Getting started with Brother Scan N Cut Canvas Workspace

The beginner's guide to this amazing software.

 

Canvas Workspace is the editing software for the Brother Scan N Cut cutting machines. It’s a user-friendly program that allows you to get amazing results without putting a lot of effort. The user experience is straightforward!

In today’s post, we are going to guide you through the main features of Canvas Workspace. This article is part of The Ultimate Brother Canvas Workspace Guide, our growing library of resources about Brother Canvas Workspace.

 

On this article:

How to install Brother Scan N Cut Canvas Workspace for free
The Project/Pattern collection in Canvas Workspace
The Shapes Panel in Canvas Workspace
How to open SVG files in Canvas Workspace
How to rotate in Canvas Workspace
How to flip in Canvas Workspace
How to weld in Canvas Workspace
How to remove overlap in Canvas Workspace

 

How to install Brother Scan N Cut Canvas Workspace

 

 

You can download Canvas Workspace for free. Go to the official website and click on the black button. The download won’t start immediately. First, you’ll have to answer some questions. This step will help you get the version of the software that fits your computer and your  Brother cutting machine best.

 

 

Select your Brother Scan N Cut machine from the list that appears on the image above.

 

To finish, select your type of computer (Mac or Windows) and your operative system. At this part of the process, you can also change the language of the software. Once you have updated all your preferences, press OK. You will find the Zip file with the software installer in your Downloads folder.

Follow the steps on the installer to complete the process. The procedure might vary depending on your device and operative system.

 

The Project/Pattern collection in Canvas Workspace

 

 

The first thing you will see when you open a new project in Canvas Workspace is the Project/Pattern collection. A pop-up window will appear by default. On this menu, you can select pre-made templates that you can use for your projects.

The Shapes Panel in Canvas Workspace

 

 

The second icon on the left menu opens the Shapes Panel. On the first tab, you can find a catalog of shapes classified by categories. Click in one of them and it will appear in your canvas.

 

 

Select your shape with the mouse. You’ll be able to edit its properties in the properties panel. Choose the option Fill to select the filling color.

 

 

Choose Line to change the color of the external line. You can also modify the line’s width and its design pattern. You’ll find the tools you need right under the colors.

 

 

Let’s look at the second tab of the Shapes Panel: the Borders tab. Here you can find a selection of pre-made borders that you can add to your design. These elements work the same way as shapes: you can select them by clicking on them and you can edit them through the Properties panel.

 

The last Tab of the Shapes Panel is called Words. Here you can find a selection of pre-made letterings that you can select and edit. The mechanism is the same as with shapes and borders: press to release, edit through the properties panel. Please note that these words are not the same as text boxes. They are shapes.

How to open SVG files in Canvas Workspace

 

 

Canvas Workspace gives you the option to import files from your computer. The procedure is easy. Click the fourth icon of the left menu. A new window will appear, and you’ll be able to browse until you find the file that you want. Select the chosen one and press “Import.”

 

 

Once you have imported your file, you have to choose how do you want to trace it. There are two options: to trace the outer edge only and to trace areas by color.

 

 

On the images above you can see the difference between both options. If you are going to cut your layered design into different materials (e.g. different colors of vinyl), our advice is that you trace the areas by color. If you are going to cut all the composition on the same material and you don’t need to cut inner details, you can choose to trace the outer edge only.

 

 

Now your file is successfully imported! You can start editing your design on the canvas.

If you want to separate the components of a complex file for edition purposes, right-click on the file and press Ungroup. As you can see on the right image, you can easily take the elements apart.

How to rotate in Canvas Workspace

 

To rotate an element in Canvas Workspace:

• Select the element (tight-click and group in case you have more than one).
• Go to Transform in the Edit Panel.
• Modify the value of Angle. You can do it by writing a number on the box or by using the arrows on the right.

How to flip in Canvas Workspace

 

To flip an element in Canvas Workspace:

• Select the element (tight-click and group in case you have more than one).
• Go to Transform in the Edit Panel.
• You will see two buttons under the word Flip. Press the left one to flip the element horizontally. Press the right one to flip the element vertically.

How to weld in Canvas Workspace

 

To weld two elements in Canvas Workspace:

• Select the two elements that you want to weld.
• Go to Process Overlap, at the end of the Edit panel.
• Press the second button from the left, the one that stands for Weld.

How to remove overlap in Canvas Workspace

 

To remove overlap in Canvas Workspace:

• Select the two elements that you want to modify.
• Go to Process Overlap, at the end of the Edit panel.
• Press Remove Overlap.