Cricut Designstudio User Manual
User Manual
Manual d’Utilisateur
Welcome and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Setup for Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Connecting Cricut Machine and Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Launching the Cricut DesignStudio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Software Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Updating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Customer Support, Troubleshooting, and FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Uninstalling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
User Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Cricut Cartridge Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Virtual Keypad Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Shape Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Flip Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Kerning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Nudge Arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Turn 90 Degrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Revert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
On-Screen Virtual Cutting Mat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Show Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Edit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
View Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Features Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Preferences Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Tips and Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Working with Cartridge Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Working with Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Sizing and Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Intricate Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Saving and Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Maximizing Paper Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Community/Feedback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Cricut DesignStudio™ • www.cricut.com 3
Welcome and Introduction
We here at Provo Craft offer a great, heart-felt thank you for purchasing the Cricut Design-
Studio™ software! Congratulations! The program you now own will help you enhance your
Cricut creativity. Enjoy!
What is the Cricut DesignStudio?
The Cricut DesignStudio is many things. It’s a streamlined virtual workbench, a digital
content walk-in closet, a mad-scientist laboratory of image creation, a shimmering portal
to the worldwide Cricut brain-share, and even a glowing crystal ball from which the future
of your Cricut adventures can be divined.
With the Cricut DesignStudio software, you can create digital layouts of any and all
desired images from the Cricut DesignStudio Library before you cut them. What You See
Is What You Cut! You can weld images together to make new combinations or letters together to make words and phrases. You can change image properties, rotate, ip, shear,
duplicate, or multi cut to your heart’s content. You can preview cartridge sets you don’t
have yet. You can more easily explore the cartridge sets you do have in various modes of
organization. You can use keyword descriptors to quickly locate just the right image. You
can save your progress on the layouts you’re creating, and reload them to pick up where
you left off. The Cricut DesignStudio is a powerful tool to help you explore, design, and cut
your way to the perfect project, the way you want it.
Setup for Installation
You can use the Cricut DesignStudio software with the Cricut™ Personal Electronic
Cutter™ or the Cricut Expression™ 24" Personal Electronic Cutter™.
IMPORTANT: Install the Cricut DesignStudio BEFORE connecting your Cricut to your computer. This ensures the proper drivers are installed.
Installation
Be sure to close all applications before beginning the installation or setup.
1. Insert the Cricut DesignStudio CD into the disk drive.
2. When the Setup Wizard appears, follow the instructions. The Setup Wizard will present
the End User License Agreement, then have you choose an installation location. The
default location it will show should work just ne. After choosing the installation location,
the program will perform the install and let you know when it’s done. Just click on “Finish”
to complete the installation.
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Note: If the Setup Wizard does not start automatically, you can start it manually by exploring
the contents on the disk and double-clicking on the “CDSInstaller.exe” le.
End User License Agreement
Please read the End User License Agreement as it applies to you in regards to your use of
the Cricut DesignStudio software. We promise it isn’t a very exciting read, but a small part
of you deep down inside will glow warmly at having participated in the act of being a
responsible consumer. Also, you can’t continue the installation process until you agree to
the stipulations the license puts forth.
.NET 2.0 Installation (if needed)
If at any time during the install or launch process you get a message referring to the
need for .NET 2.0 to be installed before proceeding it means that your current Windows
setup does not have this framework onboard. We included the install le for this on the
Cricut DesignStudio CD. You can access the contents of the CD from a Windows Explorer
window and double click the dotnetfx.exe le. Once completed, continue launching and
running the software.
Connecting Cricut Machine and Computer
IMPORTANT: Make sure you have installed the Cricut DesignStudio BEFORE connecting
your Cricut machine to your computer. This ensures the proper drivers are installed.
Locate the USB cable that came with your Cricut DesignStudio Bonus Pack. Then locate
the USB port on the back of your Cricut machine, next to the A/C adapter port. Notice its
unique shape and plug in the corresponding end of the Cricut USB cable. Finish the
connection by plugging in the standard end of the Cricut USB cable to an open USB port
on your computer. Make sure that you plug the USB cable into both the computer and
Cricut DesignStudio™ • www.cricut.com 5
the Cricut before turning the Cricut machine on. Your computer should automatically
sense and install the drivers required to run the Cricut system once it is turned on the rst
time. This may take a minute or two. You will see Windows popup balloons indicating the
status until complete.
Launching the Cricut DesignStudio
Start the Cricut DesignStudio software by double-clicking the icon that was placed on
your desktop during installation OR via the Start / All Programs / Cricut DesignStudio link.
Software Activation
When you launch the Cricut DesignStudio software for the rst time, you will be asked to
authenticate your software product to gain access to the full range of features. Until activated the software can only run in a “trial” mode where your cutting options are limited
to the following: While operating on the Cricut V1, you can only cut from the George and
Basic Shapes cartridge. While operating on the Cricut Expression, you can only cut from the
Plantin SchoolBook and Accent Essentials cartridges. Verifying legitimate software ownership helps us protect your investment and promotes a brighter Cricut future for all of us.
The easiest way to activate your software is by choosing the “Activate using the Internet”
option during this stage of the installation process. If you nd yourself without Internet
access at the time of installation, you can also activate your software by phone by clicking the tab to the immediate right of the “Activate using the Internet” tab. As the phone
method is a bit more complicated than the online method, please pay close attention
to the instructions provided during the process. You can take comfort in the fact that
software activation only happens once per install.
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Updating
Periodically, Provo Craft will release updates to the Cricut DesignStudio. Also, as Provo
Craft releases new content, updating will automatically add this new content to your
Cricut DesignStudio cartridge library so you can preview it, design with it, and love it. If you
want to see the newest stuff, update often! To update, use the Check for Updates options
in the Help menu (see page 24), or check the Cricut Support webpage on Cricut.com. An
active Internet connection is required for this option.
Updating the Cricut Firmware
Before you cut for the rst time from the Cricut DesignStudio, you will be required to update
the Cricut rmware on the machine itself. Do this by selecting “Update Cricut Firmware” under the Help menu. Be sure your Cricut machine is connected to your computer before performing the update. After selecting the Update Cricut Firmware option, follow the instructions that come up. This updating process can take around 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
Customer Support, Troubleshooting, and FAQ
For assistance in troubleshooting any problems or issues that involve program installation,
program functionality, or use of the Cricut DesignStudio program, or to see a list of the
most frequently asked questions, please check out our Cricut Support webpage at Cricut.
com. You can also email us at support@cricut.com or call our great Customer Support line
at 877-7CRICUT (or 877-727-4288) Monday–Friday 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (MST).
Uninstalling
If you ever have the need to uninstall the Cricut DesignStudio software, follow these steps:
1. Go to “Start,” select “Control Panels” and then “Add or Remove Programs.”
2. Select Cricut DesignStudio from the list, then click “Remove.”
3. Choose “Uninstall” and follow the instructions. All done.
or
1. Go to "Start", then "All Programs", then "Cricut DesignStudio".
2. Choose “Uninstall” from the menu. This will start the Uninstall Wizard.
Getting Started
Enough chatter about the Cricut DesignStudio software, let’s take a good look at it! Feel
free to open up the program and follow along. Your success and enjoyment using this
program will be greatly enhanced if you are familiar with the all the nooks and crannies.
If this is your rst time operating the Cricut DesignStudio software, we recommend actively
following along with the descriptions and experimenting with the functions as you go.
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User Interface
Let’s take a look at the features and functions of the Cricut DesignStudio software. The
following is a list of the functional elements you’ll nd in the program along with a brief
description of what each function does.
Cricut Cartridge Library
In this window, you’ll be able to browse through all available Cricut content, and access
any cartridge sets you own. This feature allows you to preview whatever you like, but
remember that you can cut only the content you have purchased.
View
Use the View drop-down menu to choose how you organize your content for browsing.
Your content can be organized in the following ways:
Favorites
Any cartridge you ag as a favorite appears in this category (see page 24 for
more information).
All by Category
Cricut content can be organized by general category type. These are Font sets, Image
(Shape) sets, Educational sets, and Seasonal sets.
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My Cartridges
Any cartridge you ag as your own appears in this category (see page 24 for more information).
Keywords
Cricut content can be organized by character type, and browsed one by one.
Key 1 and Key 2
Enter search criteria in these elds to look for specic image types. For example, dog, star,
tag, etc.
Show Key Shape Buttons
Use these arrow buttons to view the “previous” or “next” character in the keyword
search results.
Cartridge List Window
Content will be listed in this window according to the chosen view method. Double-click
on the content name to select it.
Virtual Keypad Overlay
As you select content from the Cricut Cartridge Library, the keypad overlay will update
itself to represent the content you have chosen. Use these buttons just as you would on
the Cricut machine to input the images you want to work with or cut. Click on an image
button with the pointer to select that image and add it to the on-screen cutting mat.
Cricut DesignStudio™ • www.cricut.com 9
Creative Feature Keys
On the left side of the overlay are six gray keys for creative feature selection. Each of
these keys has a symbol that summarizes the theme of a particular creative feature. Click
on these keys to switch to the creative feature of your choice. Click on the button again
to de-activate the creative feature and return the keypad overlay to the base images.
You can also select creative features from the Features Menu (see page 23).
SHIFT LOCK
After clicking on the SHIFT LOCK key, any image selected will be a shifted image. Click on
the SHIFT LOCK key again to switch back to non-shift images. All shifting must be done with
this key. The Shift key on your computer’s keyboard will not work in its place.
SPACE
Just like with the Cricut machine, clicking the SPACE key will add a space after the image
currently selected.
BACK SPACE
Clicking the BACK SPACE key will remove the image or space currently selected.
Paper Saver
Select the Paper Saver mode by clicking the box. Paper Saver mode realigns images to
conserve as much paper space as possible.
Real Size
Select Real Size mode by clicking the box. Real Size mode, like Real Dial Size on your
Cricut machine, disregards a character’s proportionate size and causes images to be
shown and cut at the actual size you have chosen.
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Default Size
Use the Default Size slider to choose the size of the next selected character. This size only
refers to character height or how tall a character is. Use the mouse pointer and then click
and hold on the slider bar to grab the slider arrow. Move it right to increase size and left to
decrease it. You can also click on the “plus” or “minus” symbols to do the same.
Tip: For quick size changing, click near the ends of the size slider to jump up or down in
larger increments.
Shape Properties
This window contains options for modifying image properties, such as position on the
mat, character dimension, and others. Simply enter in the desired data and press your
keyboard Enter key.
The controls in this window are just one way of manipulating shape properties. You can
also change shape properties directly with selection handles (see pages 19 and 20).
X-Axis
This option determines where a character or selection sits on the horizontal X-axis of the
mat, or how far left or right the image is.
Cricut DesignStudio™ • www.cricut.com 11
Y-Axis
This option determines where an image or selection sits on the vertical Y-axis of the mat, or
how far up or down the image is.
Width
This option alters the width of an image or selection.
Height
This option alters the height of an image or selection.
Rotate
Measured in circular degrees, this option alters the image angle and can be used to
rotate an image or selection to a specic degree.
Slant
This option alters the slant of the image or selection by slanting (skewing) it right or left.
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Welding
This powerful option allows for the seamless combination of unassociated images into
welded groups. Welding causes multiple images, which have been moved close enough
together to overlap, to become one image. It does this by joining images together wherever an overlap occurs. With this tool, individual letters can easily be welded into words
and phrases. Check the Welding box when choosing images you want to weld.
There are two ways to position images for welding. You can use kerning and nudging to
bring images together within a selection (typing a word, then nudging each letter closer
together in that word) or you can use the selection handles to drag and drop separate
image groups together (putting two or three separate words next to each other).
Tip: When welding multiple images, apply a negative kerning number (see Kerning below)
to bring your selected images close enough to overlap.
Flip Shapes
Check the Flip Shapes box to face each image or selection in the opposite direction, effectively
reversing image orientation.
Kerning
This option alters the space between characters as they are placed on the mat. A negative
number shrinks the margin while a positive number enlarges it.
Tip: Kerning can also help you t a few extra characters on the mat when working at a small
character size.
Cricut DesignStudio™ • www.cricut.com 13
Apply
To activate the Kerning amount you’ve entered click the Apply button. Note: The Apply
button is specically for the Kerning window, not for all of the other areas within the Shape
Properties box. To set those areas just press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Nudge Arrows
Using the Nudge Arrows makes for easy adjustment of character placement. Clicking on
the Nudge Arrows causes a slight kerning shift and moves any character or selection
right or left a small distance.
Tip: If you only need to move your image over a small distance, using the Nudge Arrows
takes the guesswork out of trying to nd the right Kerning setting.
Turn 90 Degrees
Clicking the 90 button will rotate an image or selection counter-clockwise 90 degrees.
Click twice to rotate 180 degrees.
Tip: Use this feature in conjunction with the Rotate option to more quickly nd the perfect
rotation angle.
Revert
Click the Revert button to reset all the options in the Shape Properties menu. This sets the
X, Y, Width, Height, Rotate, Slant, and Turn 90 elds back to the original settings.
Buttons
Down the left side of the Cricut DesignStudio user interface you’ll see a series of buttons.
These buttons perform some of the most useful functions and are placed close to the
on-screen cutting mat for your convenience.
New Page
Clicking the New Page button will create a new on-screen cutting mat on which you can
continue your current project, or begin a new one.
Note: Multiple mat pages stack on top of each other and are tabbed for easy navigation.
Copy Shapes
Want to repeat the last image selection you adjusted without having to redo all the
changes by hand? Click the Copy Shapes button to copy any image selection. This is
especially useful when you want to repeat an image arrangement you have spent time
creating. The Copy Shapes function is identical to the Copy command in the Edit menu.
Note: When copying images, only the most recent copy selection can be pasted.
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Paste Shapes
Clicking the Paste Shapes button will paste any image selection you just copied into the
mat area you have chosen. Use the cursor to determine mat placement when pasting.
The Paste Shapes function is identical to the Paste command in the Edit menu.
Tip: You can continue to paste the most recent copy selection. This is one way to make
mass production easier.
Delete Shapes
Clicking the Delete Shapes button will remove any selected characters from the mat. The
Delete Shapes function is identical to the Delete Shapes command in the Edit menu.
Tip: You can undo an accidental deletion. (Whew!)
Preview
Clicking the Preview button will bring up a temporary preview outline that shows you what your
selected characters will look like once they’re cut. Preview displays all shape property changes
you have applied such as welds, ips, and rotations. Using the Preview function is a great way
to survey your arranged characters and determine if any nal changes need to be made
before cutting. The Preview function is identical to the Preview command in the View menu.
Tip: When using the Preview, the joined cutting lines of welded shapes will be bolded and
any non-welded shapes will be shaded.
Cut With Cricut
Clicking the Cut With Cricut button sends all the images on your current mat page to the
Cricut machine and begins the cutting process. Be sure to have the right paper loaded
into the Cricut before clicking this button. The Cut With Cricut function is identical to the
Cut With Cricut command in the File menu.
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Fit to Page
Clicking the Fit to Page button will reset the mat zoom level so that the entire mat can be
seen. This is a great way to survey everything you’ve selected and how it’s all arranged.
100% View
Clicking the 100% button will reset the mat zoom level so that you will see your selected characters at 100% of their natural size. This is great way to compare characters to each other.
200% View
Clicking on the 200% button will reset the mat zoom level so that you will see your selected
characters at 200% of their natural size. This is a great way to take a closer look at character details.
Tip: To view an individual character without the handles (see page 19), select the character
and then hold down Alt. This will temporarily remove the handles to give you a clearer view.
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