Cut lines
A path in the file that tells the cutter where to cut. On stickers and decals it traces the outside of the art.
A printer prints and a cutter cuts. The cut line is how the file tells the cutter where to go. It sits on top of the artwork as a thin outline in a special color, and it is never printed.
How we set them up
- A spot color named CutContour, shown as 100% magenta.
- A hairline stroke with no fill.
- One closed path per piece, plus the holes inside letters when the inside should come out.
The color name is what the cutting software reads. A magenta line that is not named CutContour is just a magenta line, and it will print.
Border or no border
Most die-cut stickers have a small border of white or background color between the art and the cut. It keeps the blade off the artwork and makes the shape read cleaner. Cutting tight to the art works for bold, simple shapes and not so well for thin, spiky ones.
In the Sticker Studio you do not need to make a cut line at all. It traces one around your art and lets you set the border width yourself.
