Welcome to our latest Cricut blog post, where we'll be exploring the incredible capabilities of the Cricut Contour. If you're not already familiar with it, the Contour tool is one of the most powerful features of Design Space, allowing you to customize designs like never before. With this tool, you can easily hide or reveal specific details within an image layer, giving you total control over your designs. This tool makes it possible to create intricate and unique DIY projects that will really stand out. So, whether you're a professional crafter or just starting out, this guide will show you how to use the Cricut Contour tool to take your creations to the next level.
What is Cricut Contour?
Contour is a feature in Cricut Design Space that enables you to eliminate cuts from the interior of an image or text, essentially hiding them. The benefit of this is that the process is reversible, so you can turn the cutback on if needed. This makes Contour a great tool for those who like to experiment with their designs and want the flexibility to adjust them.
What Does Cricut Contour Do?
Clicking on the Contour button in Design Space will launch a pop-up screen called Hide Contour, which shows all the individual cut lines with an image layer. From here, you can select any cut line to hide or turn off. When a cut line is hidden, it won't appear on the Canvas screen and won't be cut by the Cricut machine. This tool is useful when you want to customize your designs by selectively hiding cut lines and creating unique shapes.
When to Use Cricut Contour?
The main use of the Contour tool is to hide specific cut lines from an image layer. However, there are alternative applications for the tool, such as converting a single-color image into a multi-color one, or separating different parts of an image into distinct layers, allowing you to cut them on separate mats. With the Contour tool's versatile capabilities, you can expand your creativity and achieve unique results with your Cricut projects.
Where is Cricut Contour in Design Space?
The Contour tool can be accessed on Windows and Mac by locating the dashed circle icon on the right side of the Layers Panel at the bottom left.
Meanwhile, on iOS and Android devices, the Contour icon is located under the Actions menu, also represented by a dashed circle. However, users will need to scroll to the right slightly to locate the icon. Whether using a computer or mobile device, the Contour tool is easily accessible and can enhance the precision and creativity of your Cricut designs.
How to Use Cricut Contour in Design Space?
In order to use the Contour tool in Design Space, complete the steps in the section below:
- Firstly, add an image to the Canvas and Ungroup any layers if necessary.
- After that, you need to select a layer to work with.
- Tap on the Contour button in the Layers panel, opening the Hide Contour screen.
- From here, choose the contour lines you wish to hide by clicking on them.
- These hidden contour lines will not appear on the Canvas window and will not be cut when the design is sent to the mat, giving you greater control over the finished product.
How to Contour an Image in Design Space?
Let's start by using the Cricut Contour tool on an image.
- Open Design Space and create or open a project that contains an image that you want to contour.
- Select the image by clicking on it once. The selected image will have a border around it.
- Go to the Layers panel, which is located on the right side of the screen, and select the image layer that you want to contour.
- At the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Contour button to open the dialog box.
- The dialog box will display the image with contour lines around it.
- To remove a contour line and hide the related part of the image, click on it in the preview window.
- You can click on as many contour lines as you want to hide.
- If you want to remove all contour lines and show only the outside edge of the image, click on the Hide All Contours button in the bottom-right corner of the box.
- Once hidden or removed the desired contour lines, hit the X button on the top-right side of the box to close it.
- The canvas will update to reflect your changes using the tool.
- If you want to make further changes, you can always return to the Contour box by selecting the image and clicking the Contour button again in the Layers panel.
How to Contour Text in Design Space?
Moving on from Contour images in Design Space, it's time to learn about Contour text, which requires an extra step.
- Start by adding the text you want to contour to your canvas.
- Choose the font and make any changes to the text, as you won't be able to modify it later.
- Once your text looks the way you want it, select it and then tap the Weld button. This will turn your text into a single cut that can be contoured.
- Note that the Weld tool is irreversible, so make sure you're happy with your text before welding.
- With your welded text selected, click the Contour button to open the dialogue box.
- From the dialogue box, you can remove cuts from your text by clicking on them.
- You can also select Hide All Contours in the lower right-hand corner to leave only the outer edge of your text.
- Once your text is contoured to your liking, hit the X in the top right-hand corner to close the dialogue box.
- You can see the result of the contour on your Canvas screen.
- Keep in mind that you can return to the Contour tool anytime to add or remove cuts to the text.
Tips and Tricks for Using the Cricut Contour Tool
Here are some basic tips and tricks to consider when working with the Contour tool.
- The Contour tool works on images that have more than one cut line, such as complex shapes. It won't work on simple shapes like a circle with one cut line.
- You can use the Contour tool with one layer at a time. This won't work if you haven't selected any visible layers.
- You can't use the Contour tool on a Group or Attached layers. However, you can use it on a single layer within the Group tool, one at a time.
- The Contour tool works on Draw or Cut layers, not Print layers. You cannot use it on Print Then Cut images or Flattened layers. You need to Unflatten the layers and change them back to Draw or Cut layers first.
- The Contour tool doesn't work on text layers. You must Weld the text first to use Contour on the text.
- The Contour tool is reversible. You can always open the Hide Contour screen to hide/show cut lines whenever you want to edit your design, even after saving it.
- There should be at least one cut line in the layer to use the Contour tool. You cannot use it to hide all the cut lines within a layer. Rather than toggle the Visible/Hidden button in the Layer panel to hide everything in a layer.
Conclusion
The Cricut Contour tool is a must-have feature for any crafter looking to take their craft projects to the next level. Its ability to hide or reveal specific details within an image layer makes it easy to customize designs and create stunning projects. By following the tips and tricks we've shared in this guide, you'll be able to harness the power of Contour and express your creativity in new and exciting ways. So, start exploring today and see where your imagination takes you with Cricut Contour!
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: What Does Contour Mean on Cricut?
Answer: The Contour tool in Design Space allows users to show or hide specific details within an image layer. It enables the selection of individual Contour lines within an image layer, allowing users to choose which parts of a design they want to cut.
Question 2: Can I Contour in Design Space With a Mobile Device?
Answer: Yes, you can use the Contour tool in Design Space with a mobile device. On both iOS and Android, the Contour icon is available under the Actions menu, represented by a dashed circle. You may need to scroll right to locate it.
Question 3: Why Can’t I Cricut Contour in Design Space?
Answer: There may be several reasons why you are unable to use the Cricut Contour tool in Design Space. Some of the common reasons include outdated software, incompatible devices, or not ungrouping grouped layers before using the Contour tool.
