Home » Cricut » How to Use Offset in Cricut Design Space to Create Layers and Shadows!
|

How to Use Offset in Cricut Design Space to Create Layers and Shadows!

This post may contain affiliate links that won’t change your price but will share some commission.

A graphic of Design Space screenshots with the text "How to use Offset" and "Offset for text and shapes in Cricut Design Space." Learn how to use the Offset feature in Cricut Design Space to create additional layers to your text, SVG files and images.

Cricut just released the new Offset feature in Design Space! Offset is a way of creating a shadow or layer to any shape or text. Using an Offset is a fabulous way to make text pop or add more layers for additional colors with vinyl projects, paper crafts and more!

In this Cricut tutorial, I will show you how to use the Offset feature in Cricut Design Space!

Offsets will work with:

  1. Text
  2. SVG images, single or grouped
  3. PNG or Jpeg images

How to Use Offset in Cricut Design Space Video Tutorial!

Watch my full intro video below or scroll down to read the step-by-step picture tutorial with written instructions for using Offset in Cricut Design Space!

Add a shape or text to your canvas

Before you can use the offset feature, you need to add a shape or text to your canvas. I will show you both. Go ahead and type out your text or add an image to the canvas. This can be a Design Space image or a personal upload!

A screenshot of the Design Space canvas page, full of menu options and a grid. "How to use Offset" is written in a sea-green color and placed next to a pink star.

Next, select your text or image and click on the Offset icon at the top. A new dropdown will appear to edit the width and style of your offset. Negative numbers will create a negative offset, also known as an inset. Positive numbers will create an offset beyond your original shape.

The screenshot of Design Space has a pink star and the words "how to use offset" written in teal. A green arrow points to the menu option you need.

A preview of your offset or inset will appear on the canvas as a thin outline. Make any adjustments to perfect the size you would like for your offset. In most cases, you will probably stick with a range of -.1 to +.3.

Before applying your offset, select if you want a sharp square corner or a rounded corner. Tick your selection in the offset box.

Finally, you will notice a Weld Offsets option. In most cases, you will always want this one to keep your offsets connected smoothly. However, if you want individual offsets of each layer when working with text, then go ahead and untick this box.

Cricut design space tutorials with a picture of the Design Space canvas page and three green arrows pointing out the steps to use Offset. There is a pink star and green text that reads "How to use Offset."

Once you have finished setting your offset, click Apply and a new layer, labeled, Offset, will appear in the Layer’s Panel to your right.

Offset layers in Design Space are shown in a screenshot. "How to use Offset" is written in green with a black outline, next to a pink star.

Apply Offsets to Shapes

You can also apply Offsets to shapes and ! Check out my layered star below.

This Design Space graphic teaches "How to use Offset" to add borders to shapes. In this case, Offset was used to add a yellow border on a pink star.

Negative offsets or correctly known as insets, can also be created by using negative numbers in the offset panel. When you set a negative number a smaller shape will appear on the inside of your original image.

Green arrows delineate the steps needed to apply Offset to an object on this Design Space screen shot.

The new offset in Cricut Design Space can be applied multiple times for many layers. Any layer you create can also be changed color-wise with the color-swatch icon.

The color menu is opened on the Design Space screenshot. A blue star with pink and yellow outlines sits above the words "How to use Offset" in green with a black outline.

Now when you go to your cut screen to make your project your layers will still separate as usual. And bam! Perfect offsets!

A digital Cricut mat is displayed in Design Space, with the black words "How to use Offset" barely visible on the black mat.

Best Ways to Use Offsets

Offsets have a lot of potential! Here are just a few ideas of how you can use an offset or inset in your designs.

  1. Print then cuts such as stickers or labels – before you flatten a design for print then cut try creating a large offset so that your sticker or label has a perfect silhouette cut around it! Learn more about Print Then Cut!
  2. Use offset to create a layer behind text on cards or when layering vinyl/iron-on. Anytime text is a struggle to read an offset can fix that!
  3. Use offsets to create new layers with the Slice tool! Check out the image example below! I chose one single image, created an offset, then Sliced the original design from my offset layer. As a result, I have two beautiful layers that will work well for layering a paper card!
  4. Create offsets on imported PNG or Jpeg images for Print Then Cut projects.
You can use Offset to make layers of cutouts. This picture is of Design Space, with three blue designs on it; the Offset original image, the slice result, and the two new layers.

How much do you love the new Offset feature in Cricut Design Space? How would you use it? What other questions do you have for me? Comment below!

If you are new to Cricut or overwhelmed please, please don’t rush into crafting just yet! Follow my motto that has worked for tens of thousands of my readers and students – learn first, craft with success later! I want to invite you to my FREE Cricut Freedom Workshop here where you will Learn my 3 Key Secrets to Mastering Your Cricut Machine (WITHOUT TECH CONFUSION OR FEELING OVERWHELMED).

A three-picture graphic shows the three blue designs detailing Offsets in the top photo. The middle has white text on a green background says "use offset and slice new shapes in Design Space" and a yellow green final graphic with abbikirstencollections.com written in white text.

Hey, Crafty bestie! I’m Abbi!

Abbi Kirsten Collections. Abbi smiles in her craft room, surrounded by paper flowers and supplies organized on the wall.

I’m thrilled you are here! I have spent the last 10+ years making messes and magic in my home studio to make the world a more colorful place, one craft at a time! I’m on a mission to nurture the creative magic inside your soul and bring that bursting imagination inside you to life with easy-to-learn tutorials. If you haven’t yet, be sure to join the subscriber community to gain access to all my freebies or visit my signature design shop, Catching Colorflies!

A three picture graphic advertising a tutorial on layering. The yellow-green top graphic has white text that says "Layering in Design Space with the Offset Feature." The center picture is a Design Space grid page with the words "Happy Mother's Day" in colorful layers. The bottom layer is Abbi's website, abbikirstencollections.com.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *