Preparing your sticker artwork and cut-lines

If you are creating custom stickers for your business, event, brand, or personal project, your artwork needs to be set up clearly for printing and cutting. A clean file helps us prepare your order faster and gives you a better final result.

Here is a practical guide for preparing sticker artwork and cutlines.

Set up your artwork at the correct size

Start by designing your artwork at the size you want the sticker to print. This helps avoid scaling problems later.

• Use high resolution artwork, ideally at least 300 DPI at the final print size.
• Use CMYK where available for print colour. RGB files can still be supplied, but colours may shift slightly when prepared for print.
• Keep text and small details readable at the final sticker size.

Add a clear cutline

A cutline shows where the sticker should be cut. If you are supplying your own cutline, it should be a vector path on a separate clearly labelled layer, such as Cut Line or Cutline.

This layer should not be part of the printed artwork. It is a production guide that tells us where the sticker edge should be.

Add bleed beyond the cutline

If your artwork or background colour should reach the edge of the sticker, extend the artwork 3-4 mm beyond the cutline. This extra area is called bleed.

Bleed gives a little room for normal print and cutting movement, helping avoid unwanted edges on the final sticker.

Keep important details inside the safe area

Keep important details at least 3 mm inside the cutline. This includes text, logos, borders, faces, QR codes, and any detail that must not be trimmed.

Your design does not need an extra visible outline unless that is part of the look you want. The 3 mm safe area is only a guide for important artwork placement.

Before uploading your file

• Check that the artwork is the correct size.
• Make sure the cutline is on a separate labelled layer.
• Confirm the cutline is a vector path.
• Extend artwork 3-4 mm beyond the cutline if the design reaches the edge.
• Keep important details 3 mm inside the cutline.

Need us to prepare it?

If you do not know how to add a cutline, that is okay. Upload your artwork when ordering and we can prepare it for production. You will receive a digital proof before printing so you can check the final layout.