Connecting Edit Points/Closing a Shape in Silhouette Studio

If you've ever had a shape that's not completely closed you know how frustrating it can be to work with it in Silhouette Studio.  A broken path - no matter how small - prevents you from filling in the shape with a color or pattern. If cut, the shape obviously won't be completely closed so the material is likely to tear in that spot when you go to weed.


But how do you find the break and how do you fix it in Silhouette Studio?  The key is edit points (here's everything you need to know about them).  They're the little red, gray or white dots you see when you double click a shape or select it and then hit the edit points icon on the left side.   The bright red dots will indicate the end of a line. Two next to each other means that's where the break is.

Let's use this silhouette as an example.  Right now if I double click on it to get the edit points, they're all gray. That indicates the shape is completely closed.  That's how we want it.

If the shape had a break in it, you would get something like this. The two red dots indicate where the break is.

The break is pretty obvious in that example, even without the edit points. But sometimes it's very difficult to see where the break is so accessing the edit points is a great way to figure out where the problem is.

The two images below are the exact same...you can see that it would be tough to see where the break is without viewing the edit points.  On the right, though, you can tell there's a break at the red dot (the break's so small the two dots are pretty much on top of each other).

To fix the break, zoom in pretty close so you can see the two ends clearly (the below image is a close zoom of the above image).   Then click on one of the red dots and when your mouse turns from a hand to the small black arrow, drag the red edit point toward the other red point.  It's almost like they're magnets, they'll find each other and link back up closing the break.

Now when you double click to see the edit points, the two red dots should have joined and turned to a single gray point.

And now you can go fill the shape with a color or a pattern and you can cut knowing there is no break in your design.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine! 

Thanks for coming to class today at Silhouette School.  If you like what you see, I'd love for you to pin it!

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