EveryCutFileRead what you see
Compare what arrived with the design as you expected it: what is missing points to the cause.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Parts cut off along a curve or a box edge | A clipping path: one shape masks the others. Design Space does not accept clipping paths in an upload | Merge the visible part into one shape (Pathfinder in Illustrator), then export |
| Shaded or photo parts missing, flat parts there | Gradients, patterns or an embedded picture, which do not come through as cut shapes | Give those parts a flat fill, or trace the picture |
| Sketch or rhinestone parts gone in Silhouette Studio | The file was made in an upgraded edition; the Basic Edition removes features it does not have | Open it in the edition that made it |
| Some shapes missing at the edges | They sit outside the page the file declares | Select all and bring them inside the page |
A worked example
A round badge made by placing a star pattern under a circle mask looks whole on screen, but the file holds the full pattern plus the mask. Merge the pattern with the circle into one shape and the file holds only what you see, so it arrives whole. Our files never rely on masks: our Halloween pack sheet is 137 plain paths, each a filled shape.
Fix it in your design program
- Keep the original, then work on a copy.
- Release or apply each mask: in Illustrator, use the Pathfinder panel to turn clipped shapes into single shapes; in Inkscape, choose Object > Clip > Release Clip, select one shape with a copy of the clip shape and choose Path > Intersection (Ctrl+*), so only the part that showed is left. Repeat for each shape, and keep the original file to edit later.
- Replace gradients and patterns with flat colors, and remove or trace any picture.
- Make hidden layers visible or delete them, so what you see is what the file holds, then export the SVG again.
Check before you import
The checker lists shapes, groups and anything it rejects, such as a raster picture. If the file still loses parts in one program, try the DXF copy, which carries outlines only.
From the maker’s documentation: Cricut: unsupported image items, Silhouette: importing and exporting troubleshooting, Inkscape: keyboard and mouse reference.