each piece of the "I'm New Here". Click on the X to close the Contour window.

Now, just the "Hello" will be cut out.

OTHER IMPORTANT TIPS

When you are ready to make your project you will click on Make It in the top right corner. .

This will open the mat preview screen where there are a lot of options you can change. First of all, when you click on your image, three little dots will appear in the corner and an arrow will also appear. The three little dots give you the options to move your image to another mat or hide it. (In this example there is only have one mat right now, but later on in the example I will use the move option.) If you didn't want the selected image to cut you would select the Hide option.

The circular arrow on the right of the image allows you to rotate your image how you would like it cut. You can also move your image where you would like it on the mat.

MAKE MULTIPLE PROJECT COPIES

Another important option is Project Copies in the top left corner. Here you can select how many copies you want to cut out of your image

Select 8 copies by typing it in the box or using the drop down menu. Select Apply and 8copies will populate on the screen, and there are now two mats.

To move one of the hearts to the first mat, click on the image, use the three dot option to select "move it" , and then select which mat. Use the rotate tool to make the image fit on my first mat. You can see on the left hand side that there are now 5 hearts on one mat and three on the other.

CHANGE YOUR MAT SIZE

Design Space defaults to 12X12 material size but you can also change to your desired size right in the preview screen. Click on the drop down menu and pick which size material you are using.

Below the  12X24 size is selected and now all the hearts fit on one mat. The next step is to click continue and then cut out my images.

CHANGE THE CANVAS GRIDLINES

You can change the gridlines that show on your canvas. Simply click on the corner square by the zero mark, Clicking the square once will make the smaller grid lines disappear.

Clicking it twice will make all gridlines disappear. And clicking a third time will reset the gridlines as they were in the beginning.

FIND OUT WHAT FONT OR IMAGE YOU USED

If you want to find out what image you used you can right click on the image itself or right click on it in the Layers menu. This will bring up a drop down menu.

Click on Image Info and you will see the exact number of the image you used.

You can search for that exact image using the entire number including the hashtag in the image search in Cricut Design Space. This image number is #M3C305.

You can also use this feature to find out a font that you used if you can't remember. Once you weld fonts or otherwise manipulate them, the font name disappears from the Layers menu. Again, right click on the font to see the image info. In the example below the image info tells us the font name is Dream Catcher.

COMBINE MULTIPLE PROJECTS INTO ONE

You can combine multiple projects into one project on Cricut Design Space very easily.

Open up the project you want to copy. Open a new window in Cricut Design Space. You can select another project you wish to copy to in this window, or just choose a blank project.  Select the image or images you wish to copy and right click on them. Select Copy from the menu. In your new window, right click and select Paste.  Now your images from your other project will be in this window.

You can select images from multiple projects to copy by opening them up and following the same steps.

USE PRINT THEN CUT TO PREVIEW INFUSIBLE INK PATTERNS

Here's a little tip I like to use to see a mock-up of how an Infusible Ink Design will look.

Find the Infusible Ink pattern you are using on Cricut's website. Click on the swatch and take a screen shot of the pattern.

Use the Upload tool in Cricut Design Space and select Pattern Fill. Make sure to name your pattern after the Infusible Ink you used.

Select your image you wish to mock-up and change it to a print image in the Fill menu. Select the square next to Fill and select Pattern in the drop down menu.  You should see your pattern swatch.  Click on advanced to adjust the pattern scale.

You'll want to make the scale as high as it can go to get the most accurate preview you can. For some patterns, the scale may still be a little small.

Now you have a mock-up/ preview of what your Infusible Ink design will look like! Remember this is just to be able to get an idea of what your design will look like and you'll need to switch back to a cut image to make your project.

Whew. I know that was a lot of information, but I hope you found it helpful!

If you have any other questions, please let me know in the comments below!

* You can  also view my post about these tips on the official Cricut blog here.

How to Use Cricut Design Space With Explore Air 2

Source: https://www.everydayjenny.com/top-tips-and-tricks-the-basics-of-cricut-design-space/

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