Artwork guide
Cut lines and bleed, explained
What the pink and blue lines in the sticker preview mean, and how to set up your file so what you approve is exactly what arrives.
What the lines in the preview mean
Every sample below is real output from our sticker builder — the same engine that traces your artwork when you upload it.
Die cut
The sticker is cut to the outline of your artwork. The pink line follows your design (here with a small white border); the blue bleed line sits inside it. Anything outside the pink line is not part of the sticker.
Kiss cut
The blade cuts only through the vinyl along the pink line and leaves the backing whole. The grey line is the edge of that backing. Easier to peel, and the backing can carry your logo or instructions.
Background to the edge — done right
The color runs past the blue line all the way to the pink cut line, and the text stays inside the blue. A hairline shift during cutting still gives a clean, full-color edge.
What to avoid
The background stops at the bleed line, and small text sits in the margin. If the cut shifts by a hair you get a thin white sliver on one side and clipped letters on the other.
Bleed options
The bleed toggle and offset slider in More options control the blue guide. It never changes the cut — it only shows you how much safety margin your design has.
No bleed
No blue guide. For artwork that already has generous space around every detail.
Tight
A slim safe zone. Fine for bold shapes; risky for thin lines and small type.
Standard (default)
The setting most designs should keep. Comfortable margin for text and fine detail.
Wide
Extra margin when the design has small text near the edge or you want more room for error.
Cut border (die cut only)
The Cut border slider pushes the cut line outside your artwork for a white outline. Your artwork keeps its ordered size; the finished sticker grows by the border on every side.
0.00" — cut at the edge
The blade follows your artwork exactly. Tightest look; thin parts get no margin.
0.10" — classic outline
A clean white halo. The most common choice for logos and characters.
0.25" — bold outline
A wide border that turns a busy design into one solid, easy-to-peel shape.
How to check your file
Upload
Drop your PNG, JPG, SVG, or WEBP on any sticker page. The cut line traces your artwork on the spot — no account, nothing to install.
Read the lines
Pink is where we cut. Keep anything important inside the blue. Adjust the bleed offset or add a cut border in More options and watch the preview update.
Approve
The approval screen shows the exact preview one more time. Confirm it, check out, and that file goes straight to the cutter.
Four habits that make every sticker come out right
Transparent PNG for die cut
A transparent background gives the tightest contour. A white backdrop still works if it is uniform, but gradients and photos are treated as part of the artwork.
Keep details inside the blue
Text, faces, and fine lines belong inside the bleed line. Anything closer to the edge is at the mercy of a hairline shift.
Backgrounds go all the way out
If color is meant to reach the edge, extend it past the blue to the pink. Never stop a background exactly at the bleed line.
300 DPI at print size
A 3″ sticker wants roughly 900 pixels across. The preview warns you below 150 DPI; approve it only if you are happy with a softer print.
Cut line & bleed questions
What is bleed, in one sentence?
Bleed is extra background that extends past the safe zone to the cut line, so a small shift during cutting never leaves an unprinted white edge.
What do the pink and blue lines mean?
Pink is the cut line — the edge of the finished sticker. Blue is the bleed line — a safety margin just inside the cut. Keep text, logos, and faces inside the blue; run backgrounds past it to the pink.
Do I need to add bleed to my file before uploading?
Not for die cut and kiss cut — the preview shows the blue line on your artwork and your file is cut exactly as shown. For circle, square, rectangle, and oval, design the background to fill the whole sticker and keep important details away from the edges. If your file already has bleed built in, the preview will show you where it lands.
Which bleed option should I choose?
Leave it on Standard unless you have a reason not to. Go Wide if there is small text or fine detail near the edge. Tight and No bleed are for bold, simple shapes with plenty of room. The setting only changes the blue guide — it never moves the cut.
What does the Cut border slider do?
Die cut only. It pushes the cut line outside your artwork by up to 0.25" for a white outline. Your artwork stays the size you ordered; the finished sticker grows by the border on every side. Set it to 0" to cut right at the artwork edge.
Why does my die-cut line look bigger than my artwork?
Two possible reasons. If your artwork has more than one piece — a logo and separate text, for example — the cut line joins them into one sticker so nothing falls off. And if the Cut border slider is above zero, the line sits outside your art by that amount.
My cut line went around the whole rectangle instead of my design. Why?
Your file has a solid background — a JPG, or a PNG with a white or colored backdrop. A uniform background is treated as empty space and the design inside it is traced, but a busy or gradient background counts as part of the artwork. For the tightest die cut, upload a PNG with a transparent background.
Die cut or kiss cut — which should I pick?
Die cut when you want the sticker to be the shape of your design, with no backing showing. Kiss cut when you want easier peeling, a square backing that is simple to hand out or slip into a package, or room on the backing for your logo.
What does “Up to 3″ × 3″” mean for die cut and kiss cut?
Your artwork is fitted inside that box while keeping its own proportions. A wide logo ordered at Up to 3 × 3 comes out 3″ wide and shorter than 3″ tall. The price is the same regardless of the artwork's shape.
What file should I upload?
PNG with a transparent background gives the best die cut. JPG, SVG, and WEBP also work. Aim for 300 DPI at the printed size; the preview warns you if your file is too small to print sharply.
Will the checkerboard in the preview print?
No. The checkerboard only shows transparent areas. White areas inside the cut line print white; transparent areas outside the cut line are simply not part of the sticker.
What exactly do you print from?
The preview you approve. When you add to cart we receive your original file, a production file with the cut path you saw on screen, and a snapshot of the approved preview. What you approved is what gets cut.