Layered Image in Cricut Design Space

A couple of weeks ago I shared a post showing how uploaded an image I found on the internet and turned it into a single layer image I could cut with my Cricut using the Cricut Design Space™ software. If you missed that post and would like to read it, just click HERE.

Today I am going to show you how I took that same image and cut it with two layers.  Below is a photo of the finished project . . . Mickey and Minnie Mouse decals for my laptop.  Minnie Mouse is wearing an adorable pink glitter bow.

To start, I am using the exact same image I used for my past post, which was a Mickey and Minnie window cling for the cabinets in my kitchen.  For the directions on how to upload an image and clean it up for cutting, please check out that post by clicking HERE.

For this project I want to cut layers two layers, one out of black vinyl and a second one of just Minnie Mouse’s bow in glitter vinyl.  I am going to want to place the glitter vinyl bow right on the black piece, so first I want to adjust the image below so that the bow cuts out in black to make things easier for layering.

When I select the image the Cricut Design Space gives me some options to edit or alter this image.  For this project I want to use the Contour tool found in the lower right corner of the screen, indicated by a pink arrow in the image below.

Once I click on Contour, the window below shows up.  This window will allow me to select areas of the image I want hidden.  I can do this by clicking on the pieces in the main Mickey and Minnie image . . . in this case I want to click on the three parts of Minnie’s bow . . . the left side, right side and the small knot piece of the bow in the center.

The other way to select pieces to hide them is to scroll through the images on the right, under the LARGE pink arrow.  These shapes represent the individual pieces of the image.  For some shapes it is hard to tell what piece of the puzzle of the overall Mickey or Minnie image the piece represents so it might be easier to just click on the pieces from the overall image.

Once I finish clicking on the three pieces of Minnie’s bow to hide those from the cut the image looks like the one in the image below.  You can see that Minnie’s bow is now black, and will cut out attached to the same piece that her ears are cut on.

So how do I get it to cut JUST the bow?  Easy!  I made a copy of the Mickey and Minnie image I already had and used the Contour option that I just showed to to hide everything EXCEPT for Minnie’s bow!  Now I have a bow I can cut from a different color that will layer on top of the Minnie cut perfectly!

First I wanted to cut the Mickey and Minnie out of black vinyl, so I went to the layer controls in the upper right hand corner of Design Space and I clicked on the little eye icon (shown under the pick arrow in the image below)  This will hide this item from cutting.

Then I load my black vinyl into my Cricut and cut.  I remove the outer vinyl from the shape and weed out the small pieces inside the image (the face, eyes and gloves) and when I am all done this is what the image looks like . . .

Now I go back to the layer controls in Design Space and click on the eye icons again to unhide the bow and hide the Mickey and Minnie image.  I load some pink glitter vinyl into my Cricut and cut . . 

Now I just layer that pink bow on top of the Minnie Mouse image . . . and since the glitter vinyl has an adhesive backing it sticks perfectly to the black vinyl.

Now I just have to move this entire vinyl decal to my laptop.  Since I want to make sure that the inner pieces like the eyes and nose stay in the exact same position/location that they currently are inside the main image I am going to have to move this all together.  You can use transfer tape to do this, and I have also heard of some people using Glad Press and Seal . . . I did not have either one of those on hand, so I decided to use blue painters tape.

I placed several strips of blue painters tape over the top of this image and then I rubbed over it with my hand to be sure that the tape was sticking to the vinyl.  I then slowly pulled the tape back, and if the vinyl was not sticking to the tape I just put it back down and rubbed some more.

Once I got the entire piece to come off of the backing it looked like this . . .

Now I go to my laptop and place this sticky side down exactly where I want it.  Now this time I peel back the painters tape one strip at a time.  This allows me to be more careful and to rub the vinyl down to the laptop as I go along and make sure the whole image is really sticking to the laptop.

Below is an image when I was almost half way done peeling off the painters tape.

And here is Mickey on my laptop!

Then I just did the same thing on the other side to place Minnie.  Not sure if you can tell, but I did not line things up as straight on the bottom with Minnie, but I could not really see that until I removed the last piece of painters tape.  If I wanted to be a perfectionist I would have tried to put the painters tape back over this, pull Minnie up and try to place her again, but for me she looked good enough.

I hope you like my Mickey and Minnie Mouse laptop decals, and that I was able to show you how easy it is to add layers to images you upload to Cricut Design Space™.

Keep following me and join my Teach Me Cricut Design Space group on Facebook if you want to learn more!

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I do have several tutorials on the topic of Layers, but if you are reading this and feel that there is something about layers that I am missing from my information I want to hear from you! This will help me to make my Cricut Design Space Layers information even better!

To start, I talk about some basic layers information HERE

I can teach you how to create a layered cutting file from an image you find online. Click HERE for my Cricut Layers Guide tutorial.

Another common way to make layers is to start with coloring book style image and use Duplicate and Contour to make your colored layers. I show that full process HERE.

If you are looking for information on how to assemble the Cricut Design Space layers for your finished project, then you should check out some of the information that I have listed below.

I have shared how to layer vinyl on a shirt HERE and cardstock. Honestly I feel that you should start with a layered cardstock project just to get the concept of how Cricut Design Space layers work, and how the Cricut will sort pieces by their colored layers for cutting.

Now, after looking at all of this information on Layers what questions do you still have? This is a honest request. I want to create the best resource on the topic of layers out there! I want to answer every question a Cricut owner could have on layers . . . to the point where when ever there is a new Cricut owner that has a question on layers everyone will say “Oh, you need to read this Cricut Design Space layers info from Shawn Mosch”