SVG for Cricut and Silhouette

Cricut Design Space and Silhouette Studio open SVG files, but each reads them its own way: one without units comes in at the wrong size, and text, styles and clipping may be lost. File › Export › Export… › Cutting Machine SVG Files (Cricut, Silhouette) writes an SVG both open at the drawing's true size, ready to cut.

What it writes

• The true size: the file's width and height in millimetres or inches (your choice; the drawing's units to start with), with its view box in the same units, so neither program falls back on a pixels-per-inch guess.
• A group for each layer, named for what is done with it and the layer ("Cut_Contour_Cut", "Score_Crease"): Design Space makes each group a layer of its own.
• A colour for each layer by its operation: cuts in reds, scores in blues, pen lines in greens (a different shade for each layer), stroked only. Silhouette Studio's Cut by Line Color then sends each with its own settings.
• Artwork to print first (print then cut) filled in its colours.
• Only what both programs read: paths of straight lines and curves, with plain colours. Lettering is written as its outlines; pictures, a magnifier's callout, gradients and dashes are left out (the messages say so).

Layers

The export's options list the layers the drawing has something on, each with an operation: Cut, Score, Draw (pen), Print then cut or Leave out. To start with, creases are scored; the cut, contour-cut, weed and other die-making layers are cut; dimensions, glue and registration marks are left out; anything else is printed. Your choice is remembered by the layer's name.

In Design Space

1. Upload › Upload Image and choose the file; it comes in at its size.
2. In the Layers panel, set each layer's Operation (Basic Cut, Score, Pen …): the layer names say which.
3. A design larger than the largest Cricut mat (11.5 × 23.5 in) is warned of on export: Design Space asks to resize it.

In Silhouette Studio

Studio opens SVG in Designer Edition and higher (Basic Edition imports DXF: use DXF).

1. File › Open the SVG; it opens at its size.
2. In Send, choose Line Color, and set the action for each colour: Cut, Sketch (pen) or Score.

See also: SVG, Vinyl cutting, Sign making.