By: Angie Holden|| 3 Comments
This post and photos may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Any supplies used may be given to me free of charge, however, all projects and opinions are my own.
There are several ways to make an SVG cut file from a picture. In fact, there are several websites online that are made to do just that. But which is better? Which should you use? How do you use them? I am here to answer all of those questions and so much more. Follow along below and you will be making SVG files from your pictures to use on your Cricut machine.
Table of Contents
Websites to Make an SVG File
All of the following websites will allow you to make an SVG file from any picture. Some of these are better than others depending on your picture. I am going to walk through each of these in a video so you can see the differences.
- Inkscape – This is free software that you can download for making SVG files.
- PicSVG
- Vector Magic
- IMG Vector
- Cricut Design Space – Yes, you can just use Design Space to convert your images.
All of these websites are free to use and they all offer up a different result. It really depends on the look you are going for when it comes to your project.
How to Convert a Picture to an SVG
On each of these websites, you will need to upload your picture then use the tools to convert it to an SVG file. You can actually watch me use each of the programs in the video below to get an idea as to which you want to use for your project.
You may also need to remove the background from your image and you can do that here. If you need to convert a PNG to a JPG, you can use this website.
Making a Project with Your SVG File
Once you have your picture converted, upload it to your Cricut machine, and make a project. I actually have a couple of projects that I made and am showing you how to make below.
Total Time 30 minutes
Projects to Make with a Picture SVG
Turn any picture into an SVG file then make these projects with your Cricut machine.
Supplies
- Cricut machine
- Weeding tools
For cup:
- Tumbler
- Permanent vinyl in the colors of your choice
- Transfer tape
For shirt:
- Shirt
- Heat transfer vinyl in the colors of your choice
Instructions
Cut the material for either (or both) projects on your Cricut machine. See the video for how I designed my project with a heart around it and text. For vinyl, cut with the material good side up. For heat transfer vinyl, cut with the material good side down and mirror before cutting.
For the vinyl to add to a cup, weed away all of the excess vinyl with your weeding tools.
Then add all of your colors to one sheet of transfer tape. You can see more about the basics of working with vinyl here.
Adhere the vinyl to the tumbler and burnish it down well. Then remove the transfer tape to reveal your design.
For the shirt, weed away all of the excess from your heat transfer vinyl using the weeding tools.
Then add your colors one at a time to the shirt surface. Be sure to follow the instructions for the brand of heat transfer vinyl you are using for both time and temperature. Remove the carrier sheet for the first color.
Add additional colors to your design. Just be sure your first color is covered when pressing your second (or third).
Remove the carrier sheet from the heat transfer vinyl and your shirt is complete.
Tried this project?tag us to show off your work!
These projects are both easy but perfect for using an SVG file made from a picture. I love the way both of them turned out.
This is a fun way to use your Cricut machine to make all sorts of personalized projects. Take any picture and turn it into a Cricut cut file to make any project that you can dream up.
I chose a picture of my dog but you can definitely change this up to be pictures of your kids or even a landscape image. The websites are free so give them a try with any picture on your camera roll. You might just make an amazing cut file that you will want to put on all of the things!
For me, this technique opens up so many possibilities for project ideas. Making custom projects like these is a great way to make a gift that will put a smile on anyone’s face. So, get started making an SVG cut file from a picture for your next Cricut project.
Love this idea for making a cut file from a picture and want more? Try the links below as well!
Applying B-Flex HTV
How do you use the heat transfer vinyl from B-Flex? We are showing you with a few simple projects to get you started.
Read More
How to Sublimate on a Cotton Shirt
Make gorgeous watercolor designs on your shirt with these two hacks for sublimating on cotton.
Read More
DIY Baby Onesies with Iron-on
Use heat transfer vinyl to customize those onesies in addition to our three free SVG files.
Read More
Wood Veneer Cricut Explore
Cut these real wood words with your Cricut Explore machine.
Read More
How to Etch Glass with a Cricut
Grab your Cricut machine and start etching glass with this easy to follow tutorial.
Read More
Need Help Organizing Your SVG Files?
Are you overwhelmed with the number of files on your computer? SVG (or digital cut) files can take up a ton of space, and it can be so hard to find exactly what you are looking for. That is where Cut File Clean Up comes in! The Cut File Clean-Up system ends the frustration of organizing your cut files so that you can find what you need and get to the best part of crafting—actually making your project.
The best part is that you can get it for a deal right now with great bonuses. And yes those bonuses include even more digital cut files for your crafting. You can’t get enough of those right? Grab it now.
About Angie Holden
For over a decade, I have been sharing Cricut tutorials and craft ideas here as well as on my YouTube channel. My passions include teaching others to be creative and learning as many new things as possible.
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Hanna
2 years ago
Thanks for so many tips about svg files conversion. I can olnly recommend you adding this svg to png converter to the list of online tools that can be used for this type of conversion. This is my favorite tool that I use all the time. It’s very fast and easy to use. It’s proven to be a reliable source as well as I’ve been using it for a while with no problems.
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Teresa
2 years ago
Thank you so much for this! I learned a lot. 🙂
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Vijay
1 year ago
What to learn everything from you
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FAQs
How do I turn a picture into a Cricut cut? ›
- Open the Cricut Design Space app and start a new project.
- Click the Upload button, and select the image file you want to upload.
- Select the image type and remove the background with the various eraser tools. ...
- Name the image, add tags, and click Upload to complete.
- Once you've put together an image in Photoshop, click on File > Export > Export As.
- Click on the Format drop-down menu within the box that appears and then select SVG.
- Select Export All and save the file.
What is the Best Free App to Convert Images to SVG? Inkscape is the best free alternative to Adobe Illustrator. Inkscape has a free and open-source vector graphics application available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What is the best free SVG converter? ›Verdict: RealWorld Paint is probably the best SVG converter as it is free and offers rich functionality. The main task of this program is to create vector graphics, illustrations, adding touch-up to images, etc.
Can I turn a PNG into an SVG? ›The free PNG to SVG converter tool from Adobe Express lets you upload your PNG image and convert it to SVG in seconds.
How do I convert a JPG to Cricut SVG? ›- Choose an upload option. Scroll down and click on “Convert image to the SVG format”. ...
- Convert file. Click “Start Conversion”. ...
- Get downloaded svg file. Your file is now converted to svg. ...
- Import SVG to Cricut. The next step is to import the svg to Cricut Design Space.
Well, the answer is YES! You can upload your own images, designs, and graphics to Cricut Design Space, then cut them out with your machine. You can even upload photos and use the Print & Cut feature to make projects using your very own photos!
Is there a way to cut an image in Cricut Design space? ›Slice is a tool within Cricut Design Space that allows you to cut one image out of another image. You'll find it at the bottom of the Layers panel, next to the other Design Space layer tools: Weld, Attach, Flatten, and Contour.
What software can I use to create SVG files? ›- Adobe Illustrator. One of the best SVG editors for Windows and Mac, Adobe Illustrator can be your go-to SVG tool every time you need an SVG image. ...
- Inkscape. ...
- Vectr. ...
- Sketch. ...
- Gravit Designer. ...
- Vecteezy. ...
- Affinity Designer.
The Adobe Express quick action tools allow you to make impressive edits on the go. Easily upload a JPG image right from your device to convert it to SVG in seconds. Instantly download your new SVG and you're ready to go — share it with friends or followers or use it in a future project.
Can Iphone save SVG? ›
Save Your SVG Files
Tap the "three lines" icon on the bottom right hand side of your screen to view the folder's contents in a list. Choose the SVG file you'd like to use and then on the square/arrow icon and then tap Save to Files. Select a location and tap Add. This is now ready to be used.
Simply upload your PDF to Zamzar's website, select 'SVG', then 'Convert Now' and 'Download'. If you have Adobe Illustrator, you can also use that to open your PDF, and then export the project as a SVG file. You will need to specify the page of your PDF that you want to save, if there are multiple pages.
How do I convert a PDF to SVG? ›- Open the web page of this PDF to SVG converter.
- Click on the "Add Files..." button to upload your source PDFs. ...
- Click on the second button to select a suitable format from the list, and you can choose SVG.
- Hit the "Convert Now" button to convert your PDF files.
SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphic, and they're the preferred file format for working with Cricut Design Space and other cutting machine/design software.
How are SVG images made? ›...
Some top options include:
- Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Animate, and InDesign.
- Microsoft Visio.
- Inkscape.
- GIMP.
Inkscape
This open source design software uses SVG as its primary file type. This is easy to send over to Design Space, and then it's just a case of letting your Cricut do the work.
One of the great things about Cricut Joy, Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker cutting machines, is the ability to upload and cut SVG files that you have created or purchased from independent designers, like Especially Paper.
Why is SVG not popular? ›SVG also supports animation and transparency, making it a versatile file format. The only issue is that it's not as widely used as more standard formats like PNG, so it's less supported on older browsers and devices, and it's not always the easiest to upload it to your site and get it to display correctly.
Do you have to pay for SVG files? ›Free SVG is an easy-to-use SVG file repository that contains over 164,000 designs, all of which are free to download; you don't even need an account.
Why would you not use SVG? ›Because SVG is vector-based, it does not work well for images with lots of fine details and textures like photographs. SVG is best suited for logos, icons, and other “flat” graphics that use simpler colors and shapes. Also, while most modern browsers support SVG, older browsers may not work with them properly.
What is the best format to convert to SVG? ›
Cloudconvert is the most popular SVG file converter that you can go for your windows. This converter supports more than 200 formats. The huge number of formats supported by this software makes it easier for the user to convert their SVG files into the desired format.
Why can't i convert PNG to SVG? ›You can't just save a PNG into an SVG file like when swapping between JPG and PNG. You will need to convert the raster image into a vector graphic, a process known as vectorization.
Can a PNG file be used for Cricut? ›Option 1 – Basic Image Upload:
gif, . png, or . bmp file you want to upload. Then select Open in the file selector or drag and drop the file into the Design Space image upload window.
Cricut Design Space gives you the ability to upload most . jpg, . bmp, . png, and .
How do I convert a PDF to SVG on Cricut? ›Convert PDF to SVG for Cricut Free!
Head over to ConvertPDF. Today, upload your PDF file and choose either PDF or SVG. Because SVG is a vector format, fonts may be substituted during conversion. To ensure the results match the PDF exactly, make sure to choose “Convert Characters to Curves” on the next page.
Ungroup Can Help: If you're finding that you have your images selected to Slice, but the Slice button is grayed out, you may have the wrong number of images selcted. Use the Ungroup tool at the top of the Layers panel to ungroup any images.
Which has better quality JPEG or PNG or SVG? ›JPGs can contain millions of colours and have much smaller file sizes, but are best for photos where there are no crisp lines or text. For pictures with crisp lines or text (e.g. a graph), stick with PNG and compromise on the number of colours you use. Replace PNG with SVG for simple line drawings, logos and icons.
How do I convert an image to SVG without losing quality? ›How to convert PNG to SVG without losing quality? Upload your image(s) using the 'Choose Files' button or drag and drop them to the dotted area. Click on the settings tab and set the image quality to 100 to convert files without compression. Next, click on 'Start Conversion' to convert files from PNG to SVG format.
How do I convert a JPEG to SVG on a Mac? ›Below is the procedure for converting JPG to SVG on Mac: Run the software - Launch your JPG to SVG app on Mac. Upload your files from your device or drag them to the converter's preview pane. Set to SVG format – Set the output format to SVG and click the Okay button to complete the conversion process.
Can printers print SVG files? ›You can use SVG files for some print work, particularly printing for clothing and crafting —but they're not compatible with enough devices to rely on them for day-to-day tasks.
Is there a way to convert PNG to SVG? ›
...
How to convert a PNG to SVG.
- Select. Choose a PNG image from your photo library that is less than 2GB in size.
- Convert. ...
- Download.
Convert PDF to SVG for Cricut Free!
Head over to ConvertPDF. Today, upload your PDF file and choose either PDF or SVG. Because SVG is a vector format, fonts may be substituted during conversion. To ensure the results match the PDF exactly, make sure to choose “Convert Characters to Curves” on the next page.
- Adobe Express - SVG conversion without quality loss.
- RealWorld Paint - Portable version.
- Aurora SVG Viewer & Converter - Batch conversion.
- Inkscape - Compatible with various platforms.
- Converseen - PDF file import.
- GIMP - Easily expandable.
- Gapplin - SVG animation previews.
Pixelied is the best online app to convert PNG files to SVG without downloading any software or plugin. The image converter is available online and supports more than 100 image formats with the best quality.
What is the easiest program to make SVG files? ›- Adobe Illustrator. One of the best SVG editors for Windows and Mac, Adobe Illustrator can be your go-to SVG tool every time you need an SVG image. ...
- Inkscape. ...
- Vectr. ...
- Sketch. ...
- Gravit Designer. ...
- Vecteezy. ...
- Affinity Designer.
One of the quickest ways of turning a PDF into an SVG is to use file conversion software or an online tool like Zamzar. Simply upload your PDF to Zamzar's website, select 'SVG', then 'Convert Now' and 'Download'.
How do I convert a JPEG to a vector File? ›- Open Adobe Illustrator. ...
- Insert the JPG image you want to convert. ...
- Select a "tracing" workspace. ...
- Select the JPG. ...
- Adjust the color complexity. ...
- Adjust the pixels. ...
- Change settings to adjust the edges. ...
- View your changes.