How to make your own cutlines?

To create your own cutlines for stickers, follow these steps using Adobe Illustrator:

• Open Your Artwork: Launch Adobe Illustrator and open your sticker design file.

• Create Cutline Path: Use the Pen Tool or Shape Tool to draw the path where you want the cutline to be.

• Ensure a 2 mm bleed and a 2 mm margin between the cut line and important elements in the design.

• Create a New Swatch: Go to the Swatches panel, create a new swatch, and name it "die cut".

• Set Spot Colour: Set the colour type to Spot Colour and choose 100% magenta for the cutline.

• Apply Cutline: Apply this new swatch to the cutline path you created.

• Save Your File: Save your file as a PDF or AI file, ensuring the cutline path is visible and correctly named.
  

By creating and applying custom cutlines, you ensure that your stickers are cut precisely according to your design specifications.

This comprehensive guide explains how to create correct custom cutlines for sticker production using Adobe Illustrator. It includes the required stroke settings, colour specifications, bleed requirements, and spacing rules to ensure accurate cutting.

Cutlines define the exact shape your stickers will be cut into. For consistent cutting results, cutlines must follow specific file requirements. This article describes how to set up cutlines properly in Adobe Illustrator.

Before creating your cutlines, ensure you follow these production standards:

• Bleed: 2 mm (0.075”) outside the cutline

• Margin: 2 mm between the cutline and important artwork elements

• Stroke: 1 pt

• Path: Fully closed vector shape

• Colour: Spot colour, 100% magenta

• Naming: Swatch must be named “die cut”

These specifications ensure your cutlines are recognised accurately during production.

Launch Adobe Illustrator and open the file containing your sticker design.

Use one of the following tools to create the shape of your sticker:

• Pen Tool (freeform or custom shapes)

• Ellipse/Rectangle/Polygon Tool (standard shapes)

• Direct Selection Tool (adjusting anchor points)

Ensure the cutline follows the final sticker shape and is positioned 0.075”/2 mm outside the artwork’s visible edge.

Extend background colours or artwork elements into the 2 mm bleed zone around the cutline.
Bleed prevents white edges if slight alignment changes occur during cutting.

Keep important text or graphics at least 0.075”/2 mm inside the cutline.
This ensures no essential design elements are cut off.

1. Open the Swatches panel

2. Select New Swatch

3. Name the swatch “die cut”

4. Set Colour Type: Spot Colour

5. Set the colour to 100% magenta

This spot colour identifies the path as a cutline for production.

Select your cutline path and apply the “die cut” swatch as the stroke colour.
Ensure the cutline path:

• Is fully closed

• Has a 1 pt stroke

• Does not overlap other cutlines

• Sits entirely inside the artboard

Export your file using one of the supported formats:

• PDF

• AI

When saving:

• Make sure cutlines remain visible

• Ensure layers are intact

• Avoid flattening or rasterising the cutline path

To create custom cutlines, draw a closed vector path around your design, apply a spot colour swatch named “die cut” set to 100% magenta, and include both 0.075”/2 mm bleed and a 0.075”/2 mm safe margin. Following these specifications ensures your stickers are cut accurately and consistently.