2026-08-13
Learn how to create a print-ready die-cut line around any sticker artwork, choose the right offset and export a PDF your printer can actually use.
A cut line (also called a contour, cut path or die-cut line) is a vector path that tells a cutting plotter where the blade should travel around your sticker. It is not part of the printed artwork — it is a separate spot-colour path placed on top of it.
Because the blade follows vector geometry, the path must be a clean closed shape. Raster outlines, drop shadows or soft glows cannot be cut; they have to be converted into a vector contour first.
Upload the file to the contour generator on the homepage. The tool detects the sticker edge from transparency or from the background colour, then traces it into a smooth vector path.
Use the edge precision slider to control how closely the path follows fine detail. Lower values give smoother, cheaper-to-cut shapes; higher values keep sharp spikes and thin elements.
The offset is the white margin between your artwork and the blade. For most vinyl stickers 2 mm is a safe default: it hides small cutting tolerances and stops the print from being clipped.
Go down to 1 mm only for large simple shapes, and up to 3-5 mm for playful borders or very detailed illustrations.
Export as PDF. The artwork stays in its original colour mode, and the cut line is exported as pure magenta (M100 in CMYK, R255 G0 B255 in RGB) with a hairline 0.3 mm stroke — the convention almost every sticker printer expects.
Before sending, open the PDF and confirm two things: the cut path is a single closed outline, and it does not overlap the artwork anywhere.