How To Use Fill Patterns In Cricut Design Space

Instructions

STEP 1: UPLOAD AND EDIT PATTERNS

First, download my Patterns in Cricut Design Space files from my free library – look for Design #630. Alternatively, you can use the Save This Project form near the top of this post and the design link will be emailed to you.

TIP: If you’re not sure how to use these files, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how to download and unzip files.

In the SVG folder, you’ll find “score” and “no-score” versions of my five by seven inch and four by six inch card bases to cut on a cutting machine. The “score” version uses a scoring tool to make creases, while the other uses dashed cut lines made with the Fine-Point Blade.

There is also a DXF folder with cut files, and a PDF folder with versions you can print and cut by hand.

In the PNG folder, there are four seamless patterns you can use to make patterned design elements:

One with butterflies

Another with fruits.

One with ladybugs.

And one with a wine theme.

I’ll show you how to upload and edit these patterns to work for you, and then we’ll prepare and Print Then Cut a 5" x 7" card using the “score” version on a Cricut Maker 3. I'll also show you how to make a smaller “no-score” version with a Cricut Joy Xtra.

1. On a blank Canvas in Cricut Design Space, click “Upload.”
2. Select “Pattern fill” and click “Upload Pattern.”
   
3. Click "Browse" to find your downloaded design files, which were probably automatically placed in your “Downloads” folder.
4. Then select the pattern you want in the “PNG” folder.
5. Click “Open.”
   
6. Click “Upload” to add it to Cricut Design Space as a Print Then Cut Pattern.
7. Your Canvas will reload with a message at the top saying “Pattern Upload Successful.”
8. Click the “Shapes” icon and select a free option – like the Heart – to add it to your Canvas.
   
9. Then with the Lock icon closed to maintain the shape’s proportions, drag a corner of its bounding box to resize it as desired.
10. Select the shape you want to apply the Pattern Fill to.
11. Click “Operation” to open a drop-down menu and select “Print Then Cut.”
    
12. Then, click the Color Box next to “Operation.”
13. Click the drop-down menu below “Print type” and select “Pattern.”
    
14. Your most recently-added Pattern will be the top left preview square.
    
15. Select the Pattern you want to use.
16. To adjust the Pattern Fill, click “Edit Pattern.” A window will pop up with several options to customize your pattern.
17. Click the arrows in the “Scale” box or adjust the slider to its right to change the pattern’s sizing.
18. Increasing the “Scale” will make the pattern elements bigger and use fewer repeats of the original design to fill the space.
19. Conversely, decreasing the “Scale” makes the elements smaller and tiles more of the original pattern.
20. You can adjust the number in the “Horizontal” box to change the left-to-right position of the pattern. A positive number shifts the pattern to the right, while a negative number moves it to the left. You can use this to set the focal point of the pattern.
21. Changing the number in the “Vertical” box —you guessed it— moves the pattern up or down. A positive number shifts the pattern up, while a negative number moves it down.
22. You can also use the “Rotate” number to change the look of the pattern. The numbers correspond with the degrees in a circle, so entering “90” will rotate the image clockwise 90 degrees, while entering “270” will rotate the image 270 degrees clockwise.
23. Finally, under “Flip,” if you click the icon with vertical triangles, it will mirror the pattern across a horizontal axis. Or, if you click the icon with horizontal triangles, it will mirror the pattern across a vertical axis.
    TIP: While the “Flip” tool is a quick and easy way to alter your pattern, don’t use it if your pattern has words, letters, or numbers or they won’t come out right!
    NOTE: Feel free to play around with the numbers and sliders for each tool as much as you like.
24. When the Pattern Fill looks the way you want it to, click back on the Canvas to exit the menu.
    
    

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR CARD IN CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. Click the “Upload” button.
2. Then click “Upload Image.”
3. Click “Browse” and find the SVG you want.
   NOTE: I’ll demonstrate with the “score” cards design that was in the file we downloaded in step 1.
4. Open it and click “Continue” to add it to your Canvas.
   
5. Then click “Save” and give your project a name.
   NOTE: The large rectangle is a 5” x 7” card base. The smaller rectangle with the vertical line is the back of a 4” x 6” card, and the smaller plain rectangle is a 4” x 6” card front you can add a pattern to.
6. With the design selected, click “Ungroup.” I recommend always ungrouping a design after you upload it, as it will be grouped by default.
   
7. To keep your Canvas distraction free, delete the card elements you don’t plan to use.
   NOTE: Since I’m making the 5” x 7” card, I’ll delete the two small rectangles.
8. Ungroup the card design.
9. The layer with a single red line is the intended Score line. With just that layer selected, click the “Operation” drop-down and click “Score” to change it.
   
10. Now select both the new “Score” layer and its “Basic Cut” layer.
    
11. Click “Attach” to keep these two layers together.
    
12. Now locate your patterned heart, and click on it to select it.
13. Choose "Arrange," and then "Bring to Front."
14. Move your heart on top of the right half of your card so you can see how it will look. Feel free to resize it larger – I made mine about 3.75” wide.
    TIP: If you don’t like how the pattern looks when you resize it, use what I taught you in Step 1 to edit your pattern!
15. Then save your project.
16. You can now print and cut your project!

STEP 3: CALIBRATE YOUR CRICUT FOR PRINT THEN CUT

IMPORTANT: If you haven’t calibrated your Cricut in a while, or if your Print Then Cut projects aren’t cutting precisely, follow these steps to improve your cuts.

1. In Cricut Design Space, click your name to open a menu and select “Settings.”
   
2. Click “Machines.”
   NOTE: Once you’ve opened the pop-up windows, if you click off of them you will need to start over.
3. Next to “Machine Calibration” click the “Select Cricut device” drop-down menu and click the type of machine you want to calibrate. I’ll calibrate a Cricut Maker 3, but the steps are similar for the other machines.
   
4. Click “Start.”
5. In the pop-up window, click the button for “Print Then Cut.”
   
6. If your printer isn’t shown next to “Print,” click the drop-down menu to select it.
7. Load 8.5” x 11” white copy paper in your printer following the package’s instructions and make sure it has enough ink to print a few sheets of black designs.
8. Click ”Print.”
9. Once the page prints, click “Continue.”
10. Place your printed calibration sheet face up on the Blue LightGrip machine mat so you can read the numbers at the top. The paper must be aligned in the top left corner so the upper and left edges match between the paper’s edges and the mat’s grid.
    
11. Use a brayer to secure the paper to the mat.
12. On your screen, click “Continue.”
13. Click the drop-down menu and select your machine to be calibrated.
14. Make sure a clean fine-point blade is in the clamp.
15. Gently move the white star wheels so they’re evenly spread across the roller bar to keep the calibration sheet in place during cutting.
16. Press the flashing button to load the prepared mat with the numbers at the top.
    
    NOTE: The machine will measure the material length.
17. Press the flashing button to start the calibration cutting process.
    NOTE: The Cricut will turn its sensor and light on, check where the black registration lines are in several areas on the sheet to orient itself, then cut close to the black square in the middle.
18. Once the cut is complete, don’t unload the mat.
19. Check how close the cuts are to the square. A properly calibrated machine will cut right in the middle of the four black lines that make the shape, but yours might be partially on white paper.
    
    TIP: If you’re having trouble seeing the cuts, you can take a picture of the sheet with your camera phone and zoom in.
20. In the “Assessment 1” window, you’ll be asked how closely the cut square matches the black line square on the paper, and whether the cuts touched all four printed lines.
    
21. If the cuts touch all four printed lines, select the circle next to “Yes” to move to “Fine Calibration.”
    
22. If the cuts do not touch all four printed lines, select the circle next to “No” and click “Continue” to start “Basic Calibration.”
    
23. In “Basic Calibration,” the machine will cut vertical lines for numbers 1-21 at the top, and horizontal lines for letters A-U along the right side of the calibration sheet.
24. Once the cuts are complete, don’t unload the mat. Look closely at the lines and note which vertical cut line is the most centered on a numbered line, and which is most centered for a horizontal line.
    NOTE: Some cut lines will be very far away from the printed lines, but one vertical and one horizontal line cut should be nearly centered.
    
25. On the “Basic Calibration” screen, click the “Top Line” drop-down and select the number of the most centered vertical line.
26. Then, click the “Right Line” drop-down and select the letter for the most centered horizontal line.
    
27. Click “Continue.”
28. The window will change to say your “Basic Calibration” is complete, so you can press the unload button to remove the mat with the first calibration sheet.
29. Flip the mat over on your work surface and peel it back to release the cut calibration sheet.
    NOTE: Don’t forget to remove the square cutout. You don’t need either piece.
30. On your screen, select your printer again, then click “Print” to make another calibration sheet.
31. Once the sheet is printed, click “Continue.”
32. Prepare the calibration sheet on your Blue LightGrip machine mat, then make and assess the initial cuts using Steps 10-22.
    NOTE: On the “Assessment 2” screen, it’s very likely that your answer will be “Yes,” that the cuts touched all four lines on the square and you will move to “Fine Calibration.” If not, answer “No” and follow the “Basic Calibration” steps again.
33. Once you move to the “Fine Calibration” stage, the machine will cut the vertical and horizontal lines again.
34. Follow Steps 24-27 to note the most centered vertical and horizontal lines.
    
35. Click “Continue.”
36. Once the “Fine Calibration” is complete, the machine will cut the rectangle around the square for the “Confirmation Cut.” Don’t unload the mat and look to see how close the cuts are on the rectangle.
    
37. On the “Confirmation Cut” window, answer “Are you satisfied with the cut?” by selecting the circle next to “Yes” if the rectangle cuts touch all four lines and are mostly centered, or “No” if it isn’t precise enough, which will trigger a “Basic Calibration” again.
    
38. Once you are satisfied with the “Confirmation Cut” and click “Continue,” the screen will reload, saying the calibration process is complete and the settings have been saved to your machine.
    
    NOTE: The mat will automatically unload, so catch it and remove your calibration pieces.
39. Click “Close.”
    
    

STEP 4: PRINT THEN CUT YOUR CARD

1. To make your card, make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right, then click “Make.”
2. On the “Prepare” screen, you should have one “Print Then Cut” mat and one “Basic Cut” mat, with or without the “Score” operation listed depending on the file you’re using.
3. Make sure your “Material Size” matches for each type of mat and material you’re using.
   NOTE: I’m using the same photo paper for the patterned element and the card base, so I’ll set everything to “8.5 in. x 11 in. (Letter).”
   
4. Click back on the first mat, then click “Continue.”
5. On the “Make” screen, click “Send to Printer.”
6. In the “Print setup” window, select your printer, toggle on “Add Bleed” and “Use System Dialog.”
   
7. Click “Print.”
   NOTE: Your System Dialog window might be behind the Cricut Design Space window, so minimize it if you don’t see the settings.
8. In the System Dialog window, make sure your printer is selected, change the Media Type to “Photo Matte Paper,” and change the Quality to “Best.”
   NOTE: Not all printer settings will be the same, but you can use my choices as guidelines.
   
9. Click “Print.”
10. Let the printed design dry a little in case the ink is still a little wet and could smudge.
11. Place the printed sheet face up on a Green StandardGrip machine mat with the top left corner aligned on the grid and oriented to match the screen.
12. Put a clean sheet of copy paper over the design to protect it, then use a brayer to secure the design to the mat.
13. Remove the protective paper.
14. On your screen, set your “Base Material” to “Photo Paper” and change the “Pressure” to “More” for a cleaner cut.
    
15. Check the “Remember Material Settings” box to save time between mats.
16. Check that your Premium Fine-Point Blade is clean and in the clamp.
17. Press the flashing “Load/Unload” button to load the prepared mat into your Cricut.
18. Press the flashing “Go” button to begin cutting.
19. When it has finished cutting, don’t unload the mat right away. Carefully lift a corner of the cardstock to make sure the cuts went all the way through. If not, press the “Go” button again to make a second pass of cuts in the same spots.
    
20. Once the cuts are complete, unload the mat, flip it over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the cardstock.
    TIP: If you have any issues with your cuts, go to jennifermaker.com/cleaner-cuts.
21. Place another sheet of plain white photo paper on your StandardGrip machine mat to make the card base.
22. If you’re using the score file, Design Space will suggest using the Single Scoring Wheel, but you can click “Edit tools” and change it to the Scoring Stylus, then click “Apply” if you prefer.
23. If you’re using the score version with the Scoring Stylus, insert it into clamp now. If you’re using the Single Scoring Wheel, insert it into the clamp when prompted.
    
    NOTE: If you’re using a Cricut Joy Xtra (which has one clamp) follow the screen instructions to swap tools as needed.
24. Follow Steps 16-20 to cut your card.
25. Here are what my cut pieces look like.
    

STEP 5: ASSEMBLE YOUR CARD

LARGE 5" x 7" CARD WITH PATTERNED SHAPE

1. To create your large card with the patterned shape, first crease the card base and place it face up with the opening to the right.
2. Then run your Scraper along the crease to make it sharper.
   
3. To make a card with a flat front element, add craft glue in thin lines to the back of the patterned shape.
   
4. Flip the patterned shape over and center it over the card’s front. Then press it in place and let it dry.
   
5. Or, if you want the shape to stand out from the card, place it face down.
   
6. Cut a small piece of adhesive foam tape and add it to the back of the patterned shape.
7. Press the sticky side onto the back of the patterned piece so it’s at least a quarter of an inch away from the edges.
8. Add a few more pieces of adhesive tape the same way.
   
9. Then remove the remaining pieces of protective paper.
10. Hold the shaped piece oriented correctly, and tape-side-down, over the center of the card, then press it in place.
    
    
    

VARIATION: NO-SCORE CARD IN TWO PIECES

4” x 6” CARD WITH PATTERNED FRONT

1. To make the four by six inch card with the patterned front, follow the instructions in Step 2 to add the card SVG to your Canvas.
2. If you’re using a Cricut Joy Xtra or prefer not to use a Scoring Tool, use the “no-score” SVG like I am.
3. Ungroup the design to make it easier to work with.
4. Then delete the large card element since it won’t be part of our final project.
5. Select the plain rectangle and follow the steps from Step 1 to add and edit the Pattern Fill you want to use.
   
6. Now your smaller card is ready.
7. Next, follow the steps from Step 4 to Print Then Cut your card pieces.
   NOTE: Follow the appropriate steps depending on your file and tool choices.
8. Once your card pieces are cut, place the rectangle with a crease line (dashed cuts or scored) on your work surface face up with the crease to the right.
9. Fold up along the crease line. A scraper can help you keep your fold straight.
   
10. Then add a thin line of craft glue along the front of the tab.
11. Hold the patterned piece face up so the images are oriented correctly.
12. Gently align the two pieces and press in place.
    
13. Let the glue dry.
    
    

STEP 6: SHOW IT OFF

Here are my finished cards with printed, patterned design elements!