How to Outline Image in Cricut Design Space
This blog post explains how to outline in circuit design space, specifically images. First I would like to define what “Outline” means in terms of the Cricut Design Space program.
An “outline” is almost like a shadow behind an image or text. It gives the image or text a second layer, so instead of it looking like one flat image, it actually has something behind it. It looks like it pops out. It can make the text or image look more 3 dimensional or just give it a little extra spice.
With Cricut projects, you can typically create an outline around text or images, but it is super tricky. This is definitely a topic for a seasoned Cricut crafter. If you are new to Cricut Design Space, you should check out this blog post for the Cricut Design Space beginner.
Let’s go ahead and dive into how to outline an image in Cricut Design Space. We are going to start with a simple shape for this blog.
How to outline a shape in Cricut Design Space
If you know the Cricut Design Space program fairly well, you probably know that there is not a function to make outlines in the program. You sort of have to do it manually, or “trick” the Cricut Design Space program.
How to outline image in Cricut Design Space:
- Add the image or shape you want to use in one color (black).
- Duplicate the image or shape by going to the Layers panel and clicking the duplicate button.
- Click “contour” and then “hide all contour”. You have to hide all of the contours with images because you only want the silhouette. You do not need all of the different cuts and layers, literally just the outline, which will come up as a solid color.
- Change the color of the solid duplicate to something else (yellow).
- Make several copies of the second solid image. You will play around with these copies until the outline is how you want it. The number of copies will depend and it is something you just have to play around with.
- Make sure the original image is in the “front” by clicking on it, clicking arrange, and “send to front”.
- Highlight all layers and click “align”, then click “center”. This will bring all of the different layers into one image.
- Now you will begin playing with the outline. In the layers panel, hit the first copy and move it to one side to create one side of the outline. Next hit the second copy and move it to the opposite side to create the other side of the outline. You will continue hitting the different copies and moving them in different directions (left, right, up, down) until you achieve the ideal outline.
- Click on the original image in the layers panel (should be the first one) and move it away from the outline. You will notice several layers.
- Click weld, to mash all of the layers together into one outline.
You may notice that the outline isn’t exactly perfect and there are other things you can do to mess around to make the shapes 100% perfect. But for this blog post, we are going to stick with the basics. Check out this Youtube tutorial for a very in-depth explanation and how to correct any imperfections.
How to outline text in Cricut Design Space
If you can nail down how to outline a shape or image, then learning text is much easier. I am going to break down the basic steps for how to outline letters in Cricut Design Space.
How to make outline letters in Cricut Design Space:
- Add the letters or text you want to use in one color (let’s say blue).
- Duplicate the letters or text by going to the Layers panel and clicking the duplicate button.
- Go into the edit section and make the copy “bold”. This is going to be the layer that goes behind the original text to mimic an outline because it will be thicker than the original.
- Go back to the Layers panel and make the bolded text a different color (let’s say black).
- Push the bolded black text to the back by clicking the arrange” icon and “move to back”.
- Click on the original (blue) layer and move it overtop the bolded layer so that they are on top of each other. You will notice the outline is coming together but not all of the letters likely line up correctly. Continue to the next step…
- Go to edit in the layers panel and click “isolate letters”. This will separate each letter so that you can move them around freely.
- Now that you can move each letter freely, you can better match them up to the bolded black outline.
- You will need to re-attach the first layers of letters back together so that they cut out the way you want them to.
Here is a great youtube tutorial for outlining text.
I hope this blog post helped you to learn how to outline image in Cricut Design Space!