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Using Slice in Cricut Design Space

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Last updated on January 3rd, 2020 at 10:52 am

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here’s everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes. 

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

Welcome back to my series on the five tools in the layers panel of Cricut Design Space: Weld, Attach, Slice, Flatten, and Contour.

Today we’re slicing and dicing! Using Slice in Cricut Design Space is probably one of the more aggravating tools in the program. Not because it’s difficult to use, but because there are some quirks that can frustrate newer users.

The main purpose of Slice is to cut overlapping layers into their own shapes. First quirk: you can only slice two shapes at one time, so if you have more than two things selected the Slice tool in the lower right corner will be grayed out. If you find this grayed out, you may have an object grouped — use the Ungroup tool at the top of the layers panel to ungroup.

Let’s take a look at a few ways to use Slice.

  • Cutting out a shape from a larger shape
  • Creating interesting shapes not found in the basic shapes toolbar
  • Trimming off unwanted parts of shapes

Cutting a shape out of a larger shape using slice

I went into Cricut Access and selected this tag shape and cute saying. I want to cut the saying out of the tag shape. Select both and click Slice.

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

Second quirk! Instead of just slicing the front shape out of the back shape, it actually creates three shapes. Your original top shape (in this case, the saying), the cut out tag, and the leftover from the cutout tag.

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

This is probably more things that you expected to end up with, but you can easily delete the extra pieces and keep the cutout tag.

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

Creating Shapes with the Slice Tool

One thing I like about using the Slice tool for is creating shapes that are not available in the left-hand Shapes menu. This is similar to how we made the snowman using the Weld tool.

Let’s make a crescent moon shape. Using the Shapes toolbar, insert two circles and make one big one and one slighty smaller one. Then overlap them — you can see that crescent taking shape on the left.

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

Then select both circles and click “Slice.” You’ll end up with this:

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

That, my friends, is even more shapes than the first example! Four shapes. The crescent I wanted to make, plus two middle pieces, and the leftover on the right. Delete those extra pieces and keep your crescent. Easy, but definitely a bit confusing if you’re new to the Slice tool!

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.
Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

Trimming Shapes using Slice

Sometimes you will want to cut off a certain part of a shape. For instance, maybe I don’t want the tails on this arrow.

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

I can use the Slice tool to, well, slice off the end of the arrow. Create a square from the Shapes menu on the left, and resize to cover the entire end of the arrow.

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

Ungroup the two pieces of the arrow (because remember, you can only select two shapes at a time to slice). Then select the rectangle and the arrow and click Slice. Like with the other examples here, you’ll end up with a bunch of unneeded shapes, which you can delete. But you also end up with the straight end on the arrow!

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.
Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

Hope you found these three examples of using the Slice too helpful! Come back next week — I’m going to be talking all about Flatten!

Not sure how (or even why you might want to!) to use Slice in Cricut Design Space? Here's everything you need to know about the slice tool, as well as sample images to show the results of different ways of slicing objects and shapes.

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Cori George
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Comments

  1. Latrice Ford says

    Thanks for the tutorial! It was very easy to follow and helped with many of the questions I have when using the “slice” option. I’m still having LOTS of trouble using the “slice” option with print and cut images from the web. It tuns the item grey when doing so. Do you have any suggestions for that, please? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Liz, HLMS Reader Support says

      The slice tool is a tricky tool to use!! Unfortunately on flattened/print then cut images, these are just a flat file with a cut line around the edges of the image, which is why it turns grey.
      You’ll need to convert it to a layered file where you can ‘slice’ one image out of the other. Just remember that you can only slice 2 layers at a time.
      I’ve also pasted a link to Cricut’s support site if that helps:
      https://help.cricut.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009555953-How-do-I-cut-one-image-out-of-another-image-Slice-
      Happy Crafting!

      Reply

      • Latrice Ford says

        Thanks sooo much for taking the time to reply to my question! I kept trying over and over and kept digging. Finally, I landed on Cricut’s page somewhere and read it cannot be done in the app! Voila! I went onto my desktop and it worked as described! Thanks again! You’re AWESOME!

  2. Melisa Ramos-Janeway says

    Your help was beneficial and easy to follow! Thank you!
    We are preparing for a destination wedding and I needed to slice and with your help, I did it easily!!

    Reply

  5. Jen says

    I may not be asking this question correctly but is there not a way to “draw” a cut path outlining the contour of an image that you want to cut around. This is for a tent display card where part of the image with brake the border when the card is folded.

    Reply

    • Amy Motroni says

      Hi Jen,

      There’s no easy way to do it. If the shape you want to break away is easy, then you can just make a cut line for it. Then you’ll need to attach the cut line to the base layer of your tent card.

      Hope this helps!
      Amy, HLMS Reader Support

      Reply

  6. Rosalva Arredondo says

    Hi, i’m working with a donut file which has three layers, the bottom “cake” part, the frosting layer and the sprinkles. I wanted to put the frosting and sprinkle layer together and slice out the sprinkles. I plan to cut out the sprinkles and make this all in glitter htv. how do i do this? thank you so much.

    Reply

    • Cori George says

      You should be able to ungroup the donut. 
      If the sprinkles are all separate, select them all and click weld before slicing.  
      Then select the frosting and sprinkles layers and click slice. 
      You’ll end up with three pieces—delete the two that are not the pieces you need.
      Does that make sense? – CG

      Reply

  7. Judi says

    Hi, I am trying to create a larger than mat word poster. Some of the words needed to be welded. Can you slice welded words to fit on numerous mats?

    Reply

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