Making a SVG With Inkspace

Creating SVG files is the best way to make custom designs for Cricut machines. SVGs are scalable vector graphics that don’t lose their clean lines or sharpness when you resize them.

There are two primary types of graphics: raster and vector. Raster graphics are made of pixels, while vector images are based on mathematical formulas.

Create a new document.

Using Inkspace, you can turn what you write and sketch on paper into digital ink for easy editing, sharing and organization. It's also available on tablet and smartphone - and cloud synchronized*.

SVG files are vector graphics that can be scaled to any size without losing their quality. This makes them ideal for use on the web and in email marketing.

You can open an SVG file with any modern browser or a built-in program on your computer (like Chrome, Firefox, etc.). Because SVGs are text, they're also compatible with screen readers and search engines.

They're also a great choice for creating icons and designs that need to be displayed perfectly on Retina screens. This is because they're smaller than raster formats like PNG, which contain lots of pixels that can be degraded as you scale them. Moreover, they can be edited and controlled by scripts. This allows for a wide range of interactive images, such as mobile-responsive and animated icons, charts, and graphs.

Download this SVG HERE

 

Trace an existing image.

Creating a SVG from an existing image can be tricky. It takes some time and patience to get it right. Inkspace has a handy tool that makes the process even easier.

The first step is to select the image that you want to convert to a vector. Once the selection is made, click on Trace Bitmap to see a window that allows you to set various options.

Next, you can choose whether to create a black and white trace or color version. For a more accurate conversion, you can also opt to remove the background of your bitmap image.

The tracing settings are also very customizable, so you can tweak them to get the best results for your project. For example, you can choose to suppress speckles and smooth corners.

Create a text object.

To create a text object in Inkscape, open a new document and click on the "text object" icon on the left hand menu. Or hit "F8".

You can type your own text or paste from another file. As the text is typed, it expands to fill a presized rectangular text box. Line breaks are automatically made, and the text can be resized using the sizing handles on the toolbar.

When you want to change the size of your text object, use a corner handle on the toolbar or hold Ctrl and click + drag to resize. The control preserves the ratio between the text and the background, so your design won't become distorted.

Converting the text to a path is useful for transforming (scale, reshape, and so on) letters individually in your word or block of text, as well as for filling with a gradient fill. It also eliminates the need to send the font along with your file when sharing.

Convert the text object to a path.

Converting the text object to a path is one of Inkscape's more useful workflow tools. Paths can be used to manipulate shapes, apply path effects, apply Boolean operations (Union, Difference, Intersection, Exclusion etc) and much more.

You can easily convert your text into a path by using the Select tool and selecting "Object to Path" from the path menu. You'll be able to make any modifications you need to your converted design using the Inkscape toolkit.

If you're not comfortable with the process, it's a good idea to create a duplicate of your text object before making the conversion. This way, you'll be able to go back and make any necessary changes later on without having to redo everything again!