Free cow print SVG patterns

Using cow print

Cow print is black patches on white, so there is only one thing to cut: the patches. Cut them in black vinyl and press or stick them on a white shirt, mug or sign, and the base does the rest. For a brown cow, cut the same file in brown. The patches are loose pieces, so lift the whole pattern with transfer tape to keep them where they belong.

To fill a word or a shape with cow print, lay a swatch over it in your cutting software, select both and use Slice in Cricut Design Space, Intersect in Silhouette Studio or Path, Intersection in Inkscape. Pick the scale to suit: the large print for anything over about 150 mm, the small print for letters and earrings. A shape filled with patches alone can lose its edge where the white runs off it, which is why the heart, the star and the hide here are drawn with an outline.

What to watch for when cutting

Big patches are easy to weed, but each has narrow places where a lobe joins the body. Each design page lists the narrowest of these. Keep it above about 1 mm in vinyl and 2 mm in wood or acrylic after scaling. The stencil panel is the reverse of the print: one solid sheet with patch-shaped holes, for painting cow print through, or for card and wood where loose patches would be no use.

How to open the files

• Cricut Design Space: choose Upload, pick the SVG, and add it to the canvas. Set the width you want; the shape is already welded.
• Silhouette Studio: Designer Edition and above open the SVG. The free Basic Edition does not, so open the DXF instead.
• LightBurn, xTool Creative Space and Glowforge: import the SVG, then set the layer to cut, score or engrave.
• Inkscape, Illustrator and Affinity: open the SVG. It is a plain filled path, so you can recolour it, add a stroke or combine it with your own work.
• Printing or sublimation: use the PNG, which has a transparent background.

Each design page lists the file’s narrowest part at seven sizes, so you can tell whether it will survive at the size you plan to cut.

Questions