Cricut Design Space Glossary: Key Terms Every Crafter Should Know
If you’re new to Cricut or just starting to explore Design Space, you’ve probably come across terms that left you scratching your head. Don’t worry—every expert was once a beginner! To help you feel more confident navigating Design Space, we’ve put together a helpful glossary of commonly used Cricut terms and what they actually mean.
Whether you’re designing your first vinyl decal or creating custom t-shirts, this list will come in handy.
1. Canvas
The main workspace in Cricut Design Space. It’s where you lay out, design, resize, and arrange your images, text, and shapes before cutting.
2. Layers Panel
Think of it like Photoshop for your Cricut. This panel shows each element of your design as a separate layer. It helps you organize, hide, group, and edit different parts of your project.
3. Weld
Weld joins two or more shapes or letters into a single piece. It removes overlapping cut lines, so your Cricut cuts them as one smooth shape instead of separately.
Example: Welding cursive text so the letters are joined and cut as one word.
4. Slice
Slice cuts one image out of another. It’s like a digital cookie cutter! You need two layers selected to use this tool.
Example: Cut a heart shape out of a square to make a frame.
5. Attach
Attach keeps your design elements in the same position on the mat as they appear on your canvas. It also tells Cricut to keep lines like score or draw with the layer they belong to.
Example: Attaching text to a tag shape so it cuts exactly where you placed it.
6. Flatten
Flatten turns your multi-layered design into a single printable image for Print Then Cut. It tells Cricut to print the image first, then cut around the outer edge.
7. Group / Ungroup
Grouping allows you to move or resize multiple elements as one. Ungrouping separates them again so you can edit individually.
8. Contour
This tool lets you hide or show individual cut lines within a design. It’s great for simplifying images or removing parts you don’t need.
Example: Removing text from inside a shape without deleting the whole thing.
9. Score
A scoring line tells Cricut to lightly mark the material instead of cutting. Used mainly for fold lines on cards, boxes, and envelopes.
10. Print Then Cut
A feature that allows you to print an image on your home printer and then cut it with your Cricut. It’s perfect for making stickers or printable tags.
11. Slice Result
After using the Slice tool, the result includes multiple pieces. You can choose which part to keep and delete the rest.
12. SVG File
Stands for “Scalable Vector Graphic.” It’s the most popular file type for Cricut designs because it’s made of paths and can be resized without losing quality.
13. Cricut Access
A paid subscription that gives you access to thousands of images, fonts, and ready-made projects inside Design Space.
14. Mat Preview
The screen that shows how your design will be placed on the cutting mat before you hit “Make It.” It’s your last chance to double-check everything.
15. Mirror
An option used mostly with iron-on vinyl (HTV). It flips your design horizontally so it applies correctly when transferred to fabric.
Final Thoughts
Cricut Design Space is full of powerful features, but learning the terminology is the first step to becoming a confident crafter. Bookmark this glossary so you can refer back anytime you get stuck or need a refresher.
