Design Studio - A Beginner's Guide

Hi, it's Diane from the Design Team.  I have been a Design Studio user for nearly two years and, for me, the Design Studio is an essential crafting tool when working with my Cricut(s)!  I will be doing a series of posts to help all of you who have not yet taken the plunge learn how to make the most of this incredible tool.
So let's start at the very beginning - for someone who has not even opened the box.  Many people are hesitant to get started but once you get going you may forget how to push the buttons on your machine.  It's time to get the software on your computer and start creating!

Inside the box you will find a CD in an envelope - the version of the software on that CD is almost certainly out of date but there is a very important sticker on the envelope with a series of six groups of numbers that you will need to activate your software and make it possible to cut designs with any cartridges that you have in your possession.


The sticker can be seen at the bottom of the envelope (the numbers have been blurred but there are six groups separated by dashes).  There were some copies of the software that were distributed with stickers that only have five groups of numbers.  If you have only five groups you will need to contact Customer Service to obtain a proper serial number.

Also in the box you will find a Quickstart Guide, a User Manual, a cute Cricut Mouse pad and a USB cable to connect your computer to your Cricut.  If you obtained your copy of Design Studio through a rebate program you may only have a serial number.  In this case you can use any USB cable with two ends that look like those in the photo - this is a common printer cable and you probably have one at home already.  The Quickstart Guide and the User Manual are available to download online - click on the name of each to go directly to these resources.

On more important link is to the Design Studio FAQ page on Cricut.com.  If you run into difficulties, some of your questions may be answered there but I believe that the page needs some updating.  For example, the latest version of the program works fine on Vista 64 bit computers (I am using it on my Vista 64 bit computer on a daily basis).

Once you have located your serial number, the next thing to do is to go to the Cricut.com to the Design Studio Page.  Click on the link marked with the arrow to download Design Studio updates.  If you are already registered and signed in on the Cricut.com site you will go directly to the page.

If you have not registered on the site before you will need to complete the simple registration process and sign in.  I highly recommend checking the site frequently - many important announcements can be found on the message board and there is a great community of helpful people who are experienced with the software and may be able to help when you have those "middle of the night" questions.

First you will need to download the up-to-date version of the program by clicking the link - this is the brand new October '09 update.  Once the program downloads, run the installer and follow the onscreen prompts to complete installation. Then open the program and enter your serial number to activate it.

OK - you are finally ready to start creating.  Read through the manual quickly and then watch the VIDEO on the Cricut.com site.  The video was made before some features were added to the software but it is an excellent explanation of "the basics."  In my next Design Studio post,  I will tell you about those additional features and how to use them.

Have fun exploring what this new tool can do for you! 

Don't forget Cutting Above is giving away the exclusive Pink Journey cartridge - just leave a comment to be eligible to win. HERE
 

(Edited for new update 10-28-09)

Design Studio - A Beginner's Guide