How to Upload SVG Icons to Cricut Design Space
Use free SVG icons as cut files in Cricut Design Space. Which icon style cuts cleanly, how to upload and resize, and fixes for common problems.
Simple icons make good cut files. They are bold, they have few small pieces and they scale to any size, so the same file works for a mug decal, a card or a shirt. Here is how to get an icon from this site onto your Cricut mat.
Choose the solid version
Every icon here comes in two styles. For cutting, download the solid one.
- A solid icon is a filled shape. The machine cuts around its edge, which is what you want for vinyl, iron-on and cardstock.
- An outline icon is drawn as a thin line with a thickness setting. Cutting software follows the center of that line and ignores the thickness, so the result is a single hairline cut, not a visible outline.
If you want the outlined look, see the tip further down.
Upload the SVG to Design Space
- On the icon page, press Download SVG under Solid.
- Open Cricut Design Space and start a New Project.
- Click Upload in the left panel, then Upload Image.
- Click Browse and choose the SVG file, or drag it in.
- Give it a name and tags if you like, then click Upload.
- Select the icon under your recent uploads and click Add to Canvas.
SVG files arrive ready to cut. There is no background to erase, as there is with a PNG or JPG.
Resize it
Icons are drawn very small, so the upload may look tiny on the canvas. Select it and type the width you need in the Size boxes at the top, or drag the corner handle. Keep the lock icon closed so the shape does not stretch.
Because it is a vector, it cuts just as cleanly at 1 inch as at 10.
Tips for clean cuts
- Start bigger than you think. Small inner details weed more easily at 3 inches (about 7.5 cm) and up.
- Check the pieces. Some icons have separate parts, such as the dots on a face. Select the icon and click Attach so the parts keep their positions on the mat.
- Use Weld for single pieces. If you add text or combine two icons, Weld or Unite joins overlapping shapes into one cut.
- Mirror for iron-on. Turn on Mirror on the mat screen before cutting heat transfer vinyl.
Getting the outline look
To cut an outline-style icon as a visible line, the line must first be turned into a shape. In the free program Inkscape, open the outline SVG, select everything and choose Path > Stroke to Path, then save. The saved file uploads to Design Space as a cuttable outline.
You can also draw the outline version with a Cricut pen. Upload the outline SVG and change the operation from Basic Cut to Pen.
Silhouette and other machines
The solid SVG also works in other cutting software. Silhouette Studio opens SVG files in the Designer Edition and above. For the free Basic Edition, download the PNG at 1024 pixels in black and use the Trace tool.
Icons that cut well
View all 15 free Celebration & Holidays icons
View all 19 free Love & Wedding icons
Questions
Can I sell things I make with these icons?
Yes, you can use the icons on products you make, such as cards, shirts and decals. You may not sell or share the icon files themselves as cut files or SVG bundles. See the license.
Why did my icon upload as a solid black square?
That happens when a JPG is uploaded, because it has a white background. Use the SVG. If you must use an image, choose the PNG, which is transparent.
The upload looks empty. What went wrong?
You probably uploaded the outline version. Its lines have no filled area to cut. Download the solid version, or convert the outline as described above.
Every icon on this site is free to download. If this guide helped, you can say thanks by buying a pack from the LinearAndLoom Etsy shop.
