Die Cut Setup Guide
You can watch our short video guide on how to set up a cut line, or follow the steps below to get your artwork print-ready.
Setting up your cut line in Adobe Illustrator is quick and easy, no stress, no guesswork.
Follow the guide, and your stickers, labels, badges or magnets will cut clean every time.
Sticker Printing Made Easy.
1. Open your artwork
Open your design in Adobe Illustrator, or use our template file (sticker-art.ai) to start from.
2. Add space around your design
Grab the Selection Tool (the black arrow) and select your artwork.
Go to Object > Path > Offset Path — this adds a bit of space between your artwork and the cut line.
3. Adjust the offset
In the Offset Path box:
- Enter an Offset value (we recommend 5mm).
- Set Joins to Round for smooth corners.
- Tick Preview to check how it looks, then click OK.
💡 Tip: Using a 5mm offset and round joins gives a nice, smooth edge. A Miter limit of 4 works well — increase it slightly if you’ve got sharp angles.
4. Merge everything
With your offset shape still selected, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click Unite (the first icon under Shape Modes). This merges everything into one clean shape.
5. Clean up any floating shapes
Switch to the Direct Selection Tool (the white arrow).
Click on any leftover floating shapes and hit Delete until you’ve got one single, solid shape left.
6. Smooth the cut line again
Select your shape (still using the white arrow) and go to Object > Path > Offset Path again.
Set the offset to -1mm and click OK. This tightens up your line for a clean final edge.
7. Remove the inside edge
Click inside the empty space of your cut shape with the white arrow.
Go to Edit > Cut. Then, select the previous offset path and press Delete on your keyboard.
8. Move the cut line to its own layer
Open the Layers panel (Window > Layers).
- Create a new layer and name it Cut Line.
- Drag it below your artwork layer.
- Choose Edit > Paste in Place to drop the cut line exactly where it should be.
9. Reset the appearance
Press D on your keyboard to reset your shape’s default colours (white fill, black outline).