How to Convert a PNG or JPG to SVG for Cricut

Cutting machines need vector files: shapes with smooth edges, not pixels. A PNG or JPG has to be traced into an SVG first. Done well, you get crisp cut lines that scale to any size.

Convert PNG to SVG

1. Open PNG to SVG (or JPG to SVG).
2. Add your image.
3. In the options, choose black and white for a single-color cut, or a number of colors (up to 16) for a layered design.
4. Press Convert and download the SVG.
5. In Cricut Design Space, choose Upload › Upload Image and select the SVG.

Images that trace well

The cleaner the input, the cleaner the cut:

• Logos, lettering and clip art with solid colors - best results.
• Line drawings and signatures - great in black and white.
• High contrast between the design and the background.
• Large images - at least 1000 pixels wide gives smoother curves.

Photos can be traced, but they become a simplified illustration - fine for a stylized portrait, not for a realistic one.

Clean up the image first

• Remove a busy or colored background with Make Background Transparent - a plain background traces into nothing instead of an extra shape.
• Crop tightly with Crop.
• For faded scans, Black and White with a threshold makes the lines solid before tracing.

Fixing common problems

• Jagged edges: start from a larger image.
• Tiny specks to weed: clean up the background first, or use fewer colors.
• Letters filled in (e.g. the middle of an "O"): in Design Space, select the layer and use Contour to hide the inner piece, or slice it out.

Going the other way

Need a PNG from an SVG - for a mockup or a website? SVG to PNG renders it at the size you choose.