The Attach tool is the most helpful in the Cricut Design Space, all the bottom of the Layers panel; you will find other essential tools such as Weld, Slice, Flatten, and Contour. The Cricut Attach tool has two main functions in the Design Space.
First, the Attach tool places the various design elements in the same place relative to each other on the cutting mat on the Canvas. When you cut out the design, the place and spacing of the objects will be precisely the same. The Attach tool “freezes” the layout of the design to look the same on the cutting mat as it does on the Canvas.
Second, the Attach tool fastens other Linetypes (score lines, draw lines, foil lines, and performance lines). When using the Attach tool to attach writing lines and score lines to a shape, your Cricut machine will know to write and score on top of the shape instead of on a separate mat. Now we’ve covered every basic of the Attach tool, let’s open the Design Space app and walk through some examples.
1. Attach text and pictures
In this example, we will use the Attach button to hold the layout of both the text and shape layers in a vinyl sign design.
We will use the Text Box tool to add some words to the Design Space Canvas. However, each word is on its layer to arrange it. I am using “Home Sweet Home” in 2 different fonts. Then, add 2 leaf shapes. I found these little leaf shapes in the Cricut Access library.
I do not want this. If I send this design onto the mat, the Design Space will rearrange the items on the mat to use the least amount of material. So, I choose every text layer and press on Attach. Then, I choose both leaf layers and press on Attach. Now, both the leaves are of the same color and will be cut on the same mat. So, I canceled the cut to go back to the Canvas screen.
When you look at the Layers panel, you’ll see that every 5 layers are still there. Words and leaves are separate elements on separate layers; they are just organized into 2 Attach “subfolders.”
When designing the mat, the Design Space app knows to keep the positions of all the items the same and cuts them off as I put them on the mat. After I cut out the design, I can easily use transfer tape to transfer the vinyl to the exact layout I designed. That’s all I want.
2. Attaching writing in a shape
In this example, we will use the Attach tool to attach a Writing layer to a shape.
First, include a gift tag shape or word to the Canvas. Then, use the Text tool for adding Happy Birthday words. Double press on the text and change the style to Writing. Move the writing layer to be on top of the shape layer.
When the design is attached to the mat without attaching it, the design space won’t know I want to write words on top of the tag size. Since I haven’t attached the writing to the shape, the design space will write the text on its layer. This is not what we want.
So, go to the Canvas screen, select both layers and click Attach. Both layers are still there, arranged and labeled with “attached.”
Now, when you send the design onto the mat, Design Space knows how to write Happy Birthday with a Cricut pen and then cut out the shape of the tag on the same cutting mat.
3. Attaching a Score Line to a Shape
We will use Attach to fasten the scoring lines to the 3D box template in this example. If you love making greeting cards or 3D paper projects, this technique will come in handy.
On the canvas, you will see 2 layers in it. A red box shape and a bunch of dashed lines. The dashed lines are the Score Lines.
To ensure Cricut knows how to draw Score Lines on top of the box shape, choose both layers and press Attach. If I forget to add these layers, Cricut will put them on separate mats.