Cricut Tips and Tricks

Create SVG File in Inkscape
Step 1
Right-click on the JPEG, PNG or other image and then click "Open With" from the
context menu. Click the "Inkscape" option. The graphic opens in the Inkscape program.
To create a new drawing, click the "File" option and then click "New" from the top
navigation bar. A blank canvas opens.
Step 2
Click the imported image, and then click "Edit" from the top navigation bar. Click "Make
a Bitmap Copy." A copy of the image is created and layered on to of the original image.
If creating a new image, use the "Pen," "Brush" and other drawing tools available in the
left toolbar.
Step 3
Move the bitmap layer to the left or right (to access the original) and then click on the
original graphic. Press the "DEL" key to delete it.
Step 4
Click the remaining image to select and then click "View."
Step 5
Click "Display Mode" and then click "Outline." An outline of the original image is
automatically generated.
Step 6
Click the "Path" option on the top navigation bar, and then click "Trace Bitmap." The
Trace Bitmap dialog box opens.
Step 7
Click the "Update" button and then click "OK" in the Trace Bitmap dialog box.
Step 8
Click on the red X in the graphic and move the X off the image. Press "DEL" to delete
the red X.
Step 9
Recreate the remainder of the original image using the drawing tools from the toolbar, if
needed.
Step 10
Click the "File" option and then click "Save." The File Save dialog box opens.
Step 11
Type a name for the new SVG file in the "File Name" input box.
Step 12
Click the "Save as Type" drop-down box and then click the "Inkscape SVG (.svg)"
option. Click "Save." The image is saved as an SVG and may now be imported into the
SCAL software and used with the Cricut machine.
Instructions for split name
(Note: These instructions are for a PC with Windows operating system)
• I used the Bernard MT for the last names and the I Love Glitter font for the first names.
• I used the left bracket ([) to create the “swoosh” on the left of the first names, the right bracket (]) to
create the swoosh at the end of the names and the underscore (_) to create the heart in the middle. I
have also included instructions at the end of this handout for using Babel Map to insert glyphs in the
fonts that have them. (Not all fonts have glyphs.)
• Position all of the characters so that they touch and then weld them. (I forgot this step the first time I
tried this. It was not pretty.)
1. Create a text box and type the last name then size it to fit your plate.
2. Create a text box and type the first names, move the letters so that they touch, weld them and then
resize the text box to fit over the last name image.
3. Duplicate both of them and then hide the duplicates.
4. Select the first names and change them from cut to print by clicking on the scissors in the Layers panel
on the right.
5. In the Layers attributes panel that appears, click on the Print icon.
The icon for this image (the first names) changes in the Layers panel to a printer.
6. Hide the remaining last name image. (You don’t really have to do this but it will just help in the next
step. Plus, I just like to have a “clean” canvas.)
7. Click the Make it button.
8. Click the Continue button at the bottom.
9. Click the Send to Printer button.
10. Right-click on the mat preview and select Save image as…
11. Type a name for the file and change the file location if desired. I’m saving this to my Desktop so that I
can remember later to delete it.
12. Click the Save button.

13. Click the “X” in the upper-right corner of the Print Setup window to close it and then click the Cancel
button to cancel the cut.
14. Click on the Upload Image button.
15. Click on the Browse button.

16. Select the .PNG file you just created and click the Open button.
17. On the next screen, click on Simple under the image type on the right and then click the Continue
button at the bottom. (When you click on Simple, the while box around your image will turn gray. Don’t
worry about that. You’ll get rid of it in the next step anyway.)
18. Click the Select & erase tool at the top of the screen (looks like a magic wand) and then click anywhere
on the gray area of your image.
You will need to click once on the big gray area outside of the border around the text and again inside
the box to remove the gray area there. The gray will turn to blue and white checks.
19. To get rid of the box around the text, use the Erase tool (the button to the right of the magic wand).
The mouse pointer will turn to a big circle. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor over
the black lines to erase them. (HINT: Click the magnifying glass in the upper right corner to zoom in and
make this task easier. You can also make the circle smaller or larger.)
20. Click the Continue button at the bottom.
21. Click the box on the right to save it as a cut file and not a print file.
You can give it a different name and a description on the right if you’d like to help you find it again in
your uploads if you’ll ever want to use this image again. Notice that mine defaulted to the text that is in
the image.
22. Click the Save button at the bottom. It will appear under your Recently Uploaded files. (Mine is there
twice because I uploaded it this morning and am recreating the steps here for you.)
23. Click on the image you just uploaded and then click the Insert images button at the bottom to insert it
into the canvas we were working on way back in Step 1.
24. Place the uploaded image you just inserted on top of the last name image and select both of them.
(NOTE; A quick way to do this is to draw a box around both of them.)
25. In the menu at the top, click on Align and then Center horizontally.
26. Select both images again, click on Align and then click on Center vertically.
27. Select both images and click on Slice at the bottom.
28. Pull the last name image away. (Just because it is easier to grab. It really doesn’t matter which one you
move.) The first name image has been cut out of the last name.
29. Pull out and delete the pieces that you sliced.
30. Unhide the cut version of the first names that you hid in Step 3.
31. Drag the first names to the space left when you sliced them in Step 28.
32. If you want two different colors, change the color of one or both of the images before you hit the Make
it button.
That’s it! Everything you need to know (and maybe a little more) about splitting a name. You could create more
room for the first names by duplicating the last name image and using Contour to make 2 images out of it, and
then moving the 2 images farther apart. Just be careful that you only move up and down and that you don’t
resize. Otherwise, the names won’t fit correctly or the last name will be off kilter.
Hope this helps!
Trudy Buehler
Babel Map Instructions
You will need to download the Babel Map app in order to use it. Unlike Paint and Snipping Tool I have
mentioned in these instructions, it does not come with Windows. Just Google “Babel Map” and you’ll see the
website that has the free download.
1. Open the Babel Map app. (If you don’t have a shortcut created, type “Babel Map” in the Search box on
the Task Bar at the bottom of your screen. The Babel Map window looks like this:
2. Click the drop-down arrow in the right of Single Font box and select the font you want.
3. As you click on a box in the character list, that character will be added to the Edit Buffer box at the
bottom.
4. Once you have inserted all of the characters you want to use into the Edit Buffer box, click the Copy
button at the bottom.
5. Go back to Design Space and paste the character(s) where you want them in your text box.
That’s it. I do want to note that I copied 3 characters here. When I pasted them into my text box in Design Space,
they were pasted as you see them above – 3 characters right in a row. I then selected them one at a time, cut
them and pasted them to the exact spot I wanted them. If you’d rather, you can copy them one at a time. It
might be a little easier and less confusing.

Cricut Tips and Tricks

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Cricut Tips and Tricks

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Create SVG File in Inkscape

Click the remaining image to select and then click "View."

9. Click the Send to Printer button.

12. Click the Save button.

15. Click on the Browse button.

20. Click the Continue button at the bottom.

Hope this helps!

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