How To Print Then Cut Card Using Digital Papers and Clipart

Today you are going to learn how to use digital papers, upload PNG images, Slice, Flatten and a few other functions to create a Print Then Cut card with a 100% free to cut Design Space file blank card sketch (Design Space file below). Print Then Cut for Cricut Design Space is where you print on your home computer and then place the print out on your cutting mat for your machine to cut the images out. Print Then Cut is an easy way to create cards without a lot of layers.

Card sketch Design Space file: Make It Here

Materials Needs:

• 1 sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ black cardstock
• 1 sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ white cardstock for printing
• 1 A2 size (4.25″ x 5.5″) card base black or white
• Glue
• Adhesive foam pop dots or squares

Graphic Sets and Font Used

Clipart set – Little Man Clipart 
Digital papers set – Little Man Papers 
Font –  ZP Mailman

Here’s how to download and unzip the files: 
Windows user: https://help.creativefabrica.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003362491-Downloading-Unpacking-Files-On-Windows
MAC user: https://help.creativefabrica.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000982471-Downloading-Unpacking-Files-On-Mac

If you do not know how to install fonts here’s the how to install fonts for:
Windows users: https://www.creativefabrica.com/the-ultimate-font-guide/installing-fonts-on-windows/
MAC users: https://www.creativefabrica.com/the-ultimate-font-guide/installing-fonts-on-mac/

After you have downloaded and installed everything it’s time to unpack the zips.

Unzipping the Graphics Files

Once you launch Design Space again you will begin uploading the two digital patterned papers. You will need to make sure you have unzipped the zip file they come in by navigating to your Downloads folder (or whatever folder you saved it to). Select one of the zipped files and click on it to highlight it. Then click on Extract All that is located in the top menu bar to the far right. A window will pop up. You can choose to change the destination folder where the unzipped folder with the images will be located, or you can just keep to go to your Downloads folder on your computer, and click on the Extract button on the pop up window. Now repeat for the other zipped file for the clipart images. *Note: Just remember if you place these files in another folder other than in Downloads folder you will have to remember what folder you unzipped them to on your computer.

Uploading Digital Patterned Papers

Step #1 – Now that you have the graphics all unzipped, you can start uploading them to Design Space. You will start with the digital patterned papers. You will upload the striped pattern and the light blue and while polka dot pattern.
Step #2 – Click on the Upload button, located in the left side menu bar. Then click on Upload Image. Do NOT click on Pattern Fill, you are going to get your images filled with a pattern an easier way.

Step #3 – Click on Browse.
Step #4 – In the window that pops up navigate to the unzipped folder for the digital patterned papers. Double click on the folder to open it to the digital paper images.

Step #5 – Click to highlight the striped digital paper. Then click Open on the pop up window.
Step #6 – You should now be on the Select Image Type screen that shows the striped digital paper to the left of the screen. You will want to select Moderately Complex and click Continue.

Step #7 – You should now be on the Select and Erase screen. DO NOTHING! Just click on the Continue button.
Step # 8 – Now you should be on the Select Image Type screen. You will want to pick the option for Print Then Cut, which is on the right. If you want you can give it another name or give it tags. Then click on Upload.

Repeat steps 2 – 8 for uploading the light blue and white dots digital patterned paper.

Uploading PNG Clipart Images

Step #1 – Click on the Upload button, located in the left side menu bar. Then click on Upload Image.

Step #2 – Click on Browse.
Step #3 – In the window that pops up navigate to the unzipped folder for the clipart images.

Step #4 – Double click to open to another set of folders.
Step #5 – You will notice that there are TWO clipart image folders. You want to click on the one that says PNG in the file name. Double click on that folder to open it to the clipart PNG images.
** You are choosing PNG over JPEG because PNG images usually have a transparent background and your machine will cut around the image. Whereas, for JPEG has a white background, that makes the image a square and your machine will cut around the square instead of the image.

* Note: On the Upload Image: Select Image Type screen make sure each image has a checkered background behind it. The checkered background behind the image shows the background is transparent. If the image has a white background you’ll need to click on “Replace Image” that is located under the image on the Upload Image: Select Image Type Screen. Then navigate back to the clipart folder and open the folder that says PNG in the name of the folder, and upload those images.

Step #6 – You can only upload one image at a time. Click on the hat clipart image and select Open.
Step #7 – Upload Image: Select Image Type screen is where you should be at now. Click on Moderately Complex and click Continue.

Step #9 – You should now be on the Select Image Type screen. Choose the Print Then Cut image option on the right. You can give the image a new name or tags. Then click on Upload.
Step #10 – Repeat steps 1 – 9 for the bow and mustache.

Design Space File Card Sketch – Overview

Card Design

Step #1 – Open the 100% Free to cut Design Space file of the card sketch design – Click Here to Open the Design Space file Click on the Upload button, in the left side menu bar, and you’ll see Recent Uploads. Click on the 3 clipart images and the 2 digital papers that you uploaded. Then click on Insert Images.
*Note: The images will load in HUGE. Don’t worry about that.

Step #2 – In the Layers panel to the right of the screen click on the light blue and white dots digital patterned paper. You will know you have it selected when its bar turns a dark gray. In the top menu bar, look for Size. Click in the first input field and put 6 and hit Enter on your keyboard, the other input field should have automatically changed to a 6. If not, make sure you the lock is not unlocked. Then repeat for the striped digital pattern.

Step #3 – In the Layers panel to the right of the screen click on the mustache. You will know you have it selected when its bar turns a dark gray. In the top menu bar, look for Size. *Note: Right now you are resizing the clipart images to a smaller size, doesn’t matter what size, it’s to make it easier to move the images around. Click in the first input field and put 3 and hit Enter on your keyboard, the other input field should have automatically change to another number. If not, make sure you the lock is not unlocked. Then repeat for the hat and bow images.

Using Digital Papers with the Slice Function

Step #4 – In the Layers panel, to the right, close all of the eyes on all of the card file pieces EXCEPT the light blue rectangle. Move the blue and white dots digital patterned paper over on top of the light blue rectangle. Keep the digital patterned paper selected. Then in the top menu bar click on Arrange and from the drop down menu select Send To Back. The digital patterned paper should now be in back of the light blue rectangle.
Step #5 – Click on the light blue rectangle to select it. In the top menu bar click on Operation. In the drop down menu select Draw > Pen.

Step #6 – You are selecting the Pen operation to make the light blue rectangle transparent with a gray line border of the rectangle. You are doing this so you can place the light blue rectangle image where you want it on the pattern. For this pattern I lined up the dots to be even throughout the rectangle. Now place it where you want the light blue rectangle to slice from on the digital patterned paper.
Step #7 – Click on the rectangle, that you placed on the digital patterned paper. Go back to the top menu bar and click on Operation and select Basic. This will turn the once light blue rectangle to gray, that’s fine.

Step #8 – In the Layers panel select both the gray rectangle and the light blue and white dots patterned digital paper, by holding down shift on your keyboard and click on the images. You will know you have them selected because they will be highlighted with a dark gray bar. Then click on Slice. *Note: You can only Slice 2 images at a time. If the Slice button is grayed out it means you have too many images selected or not 2 images selected. It’s usually too many images selected.
Step #9 – After Slicing delete the leftover of the light blue and white dots digital patterned paper and the gray rectangle. You don’t need them anymore. You will now be left with a rectangle of the light blue and white dots pattern.

Step #10 – In the Layers panel close the eyes on everything EXCEPT the striped digital patterned paper. Open the eye on the thinner light gray rectangle of the card.
Step #11 – Move the Striped digital patterned paper over on top of the light gray rectangle. Keep the digital striped pattern selected. In the top menu bar click on Arrange and select Send To Back.

Step #12 – Place the gray rectangle on the digital striped pattern where you want to Slice it from. You do not have to change the light gray rectangle to Pen, because the pattern is simple enough to line it up, unlike the dots pattern. Select both and Slice. Then delete the leftover striped pattern and the gray rectangle and you should be left with a thin rectangle of striped pattern.
Step #13 – Open the eye on the light blue and white dots digital pattern. The card layer images should still be in their original place, if you have not moved them. Select both of the patterns and Flatten. Flatten has now made the digital paper patterns 1 layer that will Print Then Cut in a rectangle.

White Banner Layer – Text and Clipart

Step #1 – Open the eyes on everything in the Layers panel. Click onn the Text button. In the text box pop up type in “Welcome Lil Man”.
Step #2 – With text still selected, in the top menu bar look for Alignment and select Center. Keep the text selected.

Step #3 – Select a font you like from the font drop down menu. The font used is ZP Mailman from Creative Fabrica. This is also the font you should have installed at the beginning.
Step #4 – With the text still selected, in the top menu bar change the text’s Line Space by using the down arrow until the text is at a line spacing that looks good to you.

Step #5 – Move the text down on the doily white banner piece of the card where you like it. It doesn’t have to be centered yet, just place it where you like it for now.
Step #6 – Select the hat, mustache and bow tie and place them on top of the white piece on top of the sentiment text about where you want them. Then select the mustache image and use resize handle (in the lower right of the selected image) and drag inward to make the image smaller. Then for the hat and bow do the same and resize to what looks good to you.

Step #7 – After resizing the hat, mustache and bow select all 3 of them in the Layers panel and then click on Group. You are grouping them so you can move them around as one, instead of 3 individual images.
Step #8 – Select the grouped images of the hat, mustache and bow and click Duplicate. Move the duplicate off to the side.

Step # 9 – Select the white banner piece, the text, and the grouped images. Go to Align in the top menu bar and select Center Horizontally. Now the clipart and text should be centered Aligned within the white banner piece.
Step #10 – Select the grouped images, the white banner piece and the text. Click on Flatten. Flatten turns this into a 1 layer Print Then Cut image.

Step #11 – Ungroup the duplicate of the hat, mustache and bow. Delete only the mustache. The hat and bow will be 3D adhesive foam pop dotted to add dimension.

And you’re done! Now you can assemble the card with your favorite glue and some foam pop dots.