The Basics of Sticker Cutting

What makes stickers different from regular paper is that they are die-cut to a specific shape. This means they have no excess around the edges, making them more durable and reducing the chance of dirt or moisture getting trapped.

Slice’s 00200 Safety Cutter has a finger-friendly blade edge that can make this type of cut without damaging your sticker or cutting your fingers. This is ideal for hobbyists and smaller-sized businesses who can’t afford expensive machinery.

Material

The material used in sticker cutting is a critical component of the overall quality of your stickers. Using the best material will ensure that your stickers stick well and look great. Choosing the right material will also depend on the intended use of your stickers.

A popular option is standard white matte (WX). This material produces vibrant colors and offers a waterfast topcoat to protect against tearing, smearing, and peeling. This material isn’t weatherproof, however, so if you plan on printing your stickers in this material for an outdoor application, it’s recommended to add a protective spray or laminate to the surface of your stickers.

For more durable and waterproof stickers, polyester is an excellent choice. It’s durable and stands up to extreme heat, making it a good choice for heavy-duty equipment decals. This material is also available in silver and clear to meet your aesthetic preferences.

If you want your stickers to stand out, consider adding glitter to your order. Glitter creates a rainbow fantasy effect and is a fun way to bring your sticker designs to life. Glitter is not recommended for indoor use, however, so we recommend applying a clear protective coat to your stickers to prevent them from sticking to surfaces they shouldn’t. In addition, glossy materials can interfere with the accuracy of electronic cutting machines. To ensure that your stickers register correctly in the machine, it’s recommended to place a piece of clear matte tape over any registration marks you want to be cut out.

Design

For the longest time, people got their stickers printed in linear shapes like squares and rectangles. These stickers were then cut using photo slitting machines or simple blade cutters to create straight edged labels. Thankfully, technology has evolved to allow us to produce nonlinear sticker designs, making it easier for you to showcase your design with an unique shape that stands out and gets noticed.

The best way to get a sticker to look its best is to design it to be as clean sticker cutting and crisp as possible. Using a high resolution file will give your stickers that sharp and crisp appearance, but more importantly designing it properly is key. The sticker design is the focal point, so it’s important to not overcrowd the sticker with too many letters or elements. This will distract the eye and make it hard to read your message.

It’s also a good idea to use the “Vectorize” function in your graphic design software. This process converts pixel based graphics into smooth, printable lines that will be cut properly by our cutting machine. This is especially important when working with logos or basic shapes. If you’re unsure how to use this feature, our live chat staff can assist you in getting your files set up correctly.

Cut Lines

A sticker cut line is a carefully crafted path that outlines your design and determines how it will be cut. Whether you are making stickers for a happy planner, happy laptop or any other place that needs some sticker love you will need to create these cut lines for your vinyl graphics to be successful.

There are two popular options for creating your sticker: Contour Cut and Kiss-Cut. A Die-cut sticker is fully cut through the image and the paper backing while a kiss-cut sticker only cuts through the sticker layer leaving the sticker with a white border around it. The white border makes it easy to peel your sticker and also serves as a nice frame for logos and other important info on your sticker.

When making Die-cut stickers you must add a contour line to the sticker, this line indicates to Printastic’s equipment which parts of the image need to be cut and where to make the Sticker Cutting Manufacturer cuts. This process is very exacting and is why correct file preparations are essential for getting the best results possible.

Once you have the contour line added to your graphic, select it and duplicate it by right clicking on it in the layers panel and selecting Duplicate Layer. You will now have a layer called ‘Artwork’ and a layer called ‘Clipping Mask’ (or similar). Ensure the ‘Artwork’ layer is selected and in the Pathfinder window select ‘Unify’. This will bring all the paths together into a single shape. Tidy up any stray paths and you are ready to send your artwork for production!

Adhesive

Adhesives are substances that adhere (stick) materials together. They may be natural or synthetic. Some of the earliest adhesives were made from tar, which Neanderthals used to bind stone tools to wooden handles.

Glues are used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging and labels. They can be formulated for specific needs, such as water resistance or heat resistance. Some are designed to work in extreme conditions, such as freezing or boiling. They can also be used to adhere plastic or other materials that cannot be laminated.

The adhesives used in sticker cutting can be applied with brushes, rollers, films, pellets or spray guns. There are also applicator machines that automatically apply the glue to the sticker.

When choosing an adhesive, it’s important to consider its chemical properties, its durability and its ability to bond a wide range of materials. A good adhesive will have a high cohesive strength, which is the strength of the bonds that hold it together. This can be achieved by a physical mechanism, such as the mechanical interlocking of molecules, or by one of several chemical mechanisms, including electrostatic forces and van der Waals forces.

For an even more durable sticker, you can laminate it. Laminating protects the sticker from dirt, moisture and direct sunlight, and can make it more durable and scuff resistant. You can find clear laminating sheets that are the same size as your stickers, or you can use a thermal laminator at home.