How To Create A Cut File In Canva for Custom Vinyl Projects!

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE CHEAT SHEET, CHECKLIST, AND PNG DESIGN

First, download my Butterfly Dream design, cheat sheet, and checklist from my free library – look for Design #739. Alternatively, you can use the Save This Project form near the top of this post and the design link will be emailed to you.

In the PDF folder, there’s a cheat sheet of things to keep in mind when choosing Canva elements for vinyl decals.

If you want to skip the Canva portion of this tutorial and just learn how to convert a PNG to a cut file, there’s a copy of my Butterfly Dream design in the PNG folder you can use in Cricut Design Space starting with Step 3.

TIP: If you’re not sure how to download zip files, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs because the steps are similar for PNGs and Canva.

STEP 2: CREATE A CUT FILE DESIGN IN CANVA

If you already have a PNG design you’d like to convert into a cut file, skip to “STEP 3: CONVERT YOUR PNG INTO A CUT FILE.”

1. On your desktop or laptop in Google Chrome, go to jennifermaker.com/canva.
   
   TIP: I recommend working on a computer instead of using the phone or tablet apps until you’re more comfortable.
   
   NOTE: The screen might look a little different depending on your device and when you are reading this tutorial.
   
   
2. Log in to your account or follow the prompts on the screen to sign up for a free account.
   
   NOTE: Canva does offer paid subscriptions, but I’ll show you how to do everything with the free account, so you can skip upgrading for now.
   
   
3. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see the Canva Home screen.
   
   TIP: If you ever get lost, click the house icon to come back.
   
   
   
4. On the Home screen, click “Create a design” and then “Custom size” from the options.
   
   TIP: For crafting projects in Design Space, I recommend starting with a custom-sized canvas to match your final design.
   
   
   
5. Change the Units from “px” for pixels to “in” for inches.
   
   
   
6. Set your canvas’s width and height using the largest dimensions you might need for your project. Note that Canva’s free options won’t let you resize your design area after you’ve created it.
   
   NOTE: The maximum size my Cricut Maker can cut is 11.5 by 11.5 inches, so I’ll set my design to that.
   
   
   
7. Click “Create new design.” The new screen is your designing canvas.
8. Click the “Elements” icon in the left panel.
9. In the search bar, search for the subject of your design. I searched for “butterfly.”
10. Next to “Graphics,” click “See all.”
    
    
    
11. Using the “Canva to Cuttables” cheat sheet PDF as a guide, browse the graphics options and select a simple design. Thicker, less delicate designs with very few colors, no blended colors or gradients, no motion, and smooth edges and outlines will work best.
    
    TIP: Small crown icons mean those elements require a paid account, but we’ll stick to the free options today. If you have a paid Canva account, you can click the Filter icon in the search bar, and under “Price,” check the box next to “Free” to only show free graphics.
    
    
    
    TIP: If you find a graphic you like but it’s not quite right, click it to add it to your canvas. A “Magic Recommendations” option will appear in the Elements menu. Click “See all” to see more graphics that are similar to it, which may include better options for cutting.
    
    
12. With the graphic selected, check the toolbar above it to see if the color(s) in the design are represented in circles. If they’re not, that means you can’t control the colors, so select a different graphic. If they are, click each color circle and change it to either black or white, depending on how you’d like the graphic to look.
    
    
    
13. To resize the graphic, select it, then click and drag the corner handles in or out.
    
    
    
14. To add words, click the Text icon on the left side of the canvas.
15. First, let’s create the text on the top of the design. Click the “Add a text box” button.
    
    
    
16. Type your desired phrase or sentiment into the text box. I typed “Let your dreams” for the top of the design.
    
    
    
17. With the text selected, click the three dots in the small bar above, then click the Duplicate icon (the two squares with a plus sign) to duplicate the text.
    
    
    
18. In the new text box, type the text you’d like at the bottom of your design. I typed “take flight” for the second line.
19. With your text boxes selected, in the bar at the top, select a font from the dropdown menu.
    
    TIP: Select a font with thicker, less delicate shapes for the best results when weeding and transferring your vinyl decal. I used a free font in Canva called “Peace Sans.”
    
    
    
20. Hold the Shift key on your keyboard and select both pieces of text, then in the bar at the top, click the plus (+) or minus (-) sign or click the dropdown menu to resize the text to your desired size.
    
    NOTE: I sized my text to 72 pt.
    
    
    
21. Click and drag each piece of text to position them where you want.
    
    TIP: If a text section becomes two lines when you enlarge it and you’d rather it be on one line, click and drag the end of the text box to make it longer.
    
    
22. Select just the top text, and click “Effects” in the bar at the top of the canvas.
23. Under “Shape,” select “Curve.”
24. Click and drag the slider to adjust the curve of the text.
    
    
    
25. Repeat steps 22-24 with the bottom text.
    
    NOTE: I set my top text’s curve to 61 and my bottom text’s curve to -61 so they would mirror each other.
    
    
26. Click and drag the text and graphic to position them exactly where you want. Use the center guide lines and curved text circle guides to align everything.
    
    
    
27. Now that the main components of the design are in place, add any extra graphics you like. Remember to use solid color graphics or graphics with lines thick enough to be easily cut and weeded from vinyl.
    
    NOTE: I searched for “outline star” and used a free black five-pointed star outline, then I searched for “star silhouette” and used a free four-pointed solid black star.
    
    
28. To rotate a graphic, select it, then click and drag the symbol with two curved arrows that appears underneath.
    
    
    
29. Click onto the canvas to exit the graphic editing mode.
30. Click the file name at the top of the menu and enter a name for your design.
31. When you’re happy with your design, click “Share” at the top right of your screen.
32. In the box that appears, click “Download.”
    
    
    
33. Leave the File type as a PNG.
    
    NOTE: If you have the paid Canva Pro membership, you can save files like this as an SVG directly from Canva.
    
    
34. Click “Download.”
    
    
    
    
    

STEP 3: CONVERT YOUR PNG INTO A CUT FILE

First, use a ruler or measuring tape to measure your blank. My round wood sign is just under 12" at the widest and tallest points, so I’ll use that dimension to size my design.

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. In Cricut Design Space, open a blank Canvas.
   
   NOTE: If you’re new to using Cricut Design Space, go to cricutkickoff.com for my introductory tutorial on Design Space basics.
   
   
2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”
3. Click “Browse.”
4. Select the PNG file you’d like to convert into a cut file. If you created your own PNG in STEP 2, select the file you downloaded from Canva.
5. Click “Open,” and then “Continue.”
6. On the Background Remover screen, under “Manual,” make sure “Select” is selected.
   
   
   
   NOTE: If you’re a Cricut Access member, you’ll have an Automatic background remover option. When I tried it, it removed parts of my design I wanted to keep. The manual background remover worked much better.
   
   
7. Click the white space on the design to remove the large background area.
   
   NOTE: You’ll know the background is removed when you see the gray and white checkered pattern behind your design.
   
   
   
8. Click the plus (+) sign at the bottom to zoom in to your design.
9. Click areas that still have a white background to remove them.
   
   NOTE: Be sure to remove the background within the stars, wings, and inside the letters of the design.
   
   
   
10. Click the toggle next to “Preview Single Layer” to see what your design would look like cut from vinyl, and check for areas where the background should be removed. If there are any areas that are filled in and shouldn’t be, click the toggle again to turn it off, then remove the background from those areas. If there are any parts removed by accident, use the Restore brush to click and restore those areas.
    
    
    
    
11. Once your design looks the way you want, click “Apply & Continue.”
12. On the “Convert Upload To” screen, select “Single Layer.”
    
    
    
13. Click “Continue.”
14. Click “Upload” to add the design to your Canvas.
    
    
    
15. Click “Save” and give your project a name.
16. The design may upload very large. With the design selected, click and drag the corner handle to resize it to your desired size, or type in your desired size into the field at the top. I resized my design to 10” high and 8.591” wide to fit in the center of my 12” round wood blank.
    
    
    
    TIP: If you’re making a T-shirt decal, check out my sizing guide in my T-Shirt Ruler Guide tutorial to pick the right size for your design.
    
    
17. And now your decal is ready to cut!
    
    

STEP 4: CUT YOUR DECAL & APPLY IT TO A SURFACE

1. Follow the steps in my How To Use Transfer Tape with Cricut Vinyl Decals tutorial to learn how to cut, prepare, and apply your decal.
   
   

STEP 5: SHOW IT OFF

Here is what my completed vinyl decals look like!