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Die-Cut, Kiss-Cut & Through Cut Explained
All these different types of cuts can feel a bit unclear at first. I mean, terms like kiss cut and die cut do not really explain themselves, especially if you are new to stickers.
But once you get the hang of it, everything becomes much more straightforward (I promise). So if you want to take your sticker knowledge to the next level, this is a good place to start.
TL;DR: A cutline is a vector path in your file that tells the machine where to cut. It is not printed or visible, and it is not part of the design itself.
Die-cut: Follows the exact shape of your design and cuts all the way through, giving you a clean, ready-to-use sticker with no extra material around it.
Kiss-cut: Cuts only through the sticker layer while the backing stays intact, so you get an easy-to-peel sticker with some extra space around it.
Through-cut: Cuts all the way through the material, including inside parts of the design, which lets you remove sections and play with negative space.
Cutlines, explained simple!
A cutline is a vector path in your file that tells the machine exactly where to cut. It is not printed, not visible, and not really part of your design in the usual sense. But it plays a bigger role than you might think.
Think of it as the final outline. An invisible border that turns your artwork into something you can actually hold, peel, and stick. It lets your design follow a clean silhouette. That can be a simple circle, a sharp logo, or something more playful like clouds or wavy shapes.
So even if you never see it, the cutline is always there in the background. Quietly making sure everything ends up exactly where it should. If a sticker has a shape, the cutline is the reason why.
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Die-Cut (outer cut)
Die-cut is probably what most people think of first when it comes to stickers. This is the shape of the sticker itself. It can follow your design closely, like a classic die-cut, or be something more standard like a circle or square. This is what you usually choose in the editor before uploading your artwork.
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Kiss-Cut (inner cut)
Inner cuts are what you see in kiss-cut stickers or sticker sheets. Here, the sticker is cut on the surface, but the backing paper stays intact. Think of it as the blade giving the sticker a little smooch, just enough to separate the design without going all the way through.
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Through-Cut
Then you have through-cuts. Think of it as a hole cut straight through your design. It goes all the way through the material, not just around the shape. So in a way, it is both a die-cut and a through-cut, since the sticker still has its outer shape while parts inside are fully removed.
How to Create Custom Cutlines
As we’re using Adobe CC for pre-press, this guide covers how to create a cutline in Adobe Illustrator.
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Open your file in Adobe Illustrator
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Create a new layer, name it “cutline” and place it on top
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Use the Pen Tool, Shape Tool, or Offset Path to draw your outline
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Make sure the cutline is smooth, closed, and vector-based
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Your cutline should sit 0.076”/2 mm outside your artwork. If you’re looking to print stickers without borders, stretch the design 0.076”/2 mm past the cutline.
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Don’t use transparency, gradients, or effects on the cutline
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Use a 1 pt stroke, set the color type to Spot Color, and choose 100% magenta
If you're like us, the nerdier kind, please read the full guide here.
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Creating Cutlines (The Easy Way)
So what if your file does not come with a custom cutline? No worries, you still have two easy options. You can adjust it directly in the editor, or leave a comment and let us handle it.
Adjust it in the editor
In the editor, head to the right sidebar and click on “Cutlines”. There you can choose the size that fits your design, small, medium, or large.
You can also switch the shape completely. Circle, square, or rounded corners, whatever works best for your design.
If you want a true die-cut look, make sure your artwork has a transparent or white background. Otherwise the system might default to a square if it cannot detect the outline.
Or, leave a comment!
If you prefer, just leave a comment with your order and ask us to match the cutline to your design. This is especially helpful if the background is hard to remove or the shape is more detailed.
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Where Your Dreams Take Shape
Understanding the difference makes it so much easier to actually navigate the sticker world without guessing your way through it. And there is a lot you can do once you start experimenting with the different cuts.
So try things out, see what works, and if you have any ideas or questions, feel free to reach out to our support team. They are always happy to help you bring your idea to life.
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