In Cricut Design Space, almost every element you add is automatically set as a cut line by default. These cut lines tell your Cricut machine where to cut on your material.
Understanding Cut Lines
When you add shapes, text, or most images to your Design Space Canvas, they appear with a default operation of "Cut." This means that when you send your project to the machine, it will cut along the outlines of these elements.
Methods to Create and Utilize Cut Lines
Here's how you work with cut lines in Design Space:
1. Adding Basic Shapes and Text
The simplest way to create cut lines is by adding standard elements:
- Shapes: Go to the "Shapes" tool in the left-hand toolbar. Select any shape (square, circle, triangle, etc.). It will appear on your canvas as a cut layer.
- Text: Click the "Text" tool. Type your desired text. By default, each letter or word you create will be a cut line.
- Images: Use the "Images" tool to search the Cricut library or upload your own compatible image files (like SVG, PNG, JPG). Once added to the canvas, layers are typically set to "Cut."
2. Using "Attach" for Specific Cuts
Sometimes, you need two or more separate objects to maintain their position relative to each other for a specific cutting outcome. The Attach function is crucial for this.
As highlighted in the reference: "I just need to go down and attach. The two together and now that circle is going to be cut in half."
- Purpose: Attaching layers holds them together spatially on the mat preview and ensures the machine cuts them exactly as they appear on the canvas relative to each other.
- Example (from reference): To cut a circle in half using a line, you would:
- Add a circle shape.
- Add a line shape (or create one from a narrow rectangle).
- Position the line exactly where you want the cut to occur on the circle.
- Select both the circle layer and the line layer.
- Click the "Attach" button (usually found at the bottom of the Layers panel).
- Now, when you make it, the machine will cut the line through the circle, effectively cutting the circle into two pieces.
3. Ensuring Operation is "Cut"
If you've changed a layer's operation (e.g., to Score or Draw) and want it back to a cut line:
- Select the layer on the canvas or in the Layers panel.
- Go to the "Operation" dropdown menu at the top of the Layers panel.
- Select "Basic Cut" under the "Cut" category.
4. Difference from Score Lines
While the video snippet also mentions score lines, it's important to note the difference:
- Cut Lines: Tell the machine to slice completely through the material.
- Score Lines: Tell the machine to create a crease or fold line on the material (requires a scoring tool). You change a layer's operation to "Score" in the Operations menu.
In summary, you create cut lines by adding standard design elements, and you can manipulate how these lines interact using functions like Attach to achieve precise cutting results.
