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    Cutting machines

    Sizing and Units for Cricut and Silhouette

    Match your Vectorator canvas to real mat sizes and export at the right scale for Design Space and Silhouette Studio.

    1

    Know your mat size

    Common mats are 12×12 in (305×305 mm) and 12×24 in. Your design must fit inside the usable area after margins. Check your machine’s documentation for maximum cut area—slightly smaller than the full mat.

    2

    Set canvas size in Vectorator

    Set your document canvas to a size that matches how large you want the final cut (e.g. width and height in inches or millimeters). Working at final size avoids surprise scaling when you export.

    3

    Inches, millimeters, and pixels

    Vectorator works in vector units; exports can follow your cutter profile. If something looks huge or tiny in Design Space, check whether the file was saved at 96 DPI vs 72 DPI and whether the app imported dimensions in mm vs inches.

    4

    Export with the right profile

    Choose a Cricut or Silhouette **cutter profile** in export so SVG size and DPI align with what that ecosystem expects. Then verify dimensions in your cutting software before cutting.

    5

    Test on a small cut first

    For expensive vinyl, do a small test cut or use scrap material to confirm the imported size matches what you intended.