Free image to SVG converter for Cricut
Turn a PNG or JPG into a Cricut-ready SVG, free and in your browser, with nothing uploaded. Set the width you will cut, and Makerfern builds the layers for Design Space at that size. Specks too small to weed are gone, and anything too thin is marked before you waste vinyl.
Updated : A one-colour or fully transparent picture now gets a note above the preview saying why nothing was traced and what to try. What's new
Stays on this computer · no signup · no watermark
Faster with the free Chrome extension: right-click any picture on a website and send it straight to the converter. Add to Chrome · what it does
Extension installed. Right-click any picture on a website and choose Makerfern → Open this picture in… to bring it here.
What this preset does
These are the starting values when you open this page. They are Makerfern's defaults, chosen to be sensible for the job, not a manufacturer specification. Every one is adjustable in the settings panel.
| Setting | Starts at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 4 in | A common decal size. Change it to your real size first, because every other limit is measured against it. |
| Layers | Stacked | Each color runs under the ones above it, so small alignment errors don't show gaps. |
| Smallest piece | 1.5 mm | A starting point for adhesive and heat-transfer vinyl. Raise it for glitter or flocked vinyl. |
| Thin warning | 1 mm | Lines narrower than this are outlined in red on the preview. |
| Background | Everywhere | Removes the backdrop inside letters too, so you are not clicking every counter by hand after upload. |
Getting the file into Design Space
- Set the width to the size you will cut, then download the SVG.
- In Design Space, choose Upload, then Upload Image, and select the file. SVG uploads skip the image-cleanup screens because the file is already vector.
- Check the size on the canvas. The file states its width in inches; if Design Space shows a different number, type your width in the Size box with the lock closed.
- Each color arrives as its own layer. For heat-transfer vinyl, turn on Mirror for each mat before cutting.
Why a separate converter instead of Design Space's own upload?
Design Space can trace a PNG or JPG itself, and for a one-color shape it does fine. The trouble is multi-color art. You remove the background by clicking each region, including the inside of every letter. The result is a single cut layer, or a print-then-cut image, not separate color layers. And nothing tells you that a 0.6 mm line in the design will lift with the transfer tape.
Makerfern does that preparation before the upload. The colors are already separate layers, the counters of letters are already empty, and anything below your weeding limit is already gone. The comparison is laid out in full on Makerfern vs Design Space upload, and eleven free converters are compared for cutting in the best PNG to SVG converters for Cricut.
Using the new machine? The Cricut Maker 5 SVG checklist separates file preparation from material and tool settings. If a blade repeats a route, use the double-cut diagnostic before changing pressure.
Choosing the minimum for your material
There isn't one right number. Smooth adhesive vinyl weeds finer detail than glitter heat-transfer vinyl, and a fresh blade cuts finer than a worn one. Start with the default, cut a small test with the finest detail in the design, and adjust. The limit follows you: if you set 2 mm and then change the width from 4 to 8 inches, detail that was too small becomes cuttable again, and the preview updates.
Questions
Why is my design uploading as one layer?
Usually because the SVG uses clipping masks, groups with patterns, or a flattened image. Makerfern files don't use any of those, and every color is its own filled path. If you want one layer on purpose, set Colors to 1.
Should I use stacked or flat layers?
Stacked for heat-transfer and adhesive vinyl you layer by hand, because the overlap hides small misalignment. Flat when every color must sit side by side, for example cardstock inlay or print then cut. There is a full guide.
Does this work for Cricut Joy and Explore too?
Yes. The file is the same for every machine that Design Space drives; only the mat and material settings change.
Can I sell what I make with it?
Yes. Everything Makerfern makes is yours to use and sell, free or Pro, as long as you have the right to use what you start from: your own photos and drawings, or pictures whose license allows it; somebody else's art or characters only with their permission. Makerfern adds no watermark and takes no rights in your file. One Pro covers every tool: there is no per-tool plan.