Artwork guide
Your finished sticker, explained
See what stays white, where your sticker ends, and how to check your proof before ordering.
What the lines in the preview mean
These examples show optional cutting guides. Your default finished preview hides the guides. White areas inside the finished edge remain white vinyl; colored guide lines do not print.
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 safe-area guide sits inside it. The white border inside the pink line stays on your sticker. Anything outside the pink line is not part of the peeled 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
The left image shows production artwork with extra background beyond the pink cut. That extra color is trimmed away. The blue safe-area guide keeps important details away from the edge; it does not add bleed.
What to avoid
The background stops inside the sticker edge, leaving a white border. Small text close to the cut can be clipped. Check the finished preview and keep important details inside the safe area.
Safe-area guide options
Turn on Show cutting guides, then use Show safe-area guide and the inset slider in More options. These controls only display a safety guide; they do not change the artwork, cut, or white border.
Guide hidden
Hiding the guide changes only the preview. It does not remove white space or change the cut.
Tight
A smaller guide inset. It does not move your artwork or change the cut.
Standard (default)
A starting point for checking text and fine detail. Review your own artwork before approving.
Wide
Extra margin when the design has small text near the edge or you want more room for error.
White border examples — die cut
On die-cut stickers, the White border slider adds white vinyl outside the artwork and increases the finished size. Circle stickers have a separate Add a white border control, on by default at 0.10 inches. A circle border sits inside your ordered size; turn it off for artwork to reach the edge.
0.00" — cut at the edge
No extra border is added. Review any white space already present inside the finished outline.
0.10" — classic outline
A visible white outline that stays on the finished sticker.
0.25" — bold outline
A wider white outline. The artwork stays the same size; the finished sticker grows.
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.
Check the finished sticker
White areas inside the sticker edge stay white. Turn on Show cutting guides to see the pink cut line and blue safe area. Use the border controls on die-cut and circle stickers to adjust the white outline.
Approve
Review the finished shape, artwork, and every white area or border. Approve the proof before checkout. Printed color and cut placement may vary slightly within normal production tolerances.
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
Keep text, faces, and fine details inside the blue safe-area guide and away from the cut edge.
Backgrounds go all the way out
For color to the edge, the background must fill the sticker and extend beyond the cut in the production artwork. The safe-area guide does not create bleed. Ask us for help before ordering if needed.
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.
White border, cut line, and safe-area questions
What is bleed, in one sentence?
Bleed is extra printed background beyond the cut edge, trimmed away during production to allow for small cutting shifts. The blue guide inside the cut is a safe area, not bleed.
What do the pink and blue lines mean?
Pink marks the finished sticker edge. Blue is a safe-area guide: keep text and important details inside it. These guides do not print and are hidden by default. They do not determine whether an area is white; your artwork does.
Do I need to add bleed to my file before uploading?
For a white border, review the white space in your finished preview. For color to the edge, your production artwork needs background beyond the cut edge. The preview guide does not generate bleed. Contact us before ordering if you need help preparing an edge-to-edge design.
What does Show safe-area guide do?
After turning on Show cutting guides, this option displays a blue guide inside the cut. Use the inset slider to check the position of important details. It changes only the guide, not the cut, background, or white border.
What does the White border slider do?
On die-cut stickers, it adds white vinyl outside your artwork and increases the finished size. On circle stickers, Add a white border is on by default at 0.10 inches; the width slider adjusts the white band inside your ordered size. Turn it off to let artwork reach the edge. The white border stays in your finished preview and production artwork, even when guides are hidden.
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 White 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 gray background or colored guides print?
No. Gray outside the sticker is the preview background, and guide lines do not print. White or unprinted areas inside the finished sticker edge remain white vinyl, including any white border shown.
What exactly do you print from?
Your original artwork and the approved proof guide production. Check the finished shape, white areas, and border before approval. Colored preview guides do not print. Printed colors and cut placement may vary slightly within normal production tolerances.