Cricut Design Space Black? Here’s How To Fix It!
Have you ever opened up Design Space, already to make a cute project, when all of sudden you’ve got nothing but a black screen?
This can be frustrating and you’re wondering “Why is my Cricut Design Space black?”. Well, don’t worry, because I’m here to help!
I’ve put together this blog post to help you troubleshoot and fix the problem, so you can get back to your fabulous crafting in no time.
I get commissions for purchases made through some of the links in this post. There is no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
1. Check Your Internet Connection
The problem could be just that you’ve temporarily lost internet connection.
Slow or Unstable Connection
Try the following steps to get back your internet connection.
- Restart your router
- Move closer to the router
- Use an ethernet cable
2. Work the Configurations
I’ve had customers panicking and ask me for help because they the new svg file isn’t showing up in DS. I mean, they upload the file and nothing is showing up or only a black box is showing up.
If this happens to you, it could be that the layers are grouped. Here is how you can ungroup svg layers.
Do this by selecting everything on the canvas (Ctrl+A) or click and drag over the box or click on the Select All button in the top menu.
Now you’ll see if the layers are grouped or ungrouped. If they’re ungrouped, then click the Group icon at the top of the layers menu. And if they’re grouped, then do the opposite.
- Why playing with configurations can help
- Different software programs handle layering differently
- Possible incompatibilities with your software program settings and Design Space
I make my svg files in Inkscape but maybe you prefer Adobe Illustrator. If you run into a problem like this with a file made in Illustrator then check out the video below for more help.
3. Make Sure Your SVG is Flattened
If you have an svg file that you want to use for Print Then Cut then make sure it’s flattened before importing it to DS.
If you forgot to do this step before then you may get the dreaded black box instead of your pretty file.
It’s not too late. You can fix it. Whether you used Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape or some other design software, you can easily check the file formatting.
Go back to your graphic design program and check the details of the file to see how you saved it.
- Why it’s important
- Your cutting machine needs to see the cut lines in order to read them and cut them.
4. Check the Stroke Color
Maybe your issue is not that the whole screen is black, but, your svg file is black. If the stroke color of your svg file is black then Cricut Design Space reads the entire design as black.
5. Clear Your Design Space Cache
Let’s say that you have a completely blank screen when you open Design Space. I don’t mean that your cut file is all black. I mean that your screen is empty, all white or all black.
Then you may need to clear the DS cache on your computer.
Reach Out to Cricut Support
If none of the above works for you then maybe it’s time to reach out to Cricut customer service.
- Why contacting support is a good idea
- They’re experts on Cricut products
- They might have additional troubleshooting tips
Conclusion
Don’t let a black screen in your Cricut Design Space ruin your crafting fun!
Follow these steps and you should be back to creating beautiful designs in no time.
And remember, they’re usually an easy fix to get it right!
