Cricut Design Space tools can feel similar until you know what each one changes. Group helps organize layers, Attach controls mat placement, Flatten creates a printable image, Weld or Combine merges shapes, and Slice cuts overlapping shapes apart.
Quick answer: use Group to move layers together, Attach to keep cut pieces positioned on the mat, Flatten for Print Then Cut, Weld or Combine to make one cut shape, and Slice to cut one shape out of another.
These tools matter most when working with layered SVG designs, vinyl decals, stickers, and paper crafts.
Group
Group is for organization on the Canvas. It lets you move, resize, rotate, or hide selected layers together. Group does not force those objects to stay in the same spot on the cutting mat.
Use Group when you are arranging a layered SVG and want the full design to stay together while editing.
Attach
Attach keeps selected objects in the same position relative to each other when you go to Make. This is useful for letter spacing, score lines, draw lines, registration marks, and one-color decals with many separate pieces.
Do not Attach every color in a multi-color layered SVG unless you intentionally want them to stay on the same mat. For most layered vinyl or cardstock projects, each color should remain separate.
Flatten
Flatten converts selected layers into one printable layer for Print Then Cut. Cricut's Print Then Cut workflow uses Flatten when you want a multi-layer design to print as one image and cut around the outside.
Use Flatten for:
- Sticker sheets
- Printable vinyl
- Full-color tags and labels
- Complex images that should print instead of cut as separate layers
Do not Flatten if you want to cut separate vinyl or cardstock colors.
Weld and Combine
Weld or Combine joins overlapping shapes into one cut shape. It is useful for script words, connected letters, silhouettes, and shapes that should cut as one continuous piece.
Use Weld or Combine before cutting when overlapping letters would otherwise cut through each other.
Slice
Slice cuts overlapping areas from selected layers. It is often used to create a cutout, crop a shape, make a knockout design, or split a shape into custom pieces.
Slice works best when you keep the action simple: one shape cutting another shape. If the option is unavailable, reduce the selection and try again.
Which tool should you use?
| Goal | Use this tool |
|---|---|
| Resize a full layered SVG together | Group |
| Keep letter spacing on the cutting mat | Attach |
| Turn layers into one printable sticker | Flatten |
| Join script letters into one cut shape | Weld or Combine |
| Cut a shape out of another shape | Slice |
| Make multi-color vinyl layers cut separately | Keep layers separate by color |
Common mistakes
- Using Group when the project needs Attach
- Using Attach when the project only needs Group
- Flattening a vinyl design that should stay as cut layers
- Forgetting to Weld script fonts before cutting
- Selecting too many layers and wondering why Slice is unavailable
Frequently asked questions
Is Attach the same as Group?
No. Group organizes layers on the Canvas. Attach preserves placement on the cutting mat.
Is Flatten only for Print Then Cut?
Flatten is primarily used to make a printable image for Print Then Cut. Avoid it for regular cut vinyl and cardstock layers.
Should I Weld a layered SVG?
Only when shapes should become one cut piece. Do not weld separate color layers unless you want them permanently merged.
For a full project workflow, read how to use layered SVG files in Cricut Design Space. If layers import wrong, use layered SVG troubleshooting.