How to Slice & Crop in Cricut Design Space

Hello Daydreamers!

Today you will learn everything there’s to know about the Slice tool in Cricut Design Space.

But…What is Slice in the Cricut World?

The Slice tool is an option in Cricut Design Space that allows you to split and crop out two overlapping images or layers in order to create a whole new design.

This tool is AMAZING, and one of my favorites – by the way – because with it you can personalize and create new custom designs with existing shapes, and images.

Seriously….

If you master the Slice tool, YOU WILL MASTER your Cricut.

If you are a beginner and are still figuring out Cricut’s software, I recommend that you read my fantastic and Ultimate Cricut Design Space tutorial. 

In a nutshell, these are the topics I will be covering in this tutorial:

• Where to find the Slice Tool.
• Mini tutorial on how Slice works
• How to Slice multiple images
• How to crop images using the Slice Tool
• What is the “Slice & Set Method”
• Where is Slice in Cricut’s App?
• Combining Slice with other tools like Weld, Duplicate, Flip, and more!
• Examples of when to use Slice.

Ready to become a pro at slicing?

Tip: if you want to learn everything you need to know about iron-on (HTV) and master how to use it on different surfaces, make sure to check this amazing tutorial I put together.

Where to find the Slice tool & Things to remember

The Slice tool is located at the bottom of the Layers panel, and it activates when you have ONLY two layers selected.

You CAN’T Slice more than two layers because the program wouldn’t know what shape to cut against the other one. Don’t be disappointed though, I will show you a trick to Slice multiple images after this mini-tutorial.

Now, let’s see in a glance how Slice works.

Drop a square and a heart on the Canvas Area by clicking on the Shapes button located on the left panel.

Check out the following graphic and let’s have a little chat of what I did.

1. The original designs were a square and a heart right? However, I wanted to cut the heart out – that sounds creepy lol – of the square.
2. To do this, just place the heart on top of the square, select both layers and click on the Slice button.
3. After slicing you will always have 3 different layers.
   • The one you wanted to “slice” out of the bigger shape – In this case, the pink heart.
   • A copy of the shape you wanted to “slice” out – In this case, the blue heart.
   • And last but not least, and the reason you sliced in the first place, a new design with a cut out of the image you used to “slice” against – In this case the blue square.

Easy, right?

NOTE: This same concept applies to TEXT, instead of a heart you could have used a word or even a line of text. So to slice text you just need to make sure all of your text is in a single layer.

Now that you know how slice works let’s see what else you can do with this tool.

How to Slice Multiple images on Cricut Design Space?

The following screenshot is a yellow star with multiple circles on top. My goal with this design is to cut out all of the circles from the star.

But, how do we do it if we have more than two layers?

Slice every circle against the star one at the time? No thank you! that would take forever.

The answer to this is “WELD.”

When you have multiple – scattered – layers and you want to cut them out of another shape, you can’t do this just by selecting them and then slicing.

Remember Cricut Only allows you to slice two layers at a time.

This is what you need to do to slice out multiple images, and or shapes.

1. Select all of the layers you want to cut out and weld them. The “Weld” tool is located at the bottom of the layers panel just to the right of the slice tool.
2. After you weld, you will see that all of the circles are in one layer. Now, overlap them on top of the star, and click on the slice option.
3. After slicing you will have three different results.
   • Purple circles
   • Yellow circles
   • A star with multiple cut-outs.

IMPORTANT: After welding, you won’t be able to separate the circles, so if you think you will need them later on you should make a copy, then group them all, and hide their visibility.

I explain this better on my “Weld, Attach and Group” article. All of these options are sort of intertwined so I encourage you to check it out.

Using the Slice tool to Crop Images in Cricut Design Space

I have seen multiple tutorials on Cricut Design Space, but I have yet to see one where you can learn how to Crop Images and or photos.

Complex images or photos like .jpg or .png files are not really meant to be cut piece by pieces like an SVG or cut file. These types of images are for you to Print and then Cut.

When you upload the photo, you DO have the option to Crop it, but that is a square crop and nothing like what I am about to show you. If you want to learn the Print then Cut process for photos and/or .jpg images I encourage you to read my super amazing tutorial.

Ready for cropping?

1. Click on the Upload button located on the left panel of the canvas and select the photos you want to work with. Then add the shape you want to use for cropping.
2. Overlap the shape where you want to Crop, then select both the shape and the photo, and click on the slice.
3. Look that this time, for the “slice result” we are actually using the hearts. This just goes to show that you have many possibilities with this program.

Let’s see more examples.

I used an octagon, a star, a circle to create different crops and effects for my images. If you want more of a standard crop you can also use a square and unlock its proportions to create a rectangle.

Note: the proportions can be changed by selecting the shape/layer and clicking on the little lock located on the left-hand corner of the selection.

What is the Slice and Set Method?

When you are using multiple colors in your projects, there’s a moment where you’ll need to learn how to layer them up on the surface of your project.

This is extremely important when using materials like Cricut Infusible Ink, where your project will be ruined in you don’t apply this method.

Look at the following example.

This a design of an engagement ring and outline that can be used to make a t-shirt with Infusible Ink.

Initially, the outline is solid, and if you were to layer up both like this when using Infusible Ink materials, your project won’t look good.

Trust me!

To use the “Slice and Set” method, align both images, select them, and click on “Slice.”

After slicing you’ll have three different images (sometimes, more).

And, in this case, we only need two of them, the black layer, and the outline layer with the cut-out we just made.

To learn more about using Infusible Ink on t-shirts, make sure to check out this step by step tutorial I wrote.

Although the “Slice and Set” method is mainly used with Cricut Infusible Ink products, you can also use it with adhesive and HTV vinyl.

If you keep layering up colors and layers, your design can look bulky, and you don’t want that!

Where is Slice in the Phone App?

All of the things I’ve been teaching you throughout this tutorial can be done within the Cricut Design Space App.

In Cricut’s App, the “Slice Tool” is in the “Action” button located on the bottom panel of the canvas area.

Remember that you need to have two images selected to activate the slice tool.

If you aren’t familiar with Cricut’s app, I have a handy tutorial that will teach what every button is for, and where is located.

Slice, Weld and Other Tools to Customize Images in Cricut Design Space

So far you’ve learned main things:

• Slice against two shapes
• Slice multiple images
• Using slice to Crop images in Cricut Design Space
• Slice and Set Method
• Where Slice is in Cricut’s app.

Now, it’s time to intertwine “Slice” with other tools and create something new out of two existing images inside Cricut’s Library. (Don’t worry I used free ones)

If you are just getting started with Cricut this may be challenging, but I am doing my best to explain to you as much as I can. If you don’t understand something, please go to my beginner’s tutorial that I linked at the beginning of this post.

Let’s get started!

Add Images to Cricut Design Space

To add individual images from Cricut’s Library, click on the Images button located on the left panel of the canvas.

A new interface will appear for you to insert the images. If you like FREE stuff as I do, click on the filter and check the option FREE.

I don’t know if the images I chose will be free by the time you follow along with this tutorial, so if they don’t appear in the free section, just uncheck the box and look by their codes instead: #M54A5D & #M4FCE3A.

And If for some reason they aren’t free you can still play with them, you just can’t cut them without paying.

I selected some butterflies and flowers. You will be able to see them better in the next screenshot.

Ungroup Images and Delete Unwanted Pieces

When you insert the butterflies and flowers you will notice that they are grouped.

Since we are only going to use the last butterfly and the pink flowers, go ahead and select each flower and click on the ungroup option located at the top of the Layers panel.

Delete the unwanted pieces, first three butterflies and orange flowers.

Create a New Design

We are getting so close to creating a really cool design! The goal with this design is to slice out flowers on each of one of the butterfly’s wings.

After ungrouping and deleting the unwanted pieces we were left with one butterfly and three flowers.

Check out the following screenshot and let’s have a little chat about it.

What I did was to organize the flowers in a more appealing way. I overlapped them a little bit too – but you don’t have too – and clicked on “Weld” to create a whole new shape/or single layer.

Since I wanted to have more flowers on every wing I duplicated the already welded flowers and after arranging them I welded them again.

Note: you can also duplicate by selecting the flower and using the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + C and then Ctrl + V. If you have a mac, you would use the Cmd key.

This is how they should look.

Use Duplicate, Flip and Weld to Complete

It’s time to add flowers to each of the wings.

Select the first floral design and rotate/move it to fit the upper-right wing of the butterfly. Note: you can rotate, and resize your file by selecting and then moving the little icons – arrows – on the right side corners of the selection.

After organizing floral on the right wing; go ahead and duplicate it, then click on FLIP – select the horizontal to create a perfect mirror – and arrange copy on the left wing.

We are almost done!

These are the following steps to finish our designs:

1. To add the flowers to the lower wings, first select both of the top floral designs and click on “Duplicate.”
2. Then click on Flip – Select Flip Vertical to create a perfect mirror – and organize the new floral design on top of the remaining wings.
3. Select all four floral layers and click on “Weld” to have everything on one layer.
4. Last but not least, and the reason why you are reading this tutorial, select both the butterfly and flowers and click on “Slice.”

Slice Result & Where to Use Place it

After all of that work, we now have a beautiful custom design made out of two completely different images.

Seriously, your imagination and creativity is the limit! Trust me, your computer won’t break by you trying to do these sorts of things.

Experiment, try, and furthermore, NEVER GIVE UP!

Where would you like to see this design?

I used templates to get an idea of where this design would look good on, and I think it would look very cute on some throw pillows.

Don’t you think?

Learn more about templates on this article I wrote.

Examples of Using Slice

What I just showed it’s just the beginning of the Slice tool. Here are some real-life applications of the Slice tool.

• Gift Tags: Use slice to make punch holes.
• Making Cards with beautiful cut-outs
• Perfect to make rounded shapes in Cricut Design Space.
• Make words into shapes.

Make sure you visit each link to learn the Slice technique I used in the projects I just mentioned.

You Did it!

If you followed along with this tutorial and want to put in practice everything you’ve just learned; CONGRATULATIONS you are a Slice Master!