EveryCutFileFind and fix each item
| Item | How to spot it | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern, gradient, texture or photo fill | A shape that is not one flat color | Give it one flat color; for the look, use Print Then Cut instead |
| Clipping path | One shape hides part of another | Cut each shape down to the part that shows: Pathfinder in Illustrator; in Inkscape, release the clip, then Path > Intersection on each shape with a copy of the clip shape |
| Editable text | You can still type in it | Create Outlines in Illustrator, Object to Path in Inkscape, Convert to Curves in CorelDRAW |
| Linked image | The picture lives in another file | Embed it if it is an SVG or DXF; otherwise remove it, or upload a PNG of the design |
| Embedded picture | A photo or PNG inside the SVG | Trace it into shapes, or remove it; a picture inside an SVG has no cut lines |
Find the one item that fails
- Work on a copy and keep the original.
- Hide or delete half the design, save, and upload. If it goes through, the problem is in the other half.
- Repeat until one group is left, and fix it with the table above.
- Put the design back together and upload the fixed copy under a new name.
A worked example
A sign with a wood-grain background and typed lettering fails twice: the grain is a pattern fill and the lettering is editable text. Give the background one flat color and outline the letters, and the sign uploads with one layer per color. If the traced grain is wanted after all, keep it as a Print Then Cut image, not a cut layer. Our own files hold only flat colors and outlined letters, so they upload as they are.
Picture uploads and the path limit
Saving the design as a PNG gets the look in as one layer to clean up or print, and gives up the separate layers. Tracing a picture can produce thousands of tiny paths; Design Space stops at 5,000, so simplify the trace and delete the specks.
From the maker’s documentation: Cricut: unsupported image items, Cricut: image upload instructions.