| You finally purchased the Cricut Design Studio | | | | else. There are Cricut Design Studio users that |
| software. Most likely your next question is, "Now | | | | freely share their designs and ideas. The best |
| what do I do?" Here are seven things you need | | | | starting point would be the message boards at |
| to know to jump start your learning of the | | | | the Cricut website. There you will find links you |
| program. | | | | can follow to cut files all over the web. Simply |
| You can design with all of the cartridges, but you | | | | download the file to your computer and the open |
| can only cut with the ones you have. Cricut | | | | it in the Design Studio. |
| Design Studio has every available cartridge loaded | | | | You need to get updates to the Cricut Design |
| into the program. You can create all kinds of | | | | Studio at the Cricut website. The updates not |
| cutting files with any cartridge they offer. While | | | | only fix any bugs in the program, they also add |
| that is fun for experimenting, just remember that | | | | the latest cartridge releases for you to design |
| when you go to cut the Cricut will ask you to | | | | with. |
| load the specific cartridge used. | | | | When previewing a cut, if it is welded together, |
| You can use more than one cartridge in a cutting. | | | | the cutting lines will be in a bold line. If an image |
| The options are endless. Bring letters and images | | | | previews as a solid color then it is not welded. It is |
| from any cartridge into the cutting you are | | | | easy to miss checking the welding box on a letter |
| designing. When you are ready to cut, the Cricut | | | | as you are creating, and this is a sure-fire way to |
| will ask you to load each cartridge you used. | | | | make sure that none of them are missing. |
| Connecting letters together to form one cutting is | | | | You can use several layers when creating a |
| referred to as welding. In order to weld letters | | | | design. For example, If you are creating a shadow |
| together it is important to remember to check | | | | for an image you need to open a new layer just |
| the welding box for each individual letter or image. | | | | for the shadow. Otherwise, when you go to cut it |
| Another interesting tidbit about welding is that it | | | | will cut the image and the shadow at the same |
| removes any scorelines on the image. | | | | time using the same paper. When previewing, the |
| You can use cut files from other Design Studio | | | | user has the option as to whether or not other |
| users. If you are low on creativity or time, your | | | | layers show through to the one they are working |
| best solution is to use a file designed by someone | | | | on. |