Guide · 3 min read

Why your Cricut draws double lines.

A traced file holds both edges of every line, so the pen goes round them. In single lines your Cricut draws each line once, with a pen, foil or a scoring tool.

Foil
Gel pen
Score
Our example drawings in single lines, shown as previews on each material.

A Cricut drawing double lines is following your file: the file holds both edges of every line, so the pen goes down one edge and back along the other. The fix is in the file. Use a single line SVG, one open path down the middle of each line, then change the layer's Operation from Cut to Pen in Design Space. For words, pick a writing font, whose letters are already single lines.

Updated 3 sources ↓

Ideas

What can I make with a Cricut pen?

Cards, invitations, gift tags and pages to color in: anything you can draw in lines. From a single line file the pen goes along each line once, and the same file takes foil or a scoring tool.

Save the dateGold foil on white card

Housewarming cardWhite gel pen on navy card

Tea party invitationFine black pen on cream card

Birthday cardSilver gel pen on black card

Gift tagGold pen on kraft

Thank-you cardScored on white card

Our example drawings in single lines, shown as previews on each material.

Why

Why is my Cricut drawing double lines?

Because the file holds the outline of each line. Design Space sends the pen along whatever paths the file holds, and a traced drawing has a path on each side of every stroke.

Thinner lines do not help. A line 1 px wide in a PNG is still a shape with two edges, so it still comes out double.

A trace
57 ingoes round both edges
Single lines
22 ingoes down the middle

The pen's path at 6 in wide. An example we picked.

The fix

How do I make my Cricut draw a single line?

Give it a file with one path down the middle of each line, a single line SVG, also called a centerline trace. Drop your drawing here and turn it into one.

Drop your drawing. Get its SVG.

  1. Drop a line drawing.
  2. Check the pen path it would draw.
  3. Keep the file for one credit, or leave it.

In Design Space

How do I set a file to draw instead of cut?

Upload it, then change its Operation from Cut to Pen. The upload preview can look thick, so judge it on the canvas.
  1. Choose Upload, then Upload Image, and pick the SVG.
  2. Add it to the canvas and set the size you want.
  3. Select its layers, open Operation and choose Pen.
  4. To draw on a shape you cut, Attach the two so they land together.
  5. Press Make and check the mat.

Words

Why does my Cricut draw the outline of text?

Most fonts are outlines of letters, so the pen goes round each one. Pick a writing font in Design Space, whose letters are single lines, and set the text to Pen.

A picture of handwriting is a drawing, so it needs a single line file.

  1. Add your text and open the font list.
  2. Filter the fonts for Writing and pick one.
  3. Set the text's Operation to Pen.

Questions

Double lines, answered.

Sources

Yes, where your machine offers them. Operation lists what the chosen machine can do, so a Cricut Joy has no Score.

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