Canvas screen - Design Space Guide

The navigation bar across the top of Design Space for Desktop gives you easy access to many helpful functions, whether you're on Home or on Canvas. 

1. Home - Return to the home page where you can find inspiration, Cricut Access subscription information, links to My Stuff, Heat Guide, and more. 

2. Canvas - Where you can create your unique projects. 

3. Elipses (3 Dots) - On Windows this where you can find the options to open a new Design Space window, quit, reload the page, contact member care, and look up videos. On Mac File, View , and Help settings are in the top left in the Mac Menu Bar. 

4. Help Menu - Easy access to tutorial videos, cheat sheets, our online Help Center, and more. Learn more about the Help Menu.

5. Notifications - See all your notifications, including likes on your project, new projects from people you follow, and more. (You can change your notification settings in the menu).

6. Menu - Navigate to your profile page, sign out, find all your machine and Canvas settings, calibrate your machines, change your language and more. Learn more about Design Space Settings. 

7. Window buttons - Minimize Design Space, go full screen, or close Design Space. 

8. Project Name- The name of your project will appear here. If you have not yet saved your project, it will say Untitled Project. 

9. Save - Save a project to your account, making it accessible from Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Select Save As to make a new copy of your project with a different name. 

10. My Stuff - Open your saved or bookmarked projects, images, and collections.

11. Machine Selection - Choose which machine you're using. Your machine selection will affect what options you have in the Canvas. (Learn More).

12. Make - Prepare your mats and send your project to your Cricut machine.

Help menu

Get all the Help resources you need in one place. Just click the ? icon to find links to: 

• How-to videos - a page of tutorial videos right in Design Space to help you learn the software, learn how to make different types of projects, or work with particular materials
• Cheatsheets - Printable resources for learning and reference
• Keyboard shortcuts - An at-a-glance guide to helpful keyboard shortcuts for performing certain actions
• What's New - An overview of what was new with the release of your current Design Space version
• Report a Bug - Opens a form you can use to submit feedback about Design Space
• Online Help Center – Takes you to help.cricut.com, a Cricut official site that provides information and support for Cricut products
• Contact Member Care – Takes you to a page of contact information for Cricut Member Care

Machine Selection

To access all the content, features, and other options applicable to your machine, be sure to select your Cricut cutting machine model from the machine selection dropdown. Simply select the machine icon and then your machine from the menu.

Note: Choose Cricut Explore Family for Cricut Explore Air 2 and older. Cricut Explore 3 is listed separately at this time. 

The panel on the left side of the Canvas contains tools that allow you to add content to the Canvas.

New - Click the New icon at any time to create a new project from scratch.

Templates - Use a template to help you visualize your finished product (Learn More).

Projects - Browse, select, and cut projects from the Projects Tab. This includes your projects as well as Ready-to-Make projects, and projects shared to the Community by other Cricut users. Learn about Ready-to-Make projects. 

Shapes - Quickly add basic shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and score lines to your Canvas. (Learn More.)

Images - Browse, select, and insert images from the Cricut image library, including your own uploaded images, to the Canvas (Learn More).

Text - Add custom words and phrases to the Canvas (Learn More).

Monogram Maker - This Cricut Access exclusive feature creates personalized monograms in seconds (Learn More).

Upload - Cut what you want by uploading .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, .svg, or .dxf image files (Learn More).

The Edit bar in Design Space gives you access to features such as Operation, Fill, Size, Rotate, Mirror, Position, etc. for editing images and text. 

Note: More options become available in the Edit Bar when you are working with text, such as options choose a font, choose a font style, size, etc. Learn more about editing Text in Design Space. 

Undo/Redo - Undo previously performed actions or Redo actions which have been undone.

Operation - Operation determines how the machine will interact with your material on the mat. You can cut, draw, or score with your Cricut machine. Learn more about selecting Operation.

Cut:

• Basic - The layer will be cut with a Fine-Point, Performance, or Deep-Point blade.
• Wavy - The layer will be cut with a Wavy Blade.
• Perforate - The layer will be cut with a Perforation Blade. 

 Draw:

• Pen - The layer will be drawn with a pen. 
• *Foil - The layer will be embossed using the Foil Transfer Tool.
• Score - The layer will be scored using a Scoring Wheel or Scoring Stylus.
• Deboss - The layer will be debossed using the Debossing Tip.
• Engrave - The layer will be engraved using the Engraving Tip. 

 Print Then Cut - The layer will be setup to print in a home printer, and then cut by the Cricut machine. Learn How to Print Then Cut in Design Space.

 Guide - The layer will not be cut, but will show on the Canvas to be used as a guide. 

* Only available on Windows/Mac; not supported on iOS/Android. 

Note: Not all these Operation types are available for all machines. The Operation types that are available for your machine selection will be shown in this menu. 

Operation swatch

Select the Operation swatch to choose additional attributes for your layer. Available options are based on the selected Operation. The swatch will appear solid when Cut is selected, as an outline when Draw is selected, and a / will appear through the swatch when Perforate, Score, Deboss, or Engrave is selected.

• Cut attributes
  Available while a cut layer is selected. A color picker window will appear. You can change your material to a basic color, or click Advanced to choose any color you want. You can also enter the hex code of your color at the bottom of the window.
  
  
  
• Draw attributes
  Available when a draw layer is selected. Choose the thickness and color of the pen you would like to use. Use the drop-down in the window to change the pen thickness. 
  
  
  

•  Fill attributes
  Available when a Print Then Cut layer is selected. Choose to have the image print in one of three ways.
  • Original artwork: Print the image as it appeared when it was first inserted on the Canvas. 
  • Color: Print the image as a single solid color. 
  • Pattern: Fill the image shape with a pattern. After selecting a pattern, you can click "Edit Pattern" to change the scale and orientation of the pattern. Learn more about Pattern fills.
    
    
    

 Select All/Deselect – Select or deselect all items on the Canvas simultaneously.

Edit - Use this drop-down to find common edit tools: Cut, Copy, Paste, Duplicate, and Delete. 

• Cut - Remove an image from the Canvas and copy it to your clipboard so you can paste it at a later time.
• Copy – Copy an image to the clipboard to paste at a later time.
• Paste – Paste a copied or cut object from the clipboard onto the Canvas.
• Duplicate – Create an exact copy of the layer you have selected.
• Delete – Delete the selected layer from the Canvas.

Align - Define the margin that aligns two or more objects. You can have your objects line up to the left, right, top, or bottom, or have horizontal or vertical centers. You can also distribute your objects evenly vertically or horizontally.

 Align Left - Define the left margin of two or more objects. The margin will take on the left-most edge of your left-most object.

 Center Horizontally - Define the horizontal center point of two or more objects. The central point will take on the exact horizontal center of all selected objects.

 Align Right - Define the right margin of two or more objects. The margin will take on the right-most edge of your right-most object.

Align Top - Define the top margin of two or more objects. The margin will take on the top-most edge of your top-most object.

Center Vertically - Define the vertical center point of two or more objects. The central point will take on the exact vertical center of all selected objects.

Align Bottom - Define the bottom margin of two or more objects. The margin will take on the bottom-most edge of your bottom-most object.

Center - Move all selected images so that the center points line up. Images will be stacked on top of each other.

Distribute Horizontally - Moves selected images so they are spaced evenly between the left and right edges of your selection.

 Distribute Vertically - Moves selected images so they are spaced evenly between the top and bottom edges of your selection.

Arrange - Change the order in which objects appear on the Canvas, including Move to Back, Move Backward, Move to Front, and Move Forward. Changes will be reflected in the Layers Panel.

Bring to Front - Bring the selected object to the front of the stacking order. This will make the object appear at the top of the Layers Panel.

Bring Forward - Move the selected object one layer forward in stacking order. This will make the object appear one layer higher in the Layers Panel.

 Send Backward - Move the selected object one layer backward in stacking order. This will make the object appear one layer lower on the Layers Panel.

 Send to Back - Send the selected object to the back of the stacking order. This will make the object appear at the bottom of the Layers Panel.

 Group - Make the selected layers grouped on the Canvas. Does not affect how the layers will cut.

 Ungroup - Undo a group of layers.

Flip - Flip an object horizontally or vertically.

 Flip Horizontal - Flip an object horizontally at the center of the object.

 Flip Vertical - Flip an object vertically at the center of the object.

Offset - Add a proportionally larger or smaller layer that matches the outline of the selected layer. You can adjust the size of the offset, if it has rounded or sharp edges, and if the offset pieces are welded together or not. Learn more about Offset.

Create Sticker - Create pro-looking printable stickers easily with this Cricut Access exclusive tool! Create Sticker automatically makes your sticker design printable, and you can quickly and easily customize the cut result. Learn more about Create Sticker.

Warp - Bend and distort images and text for amazing effects with this Cricut Access exclusive feature. Adjust how much the image is warped or bent. Learn more about Warp. 

Size - Adjust the width or height of an object by typing in an exact value or use the stepper to adjust the size by 0.1 at a time.

Note: Adjusting the size of the width or height will proportionally adjust the other variable if the size is locked. Simply click the Lock icon to unlock the image aspect ratio. Then you can freely adjust the width or height independently.

More – Some screen resolutions will be too narrow for all tools to show on the Edit bar. If this is the case, a “More” drop-down will appear.

Rotate - Adjust the rotation angle of your object by typing in an exact degree or use the stepper to adjust the angle by 1 degree at a time.

Position - Adjust the position of your object by typing in an exact distance from the top left corner of the Canvas or use the stepper to adjust the distance by 0.1 at a time.

Tip: Tool and feature icons are consistent across Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS versions of Design Space for easier understanding.

The Layers panel gives you access to features such as Group, Ungroup, Duplicate, Delete, Slice, Attach, Flatten, and more! 

Functions available in the Layers Panel

Group/Ungroup (Ctrl + G) — Group multiple layers, images, or text together so that they move and size together on the Canvas. This will not affect how images are laid out on the cutting mats. Ungroup a set of layers, images, or text so that they move and size independently from one another on the Canvas. For text, selecting "Ungroup" once allows you to move and resize each layer of text independently, but keeps the letters grouped together. Selecting "Ungroup" on a single layer of text will allow you to move and resize each letter of text independently.  

 Duplicate (Ctrl + D) — Copy and paste an object in one step to create multiples of the same object. (It is best practice to increase the project copies after clicking make it if you wish to create multiple copies of one project)

 Delete (Delete, or Backspace) — Remove selected object from the Canvas.

Slice  (Shift + ALT + Q) — Split two overlapping layers into separate parts. This will only work if you have exactly two layers selected. 

 Attach/Detach (ALT + A) — Attach to hold your objects in position so that objects on the cutting mat will appear exactly as they are arranged on your Canvas. Attach can also fasten a draw or score layer to a cut layer to tell the machine on which image layer the text or score line should be placed. Detach separates attached layers so they are no longer connected and will cut, draw, or score independently from all other layers. Learn more about using Attach. 

 Flatten/Unflatten (ALT + F, or Shift + ALT + F to Unflatten) — Flatten turns any image into a printable image, merging all selected layers into a single layer. Unflatten separates layers from a single printable image into individual printable layers. Learn How to Print Then Cut in Design Space.

Visible/Hidden Layer — The open eyeball icon indicates that the layer is visible on the Canvas and will cut, draw, score, or print. Click the icon to hide the selected layer. Hidden layers will not cut, draw, score, or print. Clicking the icon again makes the layer visible on the Canvas.

 Contour — Hide or unhide contour lines or cut paths on a layer. If the image has multiple layers, you must first Ungroup in order to use Contour.  Learn more about using Contour.

Combine Functions

The Combine tool provides several actions which allow you to combine objects in Design Space to make completely new shapes. Four of these actions - Unite, Subtract, Intersect, and Exclude - allow you to create new shapes while keeping all shapes in the group completely editable – every action can be adjusted or undone. Learn more about the Combine tool in this article: Using Combine, Slice, and Weld to create new shapes in Design Space.

Weld — Joins multiple objects together to create a new shape, removing any overlapping cut lines. This action is permanent. 

Unite — Also joins two or more shapes together into one new shape, but all objects used in the Unite remain completely editable.

 Subtract — Removes shapes from the last or bottom layer of any selected group of objects. Unlike Slice, you can Subtract multiple objects all at once. 

Intersect — Results in a new cut shape consisting of only the overlapping parts of two or more shapes.

Exclude — Results in a new cut shape consisting of only the non-overlapping parts of two or more shapes. It "excludes" or removes the overlapping sections. 

Move and rename layers

To help you more easily keep track of the design elements in your project, you can rename objects or groups of objects in the Design Space Layers panel, change the order of groups or layers in the Layers panel, and even move layers into or between groups! Learn More. 

Selecting Multiple Layers

One can select multiple layers at once by holding Shift or Ctrl while clicking multiple items either on the Canvas or in the Layers panel. (On Mac, Shift or Command).

Another option is to click and drag the mouse on the Canvas, covering multiple items with the grey box that follows the mouse, and release.

Design Space has a Color Sync panel to help you to match colors, or consolidate colors of a project in order to reduce the number of different materials you plan to use. You can sync layer colors by dragging an image layer in the Color Sync panel and dropping it on another layer whose color you want to match. 

The navigation bar across the top of Design Space gives you easy access to many helpful functions.

 Back Arrow – Tapping this takes you back to the Home page. You can only change your machine selection on the home page in Design Space for mobile. See Home page. 

Menu – In this menu you can find the following: 

• Project Title – This will be "Untitled" if it's a brand new unsaved project. There will be an asterisk * next to the title if there are unsaved changes. 
• Save / Save As – Save the changes to your project. Select Save As to make a new copy of your project with a different name. 
• Project Details – A window that displays project information. If you created the project, this is where you can find options to add photos of your finished project, add a description, add tags, and share your project with others. 
• Camera – Turn the Canvas background into your camera view to see what your project would look like on your t-shirt or other project surface. 
  
  
• Cricut Help – All the Help resources you need in one place. Here you can find links to: 
  • How-to videos - A page of tutorial videos right in Design Space to help you learn the software, learn how to make different types of projects, or work with particular materials.
  • Cheatsheets - Printable resources for learning and reference.
  • What's New - An overview of what was new with the release of your current Design Space version.
  • Report a Bug - Opens a form you can use to submit feedback about Design Space.
  • Online Help Center – Takes you to help.cricut.com, a Cricut official site that provides information and support for Cricut products.
  • Contact Member Care – Takes you to a page of contact information for Cricut Member Care.
    
    

• Canvas Settings – Here you can change the following settings: 

  • Grid – Turn Canvas grid lines on or off.
  • Light mode – Switch between light and dark mode. (This option available on iOS only.) 
  • Operation Types –  Turn on or off the operation types information when viewing layers in the layers panel.
  • Snap to Align - When this is on, items will automatically align with each other when moved on the Canvas. 
  • Units – Change between Imperial and Metric units of measurement.

Save / Save As – Save the changes to your project. Select Save As to make a new copy of your project with a different name.

Undo/Redo – Undo previously performed actions or Redo actions which have been undone. 

Layers – See all the items on your Canvas and arrange which are on top, hide or unhide layers, and rename layers. 

• To edit which items are on top, tap the "Edit" button and move the layers by dragging them in the layers panel.
• To rename a layer, tap "Edit" and then the pencil icon.
• To toggle layers as visible or not, tap on the eyeball symbol that shows when a layer is selected.
• In this panel you can also delete, duplicate, group, attach, or flatten layers. Read more about these "Actions" below.
• Color Sync – In the Color Sync panel you can match colors, or consolidate colors of a project in order to reduce the number of different materials you plan to use. To sync layer colors, tap and drag the double lines next to a layer in the Color Sync panel and drop it on another layer whose color you want to match. 

Make – When you're finished designing, tap Make to prepare your mats and send your project to your Cricut machine.

The Add Content button on the Canvas is how you add images – including your own uploaded images, basic shapes, text, and templates to the Canvas. 

 Image – Browse, select, and insert images from the Cricut image library, including your own uploaded images, to the Canvas (Learn More).

Shape – Quickly add basic shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and score lines to your Canvas. (Learn More.)

Text – Add custom words and phrases to the Canvas (Learn More).

Template – Use a template to help you visualize your finished product (Learn More).

Upload – Cut what you want by uploading .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, .svg, or .dxf image files (Learn More). 

When objects are selected, a green outline will appear around them.

Dragging one corner or side of the objects will resize them. 

Tap and drag the rotate symbol to rotate selected object(s).

When objects are selected on the Canvas, tools you can use to edit them will appear at the bottom of the Canvas. Continue reading for information about options available in the toolbar.  

The toolbar contains tools that allow you to edit content on the Canvas. We'll show you the tools you can use with your selected objects right when you need them. 

Note: If you don't see a tool you're looking for, this is because that tool cannot be used with the current selection on the Canvas. For example, Slice will only appear when you have two, and only two, overlapping objects selected. Contour will only appear if you have a single layer selected that has more than one contour.

 Delete – Remove selected object from the Canvas.

Duplicate – Copy and paste an object in one step to create multiples of the same object. (It is best practice to increase the project copies after clicking Make if you wish to create multiple copies of one project).

Group/Ungroup – Group multiple layers, images, or text together so that they move and size together on the Canvas. This will not affect how images are laid out on the cutting mats. Ungroup a set of layers, images, or text so that they move and size independently from one another on the Canvas. For text, selecting "Ungroup" once allows you to move and resize each layer of text independently, but keeps the letters grouped together. Selecting "Ungroup" on a single layer of text will allow you to move and resize each letter of text independently. This tool appears only when one or more objects are selected on Canvas.

Edit – In the Edit menu you will find the following options: (Click to expand)

This image is a composite of possible Edit tools. Remember, only those tools that can be used with the selected objects will appear in the toolbar.

 

Operation - In the Operation menu you can change if your machine will cut, draw, or score your material. You can also change your item's color. Learn more about selecting Operation. Here's an overview of each operation type: 

Cut:

• Basic - The layer will be cut with a Fine-Point, Performance, or Deep-Point blade.
• Wavy - The layer will be cut with a Wavy Blade.
• Perforate - The layer will be cut with a Perforation Blade. 

 Draw:

• Pen - The layer will be drawn with a pen. 
• *Foil - The layer will be embossed using the Foil Transfer Tool.
• Score - The layer will be scored using a Scoring Wheel or Scoring Stylus.
• Deboss - The layer will be debossed using the Debossing Tip.
• Engrave - The layer will be engraved using the Engraving Tip. 

 Print Then Cut - The layer will be setup to print in a home printer, and then cut by the Cricut machine. Learn How to Print Then Cut in Design Space.

 Guide - The layer will not be cut, but will show on the Canvas to be used as a guide. 

* Only available on Windows/Mac; not supported on iOS/Android. 

Note: Not all these Operation types are available for all machines. The Operation types that are available for your machine selection will be shown in this menu. You can change your machine selection from the settings on the home page. 

 

Font Name – When a text box is selected, tap Font Name to select the desired font for your text.

Size – This text tool allows you to specify point size for your font. Simply click in the box and enter a number for the desired point size.

Letter Space – This text tool allows you to increase the space between the letters in the selected text box.

Line Space – This text tool allows you to increase the space between lines of text in the selected text box.

Alignment – This text tool allows you to adjust the position of text within the text box. You can choose to align text to the Left, Center, Right, Top, or Bottom of the text box. This menu is also where you can choose an option to Wrap text within in the text box.

Curve – Use the Curve tool in Design Space to easily bend your text into a circular shape.

To learn more about text in Design Space, visit Design Space – Working with Text.    

 

 Width / Height – Adjust the width or height of an object by entering a new width or height. Adjusting the size of the width or height will proportionally adjust the other variable if the size is locked. Simply click the lock icon to unlock the image aspect ratio. Then you can freely adjust the width or height independently.

 

X Position / Y Position – Adjust the position of your object on the Canvas by typing in an exact distance from the top left corner of the Canvas. 

 

Rotate – Adjust the rotation angle of your object by entering the desired degree of rotation.

 

 Horizontal – Flip an object horizontally at the center of the object.

 Vertial – Flip an object vertically at the center of the object.

 

Offset – Add a proportionally larger or smaller layer that matches the outline of the selected layer. You can adjust the size of the offset, if it has rounded or sharp edges, and if the offset pieces are welded together or not. Learn more about Offset.

 

Create Sticker - Create pro-looking printable stickers easily with this Cricut Access exclusive tool! Create Sticker automatically makes your sticker design printable, and you can quickly and easily customize the cut result. Learn more about Create Sticker.

 

 Arrange – Change the order in which objects appear on the Canvas, including Move to Back, Move Backward, Move to Front, and Move Forward. Changes will be reflected in the Layers Panel.

• Bring to Front - Bring the selected object to the front of the stacking order. This will make the object appear at the top of the Layers Panel.
• Bring Forward - Move the selected object one layer forward in stacking order. This will make the object appear one layer higher in the Layers Panel. 
•  Send Backward - Move the selected object one layer backward in stacking order. This will make the object appear one layer lower on the Layers Panel. 
•  Send to Back - Send the selected object to the back of the stacking order. This will make the object appear at the bottom of the Layers Panel. 

 

Align – Define the margin that aligns two or more objects. You can have your objects line up to the left, right, top, or bottom, or have horizontal or vertical centers. You can also distribute your objects evenly vertically or horizontally.

• Align Left - Define the left margin of two or more objects. The margin will take on the left-most edge of your left-most object.
• Center Horizontally - Define the horizontal center point of two or more objects. The central point will take on the exact horizontal center of all selected objects.
• Align Right - Define the right margin of two or more objects. The margin will take on the right-most edge of your right-most object.
• Align Top - Define the top margin of two or more objects. The margin will take on the top-most edge of your top-most object.
• Center Vertically - Define the vertical center point of two or more objects. The central point will take on the exact vertical center of all selected objects.
• Align Bottom - Define the bottom margin of two or more objects. The margin will take on the bottom-most edge of your bottom-most object.
• Center - Move all selected images so that the center points line up. Images will be stacked on top of each other.

 

Distribute

• Distribute Horizontally - Moves selected images so they are spaced evenly between the left and right edges of your selection.
•  Distribute Vertically - Moves selected images so they are spaced evenly between the top and bottom edges of your selection.