How to Convert a PNG file to a Silhouette Cut File

As I’m browsing through Instagram, I come across these AMAZING graphics that I want to print and cut for my planner. I think they are formatted into a cut file… but they are actually PNG files! Luckily, I have had this issue before and figured out how to convert a PNG file to a Silhouette cut file! I’m here to share the knowledge with all of my lovelies here on the blog!

For the people who prefer videos, I have a YouTube tutorial for you! For those of you that would rather read your way through it with pictures, I have that too!

After I published the video above, I learned that I can do a voiceover video on my Mac! I redid the video with a different graphic while talking my way through it. You can check it out below!

For those of you who would prefer not to watch the tutorial, here are the pictures and written words!

#1: Open your PNG file

The first thing to do is to upload your PNG file to the Silhouette studio. To do this, you need to go to “File –> Library –> Import to Library”.

Then, from your library, double click on the image that you would like to open.

#2 Open the trace tool

Open the trace tool on the right side of the screen. I, personally, think this icon looks like a piece of bread…

#3 “Select the Trace Area”

After you’ve found the bread-like “trace” tool, click on “Select Trace Area”. You’re going to use your mouse to drag a square on top of the image that you are wanting to convert.

#4 Threshold Adjustment

At this point, I want my entire image to be yellow. That way, when I “trace” it, I’m only tracing the outside of the image. Play around with the threshold slider to get your image the correct density. Many times it means taking it all the way to 100, however, for this image, I had to come back down to 97ish to prevent it from looking skewed on the left side.

#5 Trace

Once you’ve adjusted the threshold to your preference, click “trace”. It will appear as though you’re back at square 1, however, if you zoom in you will see that there is a very fine red line around the shape now.

#6 Open the “Offset” tool

Before messing around with the offset tool, you’re going to want to select JUST the thin red line on the outside of the shape. You can do this by selecting EVERYTHING… and then pressing shift and clicking on the colored part of your image. It will deselect the inside of the shape.

Next, open the “offset” tool.

#7 Adjust the Distance

Once you’ve clicked on the “offset” button on the offset tool, you are going to want to adjust the “distance”. The “distance” is how far away your border will be from your image. Sometimes, you will want it SUPER close to the image. I, on the other hand, love to print and cut stickers for my planners. So, I want there to be a slight outline on the sticker.

Once you are satisfied with the distance you’ve chosen, press “apply”.

#8 Delete the inner outline

That heading probably sounds weird “delete the inner outline”.

Remember that thin red line that appeared when we first traced the image? We want to get RID of it!

So, zoom in on your image. Double click on the thin inner red line. You will see little boxes pop up all along the shape (and sometimes inside of the shape!). You need to click on one of the boxes and then start pressing the “delete” button on your keyboard until you have removed all of those inner boxes.