How to create an SVG cut file using Adobe Illustrator

I used an ipad Pro to create a flower; two flowers with leaves. In this video, I will show you how I import a drawing, with more than one color, into Adobe Illustrator, how to use the image trace tool, how to create compound paths and how to export as an SVG cut file to use with cutting machines such as Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Maker, Silhouette Cameo and more.
#cricut, #cricutdesignspace, #svg
Kindly visit designerPrintables.com to browse free + premium SVG cut files as well as PDF printables.

[@boltfan55]

The "hint" around the 9:15 mark was golden. Thank you!

[@tulizeabp659]

I had NO CLUE we could use the green mats to add different colored vinyl sheets in ONE cut session. MAN this is a game changer, especially for people in the custom bike painting industry. Our cutters only allow us to cut off ONE continuous roll...but here you can change the colors. or the materials. that's insane. Thanks! This helps.

[@BelangerFamily09]

Teacher here - what a well made video! Easy to follow explanations. Very glad to have found your channel!

[@EdnaMorales]

Best video, so easy I keep coming back to it. ☺ Thank you!

[@designerprintables160]

I’m so happy it has helped you! 😊

[@durganayak4674]

One of the most easy to understand tutorial I have ever watched . Thank you very much for posting this tutorial.

[@rachelboyershuman5597]

Thank you! This is the best tutorial I have found for creating layered SVGs. You made it so easy to understand without skipping any important information or adding in anything unnecessary or confusing. Thank you so much!!

[@designerprintables160]

Thank you Rachel! I’m so thankful my tutorial was clearly communicated!! I appreciate your kind words!! 😊

[@doityourselfforfree8639]

Yes this is the best tutorial that I have found. Thank you for making it.

[@dogboy213]

Thank you so much for this tutorial. It’s the first one I found that actually makes sense and doesn’t go on and on.

[@designerprintables160]

My pleasure! I am thankful you found it helpful!!

[@mercedezsmith1012]

YOOOO!! Thank you for this! I have been stuck all day and all night just trying to export a design. Your are heaven sent lol Keep up the great content! Thanks Again

[@retroechos]

Wow! You made that easy to understand. You filled in a lot of information holes. Thanks!

[@Reneekelley68]

Nice! One of the best tutorials on making a cut file.

[@designerprintables160]

Thank you kindly!! So glad you found it helpful! 😊

[@domisangeyasha1969]

This is the best video for beginner cricut users! I have been searching this for days. Thanks!

[@infographie]

Excellent.

[@Aussat]

Brilliant even now a days, great help thank you, far better than others!

[@GhostSlayer1084]

Simple and straightforward video, love it!

[@emmamay4990]

Absolute best demo I've seen out of the few I've watched. Straight forward and to the point, thank you so much!💜

[@AbisArtSkool]

When you find a video that answers exact question. Thank you :-)

[@designerprintables160]

Thank you, Sarah! I’m so happy my video answered your question!! I love that!!

[@AbisArtSkool]

@@designerprintables160 You have a calm and well-paced teaching style. Thank you :)

[@denisealtonbergner513]

Thank you for taking this the next step into showing in the Cricut work space and laying it out and the vinyl for printing I have never done any of this before and though I am familiar with Illustrator I have no knowledge of Cricut and the process of how all of that works!

[@Newinthropeslady]

Thank you thank you thank you, great detailed video

[@daylematthews]

Such a great tutorial. Really clear and you have made it so easy to understand the whole concept of SVG cut files (which has entirely escaped me before). Thank you!

[@yousif6960]

Is best teaching💞💥🔥

[@christinekurtz3063]

Great tutorial, just what I need to get started with my new Cricut! Thank you

[@leelee.eeleel]

concise and clear tutorial! thank you!

[@norasikinhussein7453]

Thank you! You are a great teacher!

[@LizBarber]

Great Tutorial! Very thorough and easy to understand! Thank you!

[@marijabazarova2940]

Thank you very much

[@p.s5293]

Thanks you so much for your video i have been searching and watching video to make this svg file to get it work with Cricut maker however i did not know to make compound path before exporting to SVG file , your video made my life easier after trying to figure it out for last day and half many thanks

[@emmamitchell7604]

Thank you this has really helped. I can finally understand why things keep going wrong in my Cricut design space.

[@TisaJackson]

This is an amazing tutorial for creating SVG's - thank you so much!

[@designerprintables160]

My pleasure! I’m so happy you found it helpful!! 😊

[@chansofancy]

The best tutorial! Do u have a video on how u put all the different colors on the same mat to cut? That’s such a time saver!

[@designerprintables160]

Thank you for your kind words! Using multiple colors on one mat is a time saver. I use SnapMat within Cricut design space. I do have some video footage of this but not up on KZbin at the moment.

[@FreshlyFuji]

This was an excellent tutorial! I'm wanting to learn how to make my own SVGs and this was very helpful. Thank you!

[@CharmingCheek]

Excellent tutorial!!! Thank you for the work you put into this for everyone!

[@designerprintables160]

Thank you kindly! I’m so happy it helped!!

[@charlenem2419]

This is wonderful! Thank you!

[@MonlineMarch]

best video with all information checked.I love it.I will save to my list :)

[@designerprintables160]

Thank you kindly! So glad you found it helpful!!

[@ednitamorales]

Thanks teacher ❤️

[@JulieEbersole]

Fantastic tutorial-thank you so much!

[@designerprintables160]

My pleasure Julie! I’m thankful you found the tutorial helpful. More videos coming soon. Thank you for your kind words!

[@goprodoggo]

Excellent tutorial! Thank you.

[@Alice-dm7ll]

super 👍thank you !

[@kbcustoms959]

You are a blessing thank you some much for sharing.

[@rozroz7527]

Thank you!! One of the bests out here.

[@designerprintables160]

Excellent! So glad you found it helpful!! 😀

[@rozroz7527]

Np. Can you advise of what I am doing wrong if no new layers come up when I unite , compound path and make?

[@designerprintables160]

@@rozroz7527 you’ll want to select all layers that you’d like to unite. Then click unite. Those separate layers should now become one layer. (It doesn’t make an additional new layer). Happy to help. Let me know if you’re still having trouble. I’ll help how I can. 😃

[@anyasker7055]

very informative. Thank you.

[@designerprintables160]

Thank you for watching. Glad you found this video informative.

[@bdhomeohall]

This video helped me to do, what i wanted. Thank you very much

[@barbieabbott5627]

Thank you for this video it really helped me...

[@designerprintables160]

My pleasure! I’m so glad it helped you!! 😊

[@vickypilo8174]

Amazing. Thank you so much. I have watched 3 videos and you are by far the easiest to follow! would you be able to show how to create an additional layer for the “offset” or just black background for the image on illustrator ?

[@rehabhassan6039]

Thank you so much

[@AbdurRahman-mk3nw]

thanks😍

[@borhanuddin1432]

If my full artwork 2 or 3 object together is Black or any single colour then should i Unite and compound path the whole artwork?

[@designerprintables160]

Yes, exactly. Each object of the same color would be united together and then create the compound path for that color. Essentially, each color should be a united item to cut that color vinyl.

[@borhanuddin1432]

@@designerprintables160 Thanks a lot

[@borhanuddin1432]

check the Instagram

[@polygaryd]

I have adobe cs6 with illustrator and I cannot move the points individually like at 5:15 in this video. I did everything step by step, same as the video. My image is only 1 color. The only difference is, I'm in windows not mac. Any help would be great.

[@thehardlife5588]

What if you already have a svg but you flatten it ? What happens then can you still use it to cut?

[@designerprintables160]

If the svg is one color, you should be able to cut it. You won’t be able to cut a flattened SVG if it’s multicolor…(especially if it is flattened to the background like a jpg file). it’ll cut just the one outlined shape out as if it is a png. Hope this helps.

[@designerprintables160]

You would need to take the steps in this video to vectorize the graphic in order to separate each colo. Otherwise, it will only print along the outside outline of the entire flattened image.

[@thehardlife5588]

@@designerprintables160 thanks

[@MrLightstudios]

So, I assume you sell on Etsy? Im a designer and have no idea about these cut files but from what I can see if I want to sell my designs as digital downlaods on Etsy most people will want them as cut files? so do you have to put every colour on a seperate layer and then put the SVG through this program afterwards to make it a cut file? or do I let the person downloading make it into a cut file? Can't find any proper tutorials explaining hos this stuff works. thanks

[@designerprintables160]

Hi. The cut file is created when you vectorize it in a program. Each color would need to be a separate layer. Then that file would be used with your cutting machine. To sell SVG cut files, they would need to be SVG cut files...not flat images/drawings. Hope this helps.

[@lauraa.x_o]

Is there a way to do all this on the iPad Pro 2020?

[@designerprintables160]

You can accomplish this on the ipad if you use Adobe Illustrator. It is subscription based and can be downloaded on the App Store within your iPad. Hope this helps!

[@ButtercupCreationz]

Is Adobe Illustrator just for Procreate or do you have to get Adobe Illustrator for iPad? Do you have a link?

[@designerprintables160]

Adobe illustrator and procreate are two separate apps. You can download illustrator for the iPad. It is awesome!!

[@jerreepillow5759]

but which adobe illustrator? because it pulls up tutor, guidelines, and classroom book. so can someone help me get the right one please

[@designerprintables160]

You should be able to go to the App Store and download Adobe illustrator. If you aren’t able to...it may mean your iPad doesn’t meet the system requirements. I would double check them. Good luck!

[@suemcdonald9446]

I am struggling to get it to show the compound paths in the layers panel, I can pull it apart and it shows all together but theres still separate parts in the layer panel what am I doing wrong?? thx

[@designerprintables160]

When that happens to me. I lock all the layers I want to keep…then select all the random paths and delete them. Hope this helps. 😊

[@suemcdonald9446]

I will add I am using illustrator 2023 is it different there maybe?

[@suemcdonald9446]

@@designerprintables160 I am trying to do a png and can pull the sets apart by color after I unite them but then when I do the Object/create compound path, it does not show any different in the layers panel, they are all separate pieces sorry to be so thick headed 😞

[@kevinwarner959]

@@suemcdonald9446 I assume you live traced your PNG image, since you mentioned that you can pull the parts of the design apart. If you select all of the pieces of your design which have the same colour by holding shift and selecting each part, while they are selected, you can go to OBJECT>COMPOUND PATH>MAKE. In the layers panel you will see the layer your entire design is on. However, to the left of your layer name, there is a dropdown arrow. If you click that you will not only see each section of the design on it's own layer, but you will also see the compound path you made, on a layer labeled . that layer will also have a preview box to the left of the name so you can preview the part of your design that you made into the compound path. Hope this helps.

[@kevinwarner959]

@@suemcdonald9446 I also use Illustrator 2023. This process is the same as in the previous version of Illustrator

[@Jenn25091]

This was the best tutorial EVER!!!!!! Thank you so much for this, I am brand new and was getting very discouraged.