A lot of people have delved into hobbies as they've been waiting out the pandemic. Likely you've seen literally everybody you know working on a sourdough starter, probably you know at least a couple who are making masks like... well, like everybody needs masks and they were in short supply there for a bit.
Not you, know. You decided to get out your cutting machine. Whether you got something new or just took your old one out of the closet and dusted it off, you're ready to go.
Except, of course, you need the SVG.
For those of you who don't know, SVG stands for scalable vector graphics, it's a file type that's particularly ideal for this kind of work. The scalable part means it's easy to make very large or very small, and the vector part means you don't have to deal with the artifacts that come from shrinking, for example, JPEG. This is why it's the standard in this particular hobby.
Many, many, many websites offer free SVG files for your perusal. Where to start?
First off, you want to look for websites that offer free SVG for personal use, but will sell you the SVG files for commercial use, if you decide to go that route. This is important because if you decide to sell whatever you're making, you will want to have the legal right to do so. SVG files that are free are not necessarily free for all pursuits, there are certain restrictions, so you will want to be certain you have the option of taking the extra step if you decide to get into the business.
You also want to look for websites that offer a great variety of designs. Some are really narrowly focused on the most popular types of SVG files and neglect the more eclectic options. You want to be able to branch out and do weird stuff with your cutter, especially if you're making stuff for friends who may not share your tastes and aesthetics.
Finally, you want to search for websites that are adding new content on a regular basis. If they're not actively adding content, not only are they not going to have the variety that you want, but you may discover new things you love if they have regular content updates. If they don't, the collection can become kind of stale. In all honesty, you'll eventually want to move on, anyway.
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