EveryCutFileRead what you see
A browser showing the picture means the file is a working SVG; only the app that opened it is wrong.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The design shows in a browser tab | Your computer opens .svg files in the browser | Upload from inside your cutting software |
| Code or text instead of a picture | A text editor is set to open .svg files | The same: open it from your cutting software |
| A window of files, not one design | You opened a ZIP folder | Extract the files first, then upload the SVG |
| Nothing happens in Design Space | Design Space does not open files by double-click | Use Upload on the left of the Canvas |
A worked example
Download our friendly ghost and double-click it: on most computers it opens in a browser tab at 94 × 90 mm, because the file says its size in millimeters. That is a good sign. Now open Design Space, choose Upload, then Upload Image, Browse to the same file and choose it, and the ghost arrives on the Canvas in four layers.
Change the app for .svg files
- Windows 10 and 11: open Settings, choose Apps, then Default apps; type .svg in the search box, choose the result and pick the app.
- Mac: select an SVG file in the Finder, choose File > Get Info, open the pop-up menu under Open with, choose the app and click Change All.
- Design Space and Silhouette Studio work best opened first: start the program, then use its Upload or Open command to choose the file.
Nothing to fix in the file
An SVG that displays in a browser is a valid file. If it also shows the size you expect there, it will import at that size in software that reads units.
From the maker’s documentation and reference works: Cricut: image upload instructions, Microsoft: change default apps in Windows, Apple: choose an app to open a file on Mac, MDN: displaying SVG.