How to Upload SVG Files to Cricut Design Space

Uploading your own designs is free on every Cricut account — you do not need Cricut Access for it. Grab any file from the free SVG library and follow along.

On a computer

1. 01Download the file. If it arrives as a .zip, right-click and choose Extract All before doing anything else.
2. 02Open Design Space and start a new project.
3. 03Click Upload at the bottom of the left-hand panel.
4. 04Click Upload Image, then Browse, and pick the .svg file.
5. 05Design Space recognises the vector automatically — no Simple/Moderate/Complex screen appears. Click Upload.
6. 06The design lands in Recent Uploads. Select it and click Add to Canvas.
7. 07Resize using a corner handle so proportions hold, then click Make It.

On iPhone, iPad or Android

1. 01Save the SVG to Files (iOS) or Downloads (Android). Unzip it there if needed.
2. 02Open the Design Space app and start a new project.
3. 03Tap the Upload icon in the bottom toolbar.
4. 04Tap Browse Files, find the .svg and select it.
5. 05Tap the uploaded design, then Insert to place it on the canvas.

Mobile uploads sync to your account, so a file uploaded on a phone is available on your laptop the next time you open the same project.

Three errors that stop most first uploads

“File type not supported”

The file is still inside a zip archive. Extract it and upload the .svg itself, not the folder and not the archive.

The design uploads as one flat shape

A PNG was uploaded instead of the SVG. Check the extension. If you genuinely uploaded the SVG, select the design on the canvas and click Ungroup in the Layers panel — the layers are there, just grouped.

An extra rectangle cuts around everything

That is the artboard or a background layer. Ungroup, click the offending rectangle in the Layers panel, and delete it before pressing Make It.

Before you press Make It

• —Cutting heat transfer vinyl? Turn on Mirror for every mat that contains HTV.
• —Check the size against the item you are decorating — measure the shirt, do not guess.
• —Weld script lettering so overlapping letters cut as one word.
• —Run a test cut on a scrap first when you are using a new material.

What next

Once the upload flow is second nature, the full guide to using SVG files covers Silhouette, Glowforge and ScanNCut, and what an SVG file actually is explains why the format behaves the way it does.

Cricut upload questions

Do I need Cricut Access to upload SVG files?

No. Uploading your own SVG files is free on every Cricut account. Cricut Access only covers Cricut's own image and font library.

Why does Cricut say my file type is not supported?

The file is almost certainly still zipped. Unzip the download first, then upload the .svg from inside the folder.

How do I keep the layers separate after uploading?

Do not click Flatten. If layers arrive grouped, select the design on the canvas and choose Ungroup in the Layers panel.

Can I upload SVG files from an iPad?

Yes. Save the file to the Files app, then in Design Space tap Upload, Browse Files, and select it.