Choosing the Right Pen for your Cricut Project can make a big difference in how your project turns out. Every Cricut project you make can be customized in a number of ways using the Cricut pen. When creating Cricut drawing projects, the pen you choose can change the look of the project. There are a number of pen types to choose from – you can mix and match the pen colors and styles and make a wide variety of unique designs. Today we'll talk about how to pick the pens to use to get the look you want when creating your Cricut projects.
Cricut Design Space – Choosing the Right Pen for the Project
From what I understand the Surface Pro 6 does not have a USB port however the Cricut should have Bluetooth capability. There is also a USB adapter you could buy for the Surface Pro 6 if she's having issues with connecting via Bluetooth. The Cricut Design Space itself is online so that should work just fine. Cricut Design Space is design software that works with Cricut Maker™ and Cricut Explore® family smart cutting machines. This app is aimed at the beginner with the aim of progressing to 'Expert' with the help of it's 526 Easy Video Guides. With The Design Space Software you can browse thousands of images, ready-to-make projects, and fonts in the Cricut Library. Jun 21, 2018 - Before you buy a new laptop to run your Silhouette Cameo or Cricut machine, read this article about using a Microsoft Surface product!
This is lesson 11 in my drawing and writing with your Cricut series. We've covered a variety of topics using the pen to draw or writing with your Cricut. Today I'm sharing how to pick the best pen for the project. You can draw or write all kinds of fonts and designs… the pen you choose will impact how that art turns out.
The most important tip for today is play with the pens and see what you like best. How you like the way a pen draws is a personal preference. So try out the different pens, see which you like best and how you like the pens to write… experiment and see what you favorite looks are.
For this tutorial you need the following materials:
- Cricut cutting machine – any version will work
- Cricut pens – your choice
- Paper – use practice paper to test out the techniques
Today we will talk about:
- Setting up Pen choices in Cricut Design Space
- Pen tip size matters
- Pen color vs sparkle
- Using the Calligraphy tip pens
- Combining Pen Types
Setting up Pen choices in Cricut Design Space
Cricut Design Space makes it easy to designate which pen choice is set for which draw or write lines. Simple choose the layer you want to set to draw, select the pen color/style and you're set. The writing palette also keeps track of which colors you've already used so you can designate multiple lines with the same pen. This is especially important when using the black or gold pens so you don't end up changing out pens for every single draw line.
Cricut Design Space does not give you a preview of different line thicknesses (line weights) so make sure to familiarize yourself with the different pen widths before you start using all the different pens on all your designs.
Wagakki band flac. Pen tip size matters
The standard Cricut pen is a .3 tip size and the standard black also comes in a .4 as well as medium round tip and medium calligraphy tip. Each pen tip will display a little differently. The size of the text or design you are creating can be greatly impacted by the size of the pen tip. Small, delicate designs should be drawn with a small tip while larger designs will look different depending on which tip size you use.
Alternatively, if you want to draw on the edge of a cut line, a small tip pen will not display much while a wider tip will have a greater chance of adding the accent you are looking for.
Experiment with your pen sizes to get a feel for how well they draw at different sizes and with different fonts and designs.
Pen color vs sparkle
Cricut offers fine tip pens in a wide variety of colors. These are great for adding colored accents, drawing in different colors and even layering colors of drawing art. There are also glitter and metallic pens. Each of these pen types have different tips and will work better with some designs than others. The paper you use with different pens will also impact how the drawing looks. I've noticed that the glitter pens work best on medium detail are and smooth paper while the fine point pens work great on all papers, except very textured paper. The metallics work well with larger designs, cut edges and any paper type.
Glitter and metallic inks show up better on a shinier surface where the ink can sit on top of the paper instead of soak in. Again, play with the different pens. try them both by hand as well as in your machine to get a feel for which looks you like best.
Using the Calligraphy tip pens Delete external hard drive.
The Cricut calligraphy pens have a unique angled/chiseled edge. When you draw with these pens, the line weight will vary as the machine draws each line. These pens are especially fun to use with fonts as the edge of the pen adds a nice hand-lettered touch. Turning the pens in the pen holder can also impact the look of the lines so test our which angles you like best.
Combining Pen Types
The most fun you can have with the Cricut pens is using different pen types to create unique combinations of drawing designs. Layer different inks on top of each other and pair different ink types to get fun hand-designed looks. You can create duplicate drawing layers in different colors or inks to create some nice drawing effects.
Practice Cricut Drawing Project
I've created this cute snowflake coloring card to show you how different pens look together. The two cards are the exact same design but use different pen types. One card is a standard fine point black and a thicker black pen. The other card is a standard fine point blue pen along with a thicker metallic pen. Take a look at this Cricut Design Space project for your own pen combination practice. Change the different snowflakes to different pen colors and sizes. Layer the drawing lines, use glitter, layer colors and see what you come up with. cute snowflake coloring card
If you've gone through the entire 12 lesson series to draw and write with your Cricut, you should not be well on your way to creating all kinds of fun Cricut projects using the pens. You can convert cut lines, layer art designs, write fonts and make your projects really pop with extra hand-drawn accents.
Cricut Design Space On Microsoft Surface
I can't wait to see what fun you have with your Cricut, please stop back by or check out the 100 Directions facebook page and share what you've created!
If you have a Cricut Maker, a Cricut Easy Press or a Cricut Explore, then you'll be familiar with Cricut Design Space. This is the software which lets you design and cut your images.
If you're new to creating and cutting your own designs, then it has lots of good features to help you get started.
- It works with most recognised image types: .jpg, .gif, .pgn, .svg and .dxf
- It has more than 60,000 images for you to start with
- And it includes some pre-prepared projects so that you can get used to creating and designing.
One potential drawback is that you need to keep connected to the internet and this can sometimes cause problems, so what can you do if your Cricut Design Space isn't working?
There is no simple answer and some things are tried and tested ways of fixing other problems too, but here are some ways to fix some of the most common errors (fix the remove exclusive content error here). Izotope rx 7 audio editor advanced 7 01 pc.
Contents
- 1 Program Lagging or Freezing
- 2 Design Space Problems
Program Lagging or Freezing
One thing you may experience is the program freezing or taking a long time to do anything. If you do, then first check your internet speed as a slow speed can cause this. You may be paying for a high speed, but in reality you may not be getting this.
STOP!Looking For Ready-To-Use T-shirt Designs? Read This Article
1. Run a speed test
There are many sites where you can run a free speed test. To run Cricut Design space you will need both good upload and download speeds.
- Recommended minimum download speed: 5 Mbps
- Recommended minimum upload speed: 1.0 Mbps
If either your upload or download speeds are not enough, the best thing to do is get in touch with your internet service provider. They can often tell you the best way to increase these or upgrade your contract so you can get the desired speed.
It's possible you may need a new modem or router and they will be able to tell you.
2. Check what else is connected
Most households these days have several people sharing one internet connection. This can put a strain on it and even slow it down. Streaming movies and TV programs can affect the speed of everyone else in the house.
If you find your Cricut Design space is lagging or freezing, check to see what else is being used and if necessary turn it off. This could give you the extra speed you need.
You also need to look at your own computer to see what's running in the background. Windows 7 3d printer driver. It's sometimes easy to forget that you have other programs open and these can be slowing your system down. If you can hear the processor working hard, then something is using it.
Some of the things to look out for are:
- If you are using a Windows machine, Windows may be updating in the background.
- Anti-virus programs run scans and updates, and you may find this is running and causing problems. If it is, then you can stop the scan until you have finished working.
- If you are streaming while working, that might prevent your Cricut Design Space from running smoothly.
- Similarly having too many pages open such as Facebook, Skype, Twitter, News feeds and sites like Ebay, can all slow things down.
- If you cannot see anything running in the background, try restarting your computer. This often works to speed things up, particularly if it's not been turned off for several days.
3. Restart the router
Every now and then it can help to turn off your router and restart it. Many people don't like to do this, but it can help to keep your connection running smoothly.
4. Check your computer
If your computer doesn't meet the required specifications for using Cricut Design space, then you may experience freezing.
The recommendations for a Windows machine are:
- Windows 8 or later
- Intel Core series or AMD processor
- 4GB of Ram but 8GB will help
- At least 50MB of free disk space
- A spare USB port or Bluetooth connection
If you use Windows, then always use the most up to date version of your chosen browser. Cricut Design space will work in Chrome, Firefox and Edge, but if you notice lag, check to see if there's an update to your browser.
The recommendations for Apple machines are:
- Mac OS X 10.12 or later
- CPU of 1.83 GHz
- Minimum 4GB Ram
- 50MB free disk space
- A spare USB port or Bluetooth connection
If you do not have the required specification, you may need to look at upgrading your computer.
5. Clear your cache
One thing you may experience is the program freezing or taking a long time to do anything. If you do, then first check your internet speed as a slow speed can cause this. You may be paying for a high speed, but in reality you may not be getting this.
STOP!Looking For Ready-To-Use T-shirt Designs? Read This Article
1. Run a speed test
There are many sites where you can run a free speed test. To run Cricut Design space you will need both good upload and download speeds.
- Recommended minimum download speed: 5 Mbps
- Recommended minimum upload speed: 1.0 Mbps
If either your upload or download speeds are not enough, the best thing to do is get in touch with your internet service provider. They can often tell you the best way to increase these or upgrade your contract so you can get the desired speed.
It's possible you may need a new modem or router and they will be able to tell you.
2. Check what else is connected
Most households these days have several people sharing one internet connection. This can put a strain on it and even slow it down. Streaming movies and TV programs can affect the speed of everyone else in the house.
If you find your Cricut Design space is lagging or freezing, check to see what else is being used and if necessary turn it off. This could give you the extra speed you need.
You also need to look at your own computer to see what's running in the background. Windows 7 3d printer driver. It's sometimes easy to forget that you have other programs open and these can be slowing your system down. If you can hear the processor working hard, then something is using it.
Some of the things to look out for are:
- If you are using a Windows machine, Windows may be updating in the background.
- Anti-virus programs run scans and updates, and you may find this is running and causing problems. If it is, then you can stop the scan until you have finished working.
- If you are streaming while working, that might prevent your Cricut Design Space from running smoothly.
- Similarly having too many pages open such as Facebook, Skype, Twitter, News feeds and sites like Ebay, can all slow things down.
- If you cannot see anything running in the background, try restarting your computer. This often works to speed things up, particularly if it's not been turned off for several days.
3. Restart the router
Every now and then it can help to turn off your router and restart it. Many people don't like to do this, but it can help to keep your connection running smoothly.
4. Check your computer
If your computer doesn't meet the required specifications for using Cricut Design space, then you may experience freezing.
The recommendations for a Windows machine are:
- Windows 8 or later
- Intel Core series or AMD processor
- 4GB of Ram but 8GB will help
- At least 50MB of free disk space
- A spare USB port or Bluetooth connection
If you use Windows, then always use the most up to date version of your chosen browser. Cricut Design space will work in Chrome, Firefox and Edge, but if you notice lag, check to see if there's an update to your browser.
The recommendations for Apple machines are:
- Mac OS X 10.12 or later
- CPU of 1.83 GHz
- Minimum 4GB Ram
- 50MB free disk space
- A spare USB port or Bluetooth connection
If you do not have the required specification, you may need to look at upgrading your computer.
5. Clear your cache
Over time your cache can get very cluttered, and if you don't turn your PC off every night, you might find things slowing down. Clearing your cache can improve your speed.
6. Shockwave issues
Cricut On Microsoft Surface
Like a lot of software, Cricut Design Space uses Flash. This can cause problems of its own. If you start working on a project and leave it open while you have a break, then you may come back to a message telling you that Flash is not working.
This is because it has an automatic time limit and if you do not complete what you are doing within that time, it closes down.
There is no easy way around this one but make sure you save your work regularly so you still have it if you encounter a Shockwave error.
7. Reinstall
Sometimes when you encounter problems, all you have to do is close the program and re-open it. If all else fails, then you may need to uninstall the software and reinstall it.
This can be done using the same method that you use for uninstalling other programs, but you may need to restart your pc before you reinstall it.
Here's an excellent video for beginners if you're having difficulties.
Learn all about the costs of cricut design space here.
Design Space Problems
When you're working with images and design software there are many problems you can encounter. Some may require technical help but the three most common are these: What programming language does excel use.
1. The program won't open
As Cricut Design Space uses Flash you will need to install Adobe Flash before you use it. This is free software which you can download from the Adobe website.
Some browsers such as Chrome will ask you every time you open Design Space if you want to allow Flash to run. You must click to allow this or you won't be able to use the software.
2. Cannot locate the image files
- The preloaded files are in a ZIP folder so you will need to unzip them before you can use them. There are free unzip programs available or you may already have one installed.
- When you import your files, you should get an editing window appear. If it does not, find the files in Design Space and click on the button which says ‘insert images'. If you're not sure which ones they are, they should have a green tick next to them.
3. Imported images do not look right
If you find that your image has gaps or is all one color after you've uploaded it then this is most likely to be a problem with the layers. Click ‘Ctrl+A' to select all of the elements of your design, and then change the fill color so that it is transparent.
You may find that you have a hidden layer which was causing the problems. Now that you can see it, you can continue your editing.
As with all programs, you may experience problem when you first start to use Design Space. As you get more experienced and try more features you will soon be able to trouble shoot when you have any problems.
