by Molly | Jan 6, 2023 | Cricut Tutorials, Tutorials | 0 comments
Editing Text In Design Space
This post will go over the tools you will frequently use to edit text in Cricut Design Space. For those you are already familiar with Design Space, you might learn something too?
If you are completely new I recommended checking out Introduction to Design Space first!
Let us get started by adding some text to our Canvas. Click on the text button on the Left Tool bar.
Then type whatever word you want. You can edit the text at anytime by double clicking on the word itself or double clicking on the word in the layers panel (the item highlighted in green)
* We are not going to review the editing text in the order of the tool bars. This is because it is easier to edit certain items before others*
1. Select/Deselect
There are 3 ways you can select elements on the canvas
1. Select All: Select everything on the canvas. When all elements are selected this will read deselect
2. Click: Click on an element you want to edit or move. If you hold shift you can select multiple elements.
3. Click & Drag: To select multiple elements at one, click on the canvas, hold and drag over the items you want selected.
4. Layers Panel: Click on items in the layers panel to select them. This is handy when you have elements on top each other. The selected elements will be highlighted.
2. Font Options
If you click on the font drop down a huge list of fonts will appear. It can be a bit overwhelming to find a font, but Cricut has improved their ways of filtering to help out a bit!
In the right picture, the word Cricut is highlighted in green at the top. This is showing Cricut based fonts. You can select system and it will show your computer fonts; this way you can use fonts that you have purchased as well. You can also bookmark or search by recently used fonts.
Cricut has also categoried fonts by style, which can be seen below the search bar. If you scroll over you will see cursive; best way to only show cursive fonts!
You can also type in your search if you have an idea of what you are looking for.
When looking at the fonts, you first see a preview of the style of font. Below this you will see the font name, then if it is a single/multi layer font, and if it has a writing option. On the right you will see if the font is downloaded, bookmarked, free/cost, and if it requires Cricut Access
This filter bar allows for you to filter through by:
All Caps: Fonts that only have uppercase letters
Kerned: Fonts that have predetermined spacing
Multi-Layer Cutting: Fonts that will have a 2+ layers that will be cut
Single-layer Cutting: Fonts that will only have 1 layer that is cut
Writing: Fonts that are designed to be used with pens
Free: Fonts that do not require purchase of Cricut Access
Purchased: Fonts that you have bought
Downloaded: Fonts that you have downloaded so you can use them when your designing offline
Don’t know what Cricut Access is, check out this post. Do I Need Cricut Access?
3. Font Style
All font styles may not be a choice for every font.
Many thin fonts will not be able to be bolded.
If you want to have font written by a pen, make sure to pick a font that show it can do a writing style.
4. Operation
The Operation is telling your machine that the selected element will be cut, drawn, print then cut, or used as a guide. The type of cut or draw option that you select will determine which tool that the machine uses to perform the operation.
The color can also be set, and it will separate cut items onto different mats based on colors or prompt you when to switch your pen color.
5. Size
There are actually 3 ways that you can edit the size of your text.
1. Font Size: This is the same system as what is used in Word
2. Width & Height: Located at the top of the screen. You can lock or unlock the ratio and this means if you change the one of the values then the other will change while keeping the ratio of the image.
3. Boxes on the Text: All of the corner boxes will allow you to change the height or width of your text. The boxes on top, bottom, and side will make your text box larger.
6. Letter Space
This is just like it sounds, the space between each letter. You often hear the tern kerned fonts or kerning. Kerned fonts refers to fonts that have already been optimally spaced. You’ll notice on a lot of cursive fonts that the letters are type not touching, so you will need to adjust the letter spacing. There are also some fonts that the letters are just too close together.
Having trouble keeping all the Cricut Design Space Terms Straight?
Get your free copy of the Cricut Design Space Dictionary!
7. Line Space
When you have 2+ lines in a single text box, you can adjust the line space between the lines.
8. Alignment
This refers to the alignment of the text within the text box.
Wrap Off: Your text will not move to another line if the text box is too small. It will instead expand the width of the text box.
Wrap On: Your text will move to another line if the text box size is too small for your word or scentence.
9. Advanced
Here I have changed my font to a multi-layered font. If you look at the layers panel on the right side you will see more than 1 element this time. The brighter green highlight shows that the text is selected. It is also showing that there are 2 elements grouped together. They eye on the 2nd elements shows that it is not showing on the canvas.
Advanced offer 3 options: Ungroup to Letters, Ungroup to Lines, & Ungroup to Layers
Ungroup to Letters: Will make each letter it’s own layer but keep the each letter paired with both layers. This option can be used on single layered fonts as well.
Ungroup to Lines: Will make your each line of your text box its own layer. You can see above that it kept the layers grouped just like it did when ungrouped to letters. This can also be used with single layered fonts, but it does need there to be 2+ lines within a single text box.
Ungroup to Layers: Will separate single layers, so they can be edited and moved separately.
10. Position
When you start getting a lot of elements on your screen, things can end up in a weird spot or on top of each other. To move elements around your canvas you can click on and move the element with your mouse, or you can enter the location you want your element to appear at the top, right of the screen.
The x position refers to the x axis or left to right. The y position (y axis) is up and down.
This rulers are the guides for where elements are located. It also represents the same sizing as the grid lines on your cutting mat.
11. Rotate
You can roate your text by typing in a number or using the arrows. Your text will rotate clockwise around the center point of the text box. You can enter positive or negative numbers but Design Space will automatically change your negative number to the positvie equivlent.
For example, you can enter -15 to get your text to be turned 15 degrees to the left, but it Design Space will turn it to 345 (360-15).
12. Flip
Flip Horizontal: Mirrors your text horizontally (left to right).
Flip Vertical: Mirrors your text vertically (top to bottom)
Both will keep the position of your text the in the same place on your canvas
13. Curve
You can curve your text or even put it into a circle. Moving the slider bar to the right will curve your text downward. Maxing out the slider will put your text into a full circle. If you move the slider bar to your left, then your text will curve upward.
14. Edit
To be honest I don’t typically use this feature because I use the keyboard short cuts that are listed next each item.
But it is on the tool bar incase you need it!
Duplicate is going to get you the same result as copy & paste, but you only have to press one button or use one code.
Cut is also the same thing as delete.
15. Align
For align to not be grayed out, you have to have 2+ elements selected. Depending on what is selected the bottom two might be grayed out.
Align Left: Elements are moved to align with the element that is furthest left.
Center Horizontally: Elements will be moved to the center point along the x axis between all elements.
Align Right: Elements are moved to align with the element that is furthest right.
Align Top: Elements are moved to align with the element that is closest to the top of the canvas.
Center Vertically: Elements will be moved to the center point along the y axis between all elements.
Align Bottom: Elements are moved to align with the element that is closest to the bottom of the canvas
Center: Elements are centered along the x & y axis
Distribute Horizontally: The element in the middle will be equally spaced between the element on the left and right of it.
Distribute Vertically: The element in the middle will be equally spaced between the element on the top and bottom of it.
16. Arrange
Arrange refers to the order the elements show up on your canvas. This is also represented by the layers panel. Elements that are at the top of the layers panel are at the the front layer and means it will be on top if elements overlap.
C would be called the top or front layer
B would show before A (if they were overlapped)
All 3 letters would show ahead of the square layer
Lets look at how the order of the elements in the photo would change if we used the following.
Bring to Front: If the square was selected & we bring to front it would move above the C in the layers panel & cover the letters.
Bring Forward: Square still selected & we bring forward, it would move in front of the A in the layers panel and cover the A.
Send Backwards: C selected. Send Backwards would put it behind the square in the layer panel and be hidden from view.
Send to Back: C selected. Send to Back moves it down one level in the layer panel behind the B.
Group: Links 2+ elements on the canvas but not on the mat. You can also find group on the layers panel
Ungroup: Unlinks the elements that are grouped.
17. Offset
This feature adds a proportional outline to your design. To learn how to use this feature, check out How To Use Offset in Design Space
Now that we have gone through the ways to edit text in Cricut Design Space pick some additional fonts and play around. Don’t worry if you end up clicking a button you didn’t mean to you can always use the undo and redo buttons! If you can’t get something to work right send me an email (contactmolly@sawdustandvinyl.com) or send me a Facebook message @sawdustandvinyl
I would love to help you out!
