How To Upload Image In Cricut App

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Cricut Pattern Space allows you to upload your own files! Here's how to upload JPG/PNG images to Cricut Design Infinite for cut on your Cricut Explore, Cricut Maker, or Cricut Joy—and become troubleshooting help, as well!

Cricut Design Space to upload your own files

Looking to cut an SVG or DXF vector file on your Cricut? Check out my How to Upload an Vector file to Cricut Design Space mail!

Did yous know you can upload your own images to the Cricut Design Infinite? Equally exhaustive as the Cricut Library is, there may be files that y'all want to cut that don't exist in their system. You tin can buy files on shops similar Etsy (or my shop!) or you tin can design them yourself using Illustrator or Photoshop!

Did I mention uploading files to Cricut Blueprint Space is Gratuitous?

Stop pulling your hair out and first creating confidently with your Cricut! Check out our helpful Cricut Resources—everything you need to know to learn and love your Cricut.

Cricut Blueprint Space'southward powerful software converts images into cuttable shapes. For this post, nosotros're going to focus on pixel-based images. We'll talk a scrap virtually types of files, then upload a simple JPG file, and so we'll talk about some issues y'all might run across when using pixel-based files.

Cricut Pattern Space File Types

Pixel-Based Images

Basic pixel-based images are JPG, BMP, PNG, and GIF files. These files are uploaded as a unmarried layer, and y'all can edit them during the upload process. These are generally created in programs that piece of work in pixels, similar Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Pigment.

Vector Images

Vector images are SVG and DXF file types. These file volition be automatically separated into layers later on uploading and saving. These are more often than not created in programs that work in vectors, like Adobe Illustrator.I e'er tell Cricut users to try and find a vector epitome! They create much cleaner cut files than a JPG or PNG. Detect out more about uploading vector files here.

That being said, information technology'due south totally possible to upload a JPG or PNG to Cricut Blueprint Space. Let'southward endeavor it!

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Uploading a JPG or PNG to the Cricut Pattern Space

Start by clicking "Upload Image" on the left-hand Pattern Panel, and navigate to the file y'all desire to open up.

Click Upload in the Design Panel in Cricut Design Space

Click Upload Image in Cricut Design Space

Then select it from the list of uploaded images and click "Insert Images."

Cricut Design Infinite will and then inquire y'all what type of image you are cut. For simple images like this, choose "Simple."

Choose Simple Image in Cricut Design Space

In the next screen, y'all'll select whatever office of the design that is negative space—meaning it does non get cutting. Yous want to select whatsoever white parts so they become transparent (checked). Brand sure yous zoom in and select the pocket-size areas of your project. In this case, I had to zoom in to click on the little design on the tent and the inside parts of the messages.

Select and erase all of the negative space around your image.

The final screen has y'all select whether this is a print-then-cut epitome or a regular cut image. In this case, information technology's but a Cutting Image—no printing involved in this project. (here'south an example of a print-then-cutting project).

Choose Save as Cut Image in Cricut Design Space

Click Save and then click the prototype to insert information technology onto your Canvas.

Select the image to insert it onto your Cricut Design Space canvas.

Camping Hair Don't Care pixel file on Cricut Design Space canvas

You'll notice that the file looks skillful, simply it'south a piffling less well-baked than the vector version (specially at the top of the tent). Hither's the cleaner SVG version:

Camping Hair Don't Care vector file on Cricut Design Space canvas

This is why I e'er suggest finding the vector version if possible (and yous don't take to do the Select and Erase portion of the process!).

Troubleshooting JPG and PNG Uploads

Here are a few things you lot might run across when trying to upload pixel-based files.

Unmarried Layer: Pixel-based files upload every bit a single layer, meaning any you're cutting will be only one color. My image above was only black, so it was easy. If you upload, for case, a flower with pink petals, a yellowish centre, and greenish leaves…you're only going to get it all in one outlined flower shape.

Showing flower image in Cricut Design Space

This is probably the biggest matter you demand to remember about uploading pixel files. One colour in ane layer is all you lot're going to get. So if you're trying to cut, for case, a 2-color company logo or a multi-color prune art prototype, it'southward just not going to work.

Contrast: The flower example above had a lot of contrast between the flower and the background. The more dissimilarity you have in your image, the ameliorate. I oftentimes get emails from readers who want to cut, for example, a photo of their dog.

This is my dog, Gunnar. He is a big fatty dearest. And he'southward impossible to cut out from this photograph. Cricut Blueprint Space doesn't know what is domestic dog and what isn't. And does it cut out his black parts? Brownish parts? White parts? There is absolutely no contrast in this photo for Cricut Design Space to read.

Hither'southward what happens when I try and cut this file. Post-obit the instructions above, I uploaded this photo into Cricut Pattern Space.

If I choose Simple Image, Cricut Design Space tries to narrow down the number of colors in my design.

Image of an uploaded photo in Cricut Design Space of a dog lying on a bed

Then when I endeavor to select and erase the "non dog" parts of this paradigm, I see trouble. The blackness on the headboard is the same as his face up and half of his face ends upward getting deleted. Not going to work!

Image of an uploaded photo in Cricut Design Space of a dog lying on a bed that has some of the image erased

Let'due south try Complex Image instead. Once you get-go selecting and erasing you'll see that it'southward hard to delete all of the different parts of not-domestic dog in this photograph since all the pixels are slightly different colors so it'southward not actually deleting them in chunks very well.

Let's attempt using the eraser instead. I tin can delete everything around my domestic dog more easily this way.

Image of an uploaded photo in Cricut Design Space of a dog

Okay, cool. At present nosotros have a canis familiaris. Let'southward click Continue.

And…nope. That'southward but basically a canis familiaris lump because again, information technology turns all pixel files into a single layer. So you lot tin encounter how it is pretty much incommunicable to cutting those low-contrast photos! Yous'll accept more luck with 2 color (black and white, generally) images than you ever volition with a photo like this.

Print Then Cutting

Really, if you desire to cut out photos, you desire to use Cricut's Print Then Cut feature. You can print the image on your home reckoner, and so apply your Cricut to cutting effectually the outside of the image! I'm working on a detailed Print then Cut lesson—stay tuned!