If you are into DIY & Crafts business, then its impossible that you haven’t heard about Cricut. Its a big name in the market right now as it offers various printing & cutting machines to make customizable projects for personal or commercial use. You can also purchase the accessories and materials you want for your projects from the same brand.
But hey, have you ever heard of Cricut Design Space? It’s like this super cool software from Cricut that lets you design all sorts of stuff, including things for sublimation printing. You can create all these fancy patterns, logos, and graphics and then print them onto transfer paper. And get this – you can transfer them onto pretty much anything you want! This software is your go-to whether you’re into crafting or love customizing things.
A questions always pops up in our mind, whenever we think about a designing software that whether its free or is it a paid one? Well, the good news is Cricut Design Space is absolutely free to download and you can use it to create any design, do print & cut or just have a basic cut. In the free version you get 100+ fonts, more than 3000 images, 250+ customizable projects.
But, like the super famous dialogue of Joker from Batman franchise – ” If you are good at something, never do it for free “, this tool also comes with its own set of terms and conditions. They give you an option to opt for ” Cricut Access ” subscription where you get tons of good looking 1200+ fonts, more than 1,000,000 images, 100,000+ customizable projects, templates and their library is continuously growing. This service surely seems very useful if you are a beginner.
So, let’s dive in and see how to use it for sublimation!
Learn How to Use the Cricut Design Space for Sublimation
Let’s break down how to use this software in a simple, step-by-step process.
Step 1: Download the Software
Visit the official website to download the software for free on your windows or mac. Earlier, they used to give Web version as well, but now its only ” Download & Use ” and personally we too feel that having this tool on your desktop is a no brainer.
Once you are on the website, tick the ” Agree to Terms ” checkbox and hit ” Download “. It will automatically start downloading. Once its done, install it on your system to start the magic.
Step 2: Sign In to Cricut Design Space
After the installation process is complete (which just takes a minute), create a Cricut ID and sign in to Design Space. If you’re new to the software, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the interface and main features.
This is how your dashboard will look like. It has ” Collections to Explore “, some Free ” Images for You “, some ” Projects for You “, New Fonts, trending items and a lot more to get you started. I know all this seems really overwhelming, but I am here to ease out this process for you.
Step 3: Familiarize yourself to the software
Let’s understand the dashboard of Cricut Design Space a bit more. On the left hand side column, you will find these options:
- Discover: It shows the latest collections, designs, images, fonts to choose from. You can directly click on any project, edit and make it yours.
- Inspire: As the name suggests, it shows some designs and images made by fellow software users so that you can get some inspiration to start designing something. Remember, by default, your profile is also Public, which means all your designs are visible to everyone. You can make it Private by going on your profile and editing the settings.
- My Stuff: This window shows your recently created designs, images and collections. Note: If you do not have Cricut Access, then you can make a maximum of 5 collections only.
- Cricut Access: This will take you to the website from where you can Subscribe to their service.
- Heat Guide: Thanks to their team as they have professionally curated a heat settings guide for various materials and their machines. So, if you are into Cricut Workspace, then you need not worry about temperature settings for sublimating your project.
On the Top Right Column, you will find an option which says ” New Project “. Just hit that button to choose from various templates or Blank Space to start desigining.
Step 4: Create Your Design
You can create a new design or select one from the vast pre-made templates and images library. For sublimation, use designs with bold, vibrant colors and avoid thin lines or intricate details. To give you an example, I am choosing a Blank Canvas from New Project tab. Let’s have a quick look at this window and understand it better.
On the left hand side, you will find various tools for designing. It has Templates, Projects, Shapes, Images, Text, Phrases, Editable Images, Monograms or you can even upload your own Image or Font.
Note: Most of the assets have ” a ” sign marked on top left which shows that its a Cricut Access item and you need to have a subscription to use it. Some assets are paid even after having a subscription. I generally use Design Bundle or Creative Fabrica to get my assets for designing. Remember, for sublimation, you’ll need to mirror your design before printing.
You can find more editing tools located in the top most bar of your canvas. It has Operations tab to choose from a Basic Cut or Print & Cut, Align & Arrange option, Offset button to create another layer under your main design, Warp settings, size selection and much more.
On the right hand side of your canvas, you will find a section which has your design layers. Remember, to attach all the layers which needs to be printed together.
Step 5: Prepare and Print Your Design
Once you’re happy with your design, click “Make It” in the top right corner. This will bring you to the mat preview screen. Make sure to select “Mirror” under the “Mat” options to reverse your design for sublimation.
Connect your sublimation printer and ensure you have the correct sublimation ink and paper loaded. Click “Continue” and “Send to Printer” to print your mirrored design.
Final Thoughts
The process of using Cricut Design Space for sublimation is really easy. If you diligently keep practicing, you will get the hang of it in no time.
